Lexical Summary antilutron: Ransom, Redemption Price Original Word: ἀντίλυτρον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance ransom. From anti and lutron; a redemption-price -- ransom. see GREEK anti see GREEK lutron HELPS Word-studies 487 antílytron (from 473 /antí, "corresponding to, instead of/exchange" and 3083 /lýtron, "ransom-price") – properly, a full ransom, referring to Christ paying the complete purchase-price to secure our freedom (redemption) – i.e. Christ exchanging His eternal righteousness for our sin (cf. Ro 3:26; 2 Cor 5:21). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom anti and lutron Definition a ransom NASB Translation ransom (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 487: ἀντίλυτρονἀντίλυτρον, ἀντιλυτρου, τό, what is given in exchange for another as the price of his redemption, ransom: 1 Timothy 2:6. (An uncertain translator in Psalm 48:9 Topical Lexicon Meaning and Conceptual Background Strong’s Greek 487, ἀντίλυτρον, conveys the idea of a substitute ransom—payment rendered in the place of another so that the captive goes free. The preposition ἀντί stresses exchange, highlighting that the deliverance of the many rests upon the self-sacrifice of the One. Biblical Usage The term appears once in the Greek New Testament, in 1 Timothy 2:6. Paul writes, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony given in its proper time”. By choosing this compound word, the apostle underscores three truths: 1. Christ’s death is vicarious—the price is paid not merely on behalf of but in the stead of sinners. Theology of Ransom and Substitution 1 Timothy 2:6 sits within a larger biblical theology in which deliverance is always costly. Isaac’s ram (Genesis 22:13), the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:13), the atonement money (Exodus 30:12-16), and the Servant of Isaiah 53 converge in the cross. Jesus applies the simpler term λύτρον to Himself in Mark 10:45 and Matthew 20:28; Paul extends the thought with ἀντίλυτρον to clarify substitution. The epistles unfold the same reality with complementary vocabulary: “redeemed…with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19), “who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:14). Relation to Old Testament Redemption The Old Testament repeatedly affirms that no human can redeem his brother apart from divine provision (Psalm 49:7-9). The kinsman-redeemer (Leviticus 25:47-55; Ruth 4:1-10) prefigures a ransom requiring familial solidarity. In 1 Timothy 2, the incarnate Son becomes the true Kinsman whose blood secures liberty from sin’s slavery and satisfies God’s justice. Historical Interpretation in the Church Early teachers such as Irenaeus highlighted the recapitulation of humanity in Christ; Athanasius stressed the necessity of divine intervention; Anselm clarified that the debt is owed to God’s honor, not to Satan. Reformers emphasized penal substitution, tracing it to texts like 1 Timothy 2:6. Throughout, the church has confessed that the ransom was objective, effectual, and grounded in grace alone. Practical and Ministry Applications • Evangelism: The language of ransom presents the gospel as liberation, offering a compelling framework for proclaiming Christ to cultures acquainted with captivity—whether spiritual, social, or political. Conclusion By concentrating the doctrine of substitutionary ransom into a single, rare term, 1 Timothy 2:6 embodies the heart of the gospel: the Mediator who, in perfect timing, traded His life so captives might go free. Every ministry expression of the church—her preaching, worship, and service—draws enduring power from this once-for-all ἀντίλυτρον. Forms and Transliterations αντιλυτρον αντίλυτρον ἀντίλυτρον antilutron antilytron antílytronLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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