Lexical Summary paduwy: Redeemed Original Word: פָדוּי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance that are to be that were redeemed Passive participle of padah. Ransomed (and so occurring under padah); as abstractly (in plural masculine) a ransom -- (that are) to be (that were) redeemed. see HEBREW padah see HEBREW padah Brown-Driver-Briggs מְּדוּיִם noun [masculine] plural abstract ransom; — so read perhaps Numbers 3:49 for ᵑ0 מִּדְיוֺם, Samaritan פדוים; construct פְדוּיֵי Numbers 3:48; for other possibly cases see Qal Passive participle Topical Lexicon Root Idea of Redemptionפָדוּי points to the state of having been ransomed or liberated by the payment of a price. The term presupposes captivity or obligation and announces release secured through a substitute. In Scripture the concept is never merely economic; it is covenantal, joining the redeemed to the Redeemer in grateful service. Occurrences in Numbers 3 The word appears four times, all in the narrative that balances the census of the Levites with the census of Israel’s firstborn sons. • Numbers 3:46 – “To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites,” the ransom money is introduced. These verses frame פָדוּי as the status conferred on the surplus firstborn after payment of five shekels each (Numbers 3:47). The Levites serve as living substitutes for the vast majority of Israel’s firstborn, yet where the numbers do not match, money substitutes for people. Either way, redemption is effected by God-appointed means, highlighting divine ownership of every firstborn life (Exodus 13:2). Historical Setting At Sinai, Israel has already been spared through the Passover lamb. The redemption price in Numbers 3 institutes a continuing reminder of that deliverance. The census, valuation, and payment occur in the wilderness, underscoring that redemption precedes entry into the land and is foundational to national identity. The money is delivered to Aaron, embedding the priesthood at the heart of redemptive administration. Theological Significance 1. Substitution: The Levites, and then the silver, stand in place of the firstborn. This prefigures the substitutionary atonement ultimately accomplished by Jesus Christ, “who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6). 2. Divine Ownership: God claims what He redeems. Israel’s firstborn belong to Him by right, and the ransom does not buy independence but signals consecration. 3. Holiness and Service: Those redeemed are set apart. The Levites enter sanctuary service; the firstborn, though living ordinary lives, are perpetually marked as God’s. 4. Monetary Valuation: Five shekels depict real cost. Redemption is never sentimental; it is paid for. The price motif culminates in the New Testament proclamation, “You were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20). Typological Foreshadowing of Christ The surplus firstborn illustrate humanity’s inability to make an adequate offering. God supplies the substitute—first Levites, then silver, finally His Son. Christ fulfills both roles: He is the priestly mediator and the ransom price. The careful reckoning in Numbers 3 signals the precision with which God provides satisfaction for every sinner who trusts in His Redeemer. Practical Ministry Application • Teaching: פָדוּי furnishes a vivid illustration for preaching on redemption, anchoring New Testament proclamation in Old Testament narrative. Related Canonical Themes Isaiah 35:10 envisions the “redeemed of the LORD” returning with everlasting joy, echoing Numbers 3’s declaration of belonging. Psalm 107 records the gathered “redeemed of the LORD” celebrating deliverance from varied captivities. In Revelation 5:9 the Lamb’s blood purchases people “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation,” bringing the redemption motif to its global fulfillment. Thus פָדוּי, though confined in occurrence, opens a window onto the grand biblical drama in which God ransoms a people for His Name and service through divinely appointed substitution, culminating in the work of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations הַפְּדֻיִ֛ם הפדים פְּדוּיֵ֕י פְּדוּיֵ֣י פְּדוּיֵ֥י פדויי hap·pə·ḏu·yim happeduYim happəḏuyim pə·ḏū·yê pəḏūyê peduYeiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 3:46 HEB: וְאֵת֙ פְּדוּיֵ֣י הַשְּׁלֹשָׁ֔ה וְהַשִּׁבְעִ֖ים KJV: And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred INT: are to be redeemed three seventy Numbers 3:48 Numbers 3:49 Numbers 3:51 4 Occurrences |
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