or פִּדְיֹם; also פִּדְיוֹן; or פִּדְיֹן; from פָּדָה; a ransom; ransom, that were redeemed, redemption.
Transliteration:pidyôwm
Pronunciation:pid-yome'
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew noun פִּדְיוֹם (pidyôwm, `{{H6306}}`), along with its variant spellings פִּדְיֹם, פִּדְיוֹן, and פִּדְיֹן, is derived from the verbal root פָּדָה (padah, `{{H6299}}`), meaning "to ransom," "to redeem," or "to deliver." As a noun, pidyôwm primarily denotes the "ransom price," "redemption money," or "that which is given to effect release." Its semantic range encompasses the cost, payment, or substitute required to free someone or something from an obligation, debt, bondage, or a state of being claimed by another. The core idea is liberation achieved through a compensatory payment.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The occurrences of pidyôwm in the Old Testament illuminate its specific application.
* **Numbers 3:49, 3:51:** Here, pidyôwm refers to the "redemption money" required for the firstborn Israelites who exceeded the number of Levites dedicated to the Lord. God had claimed all firstborn, and the Levites served as a substitute for them. For the excess firstborn, a monetary payment was instituted as their pidyôwm, emphasizing a financial transaction to satisfy a divine claim. The text explicitly states, "And Moses took the redemption money (פִּדְיוֹם) from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites." [[Numbers 3:49]]
* **Numbers 18:16:** This verse specifies the exact redemption price (פִּדְיוֹן, a variant of pidyôwm) for a firstborn human child: "And their redemption price (פִּדְיוֹן) shall be, from a month old you shall redeem them, for the valuation of five shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary." [[Numbers 18:16]] This reiterates the concept of a fixed, tangible payment for release from a sacred obligation.
* **Psalm 49:8 (Hebrew 49:9):** This passage offers a profound theological insight into the limitations of human pidyôwm. "For the redemption (פִּדְיוֹם) of their soul is costly, and it shall cease forever." [[Psalm 49:8]] Here, pidyôwm is used in a spiritual, existential sense, highlighting the inability of human wealth or effort to provide a sufficient ransom for one's soul from death or the grave. This verse underscores the inadequacy of any humanly devised payment for ultimate spiritual liberation.
### Related Words & Concepts
The concept of redemption in the Old Testament is rich and multifaceted, with several related Hebrew terms:
* **פָּדָה (padah, `{{H6299}}`):** The verbal root from which pidyôwm is derived, meaning "to ransom," "to redeem," or "to deliver." It often implies a payment or a substitute.
* **גָּאַל (ga'al, `{{H1350}}`):** Meaning "to redeem," often in the context of a kinsman-redeemer (go'el) who has the right and obligation to restore property, avenge blood, or free a relative from slavery. While padah emphasizes payment, ga'al emphasizes the act of recovery by a close relative, often without explicit mention of a price.
* **כֹּפֶר (kōpher, `{{H3724}}`):** Meaning "a ransom," "a bribe," or "atonement." This word denotes a payment or covering given to avert punishment, satisfy a claim, or make amends, often in a legal or penal context (e.g., a ransom for a life [[Exodus 21:30]]).
* **פְּדוּת (p'duth, `{{H6304}}`):** A noun meaning "redemption" or "deliverance," often referring to the act or state of being redeemed.
* **פְּדֻיִם (p'duyim, `{{H6305}}`):** Another noun, sometimes plural, referring to the redeemed ones or the redemption price.
These words collectively paint a comprehensive picture of redemption, encompassing legal, social, and theological dimensions, often involving a cost or a substitute.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of pidyôwm is profound, laying foundational principles for understanding divine redemption:
* **Divine Ownership and Claim:** The use of pidyôwm for the firstborn in Numbers illustrates God's sovereign claim over all life, particularly the firstborn. The redemption price acknowledges this divine ownership and provides a means for the people to retain their firstborn while still honoring God's prerogative. This establishes a pattern of substitutionary redemption where a payment or a dedicated substitute (the Levites) fulfills a divine requirement.
* **The Cost of Freedom:** Pidyôwm inherently teaches that freedom from bondage—whether physical, legal, or spiritual—is not free. It requires a payment, a price, or a substitute. This principle underscores the seriousness of sin and the immense cost involved in securing true liberation.
* **Human Inability to Redeem the Soul:** The declaration in [[Psalm 49:8]] (Hebrew 49:9) is a pivotal theological statement. It asserts that no human being, regardless of wealth or power, can provide the pidyôwm for their own soul or the soul of another to escape death. This highlights the absolute inadequacy of human effort or material possessions in securing ultimate spiritual redemption. It creates a theological vacuum, signaling that if redemption from death is to occur, it must come from a source beyond human capacity.
* **Foreshadowing Christ's Atonement:** While pidyôwm itself refers to Old Testament practices, the principles it embodies—redemption through a costly payment and the inability of human means to achieve ultimate salvation—are critical for understanding the New Testament's doctrine of atonement. Christ's death is presented as the ultimate "ransom" (λύτρον, lytron `{{G3083}}`; ἀντίλυτρον, antilytron `{{G487}}`) for sin, providing the redemption that no earthly pidyôwm could ever achieve. His sacrifice fulfills the need for a costly payment that human beings could not provide, thereby securing eternal life and freedom from the bondage of sin and death.
### Summary
The Hebrew word פִּדְיוֹם (pidyôwm, `{{H6306}}`) fundamentally signifies a "ransom" or "redemption price," derived from the root פָּדָה (padah, `{{H6299}}`). It denotes the cost required to secure release from an obligation or bondage. In the Pentateuch, it specifically refers to the monetary redemption of the firstborn, illustrating God's claim and the principle of substitutionary payment ([[Numbers 3:49]], [[Numbers 18:16]]). Most profoundly, [[Psalm 49:8]] (Hebrew 49:9) reveals the critical theological truth that human wealth cannot provide the pidyôwm for the soul to escape death. This inadequacy of human means for ultimate redemption sets the stage for a divine solution, foreshadowing the New Testament concept of Christ's atoning work. His sacrifice serves as the ultimate, costly "ransom" that provides the spiritual redemption from sin and death which no human pidyôwm could ever accomplish, thereby establishing the profound and costly nature of divine grace.
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