H3724a H3724a
Ransom price paid to redeem a life or avert punishment; also a bribe given to pervert justice.
A noun meaning the price paid for a life, rooted in the verb kapar ('to cover, atone'). In its primary sense it denotes a legitimate ransom or redemption payment: the compensation for an ox-goring death (Exod 21:30), the half-shekel census tax 'as a ransom for his life' (Exod 30:12), and the prohibition against accepting ransom for a murderer (Num 35:31-32). The psalmist declares that no one can pay God enough ransom for his own soul (Ps 49:8), and Isaiah portrays God giving Egypt 'as your ransom' for Israel (Isa 43:3). In two prophetic passages, however, the word takes on the darker shade of a bribe that corrupts justice, a meaning the multilingual evidence marks distinctly: English and German shift to 'bribe' while Spanish uses 'soborno' rather than 'rescate.'
Senses
1. ransom, price of a life — The primary legal and theological sense of a ransom or redemption price paid to save a life from death or punishment. The Covenant Code prescribes it as the payment an ox owner must make when his animal kills a person (Exod 21:30). The Priestly legislation requires it as a census tax to avert plague (Exod 30:12) and firmly prohibits it for murderers (Num 35:31-32). In wisdom literature, Job 33:24 celebrates God finding a ransom, while Job 36:18 warns that no amount of ransom can deliver from judgment. Spanish consistently renders 'rescate,' French 'rançon,' and German 'Lösegeld,' all centering on the notion of a redemptive payment. Proverbs extends the metaphor: the rich man's wealth is his ransom (13:8), but an adulterer will accept no ransom (6:35). 11×
AR["فِديَةً", "فِديَةٌ", "فِديَةٍ", "فِديَةَ", "فِدْيَةً", "فِدْيَةٌ", "فِدْيَةٍ", "فِدْيَةُ", "فِدْيَتَكَ", "فِدْيَتَه"]·ben["তোমার-মুক্তিপণ-রূপে", "মুক্তিপণ", "মুক্তিমূল্য", "মুক্তিমূল্য-তার"]·DE["Loesegeld", "Loesegeld-von", "[כפרך]", "ein-Loesegeld", "sein-auslösen"]·EN["a-ransom", "his-ransom", "ransom", "ransom-of", "the-ransom-of", "your-ransom"]·FR["[כפרך]", "comme-rançon", "rançon", "rançon-de", "une-rançon", "כפר"]·heb["כופר", "כופר-ו", "כופרך", "כפר"]·HI["फिरौती", "फिरौती-की", "फिरौती-तेरी", "मोल-उसका"]·ID["Tebusan", "sebagai-tebusan-bagimu", "tebusan"]·IT["[כפרו]", "[כפרך]", "riscatto", "riscatto-di", "un-riscatto"]·jav["kanggé-tebusan-panjenengan", "tebusan", "tebusan-saking"]·KO["값-의", "그-의-대속-을", "너의-몸값으로", "대가-는", "대가가", "대속이니라", "몸값", "몸값을", "몸값이", "속전을"]·PT["Resgate", "Resgate-de", "resgate", "resgate-de", "resgate-teu", "seu-resgate"]·RU["выкуп", "выкуп-за-него", "выкупа", "выкупа,", "выкупом-за-тебя"]·ES["Rescate", "Rescate-de", "rescate", "rescate-de", "su-rescate", "tu-rescate"]·SW["fidia", "fidia-ya", "fidia-yako", "ya-nafsi-yake", "yoyote"]·TR["fidye", "fidyedir", "fidyen-olarak", "fidyenin", "fidyesi", "fidyesini"]·urd["اُس-کا-فدیہ", "تاوان-کا", "تیرا-فدیہ", "فدیہ"]
2. bribe — A specialized negative sense where the 'ransom' becomes a bribe intended to pervert justice rather than secure legitimate redemption. Samuel's farewell speech (1 Sam 12:3) challenges Israel to testify whether he ever took a bribe, using kopher in parallel with 'blinding the eyes.' Amos 5:12 accuses the powerful of taking bribes to turn aside the poor at the gate. The multilingual evidence marks this shift: English and German switch from 'ransom' / 'Lösegeld' to 'bribe,' while Spanish replaces 'rescate' with 'soborno.' French hesitates between 'rançon' and 'bribe,' reflecting the semantic overlap between payment-for-a-life and payment-to-corrupt. 2×
AR["رِشْوَةٍ", "فِدْيَةً"]·ben["ঘুষ"]·DE["Loesegeld", "bribe"]·EN["bribe"]·FR["bribe", "rançon"]·heb["כוֹפר", "כופר"]·HI["घूस", "रिश्वत"]·ID["suap", "uang-suap"]·IT["[כפר]", "dono"]·jav["besel"]·KO["뇇물을"]·PT["suborno"]·RU["взятку", "выкуп"]·ES["soborno"]·SW["fidia", "rushwa"]·TR["rüşvet", "rüşveti"]·urd["رشوت"]
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H7069 1. Buy, purchase (59×)H1892 1. vanity, futility, absurdity (58×)H5159 2. heritage as covenant portion (52×)H6299 1. redeem or ransom (Qal active) (49×)H4376 1. Sell (Qal active) (47×)H1350a 1. Redeem, buy back (46×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. כֹּפֶר n.m. the price of a life, a ransom (ποινή, wergeld);—כ׳ Ex 21:30 + 10 times; sf. כָּפְרְךָ Is 43:3; כָּפְרוֹ ψ 49:8;— 1. a price for ransom of a life Jb 33:24; 36:18; כ׳ עַל Ex 21:30 (Covt. code; ‖ פִּדְיֹן נַפְשׁוֹ); כ׳ נפשׁ Pr 13:8; כ׳ לְ ransom for Pr 6:35; 21:18; Nu 35:31, 32 (P); כָּפְרוֹ his ransom ψ 49:8 (‖ פדה); כָּפְרְךָ thy ransom Is 43:3 (‖ תַּחְתֶּיךָ); כֹּ֫פֶר alone 1 S…