1. ransom, price of a life — The price paid to redeem a life or avert punishment; a ransom or redemption payment. Used in legal contexts (Exodus 21:30, Numbers 35:31-32 for the ransom of a murderer), cultic contexts (Exodus 30:12 census ransom), and theological/poetic contexts (Psalm 49:7, Proverbs 6:35, 13:8, 21:18, Isaiah 43:3). Suffixed forms (your ransom, his ransom) denote the same concept applied to specific persons. Multilingual glosses are highly consistent: Arabic فدية (ransom), German Loesegeld (ransom price), Hindi फिरौती (ransom), Korean 몸값/속전/대속 (body-price/redemption), Spanish rescate (rescue/ransom), French rancon (ransom). 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"]
Exod 21:30, Exod 30:12, Num 35:31, Num 35:32, Job 33:24, Job 36:18, Ps 49:7, Prov 6:35, Prov 13:8, Prov 21:18, Isa 43:3
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. bribe — A payment intended to corrupt or influence judgment, distinct from a legitimate ransom. Found in 1 Samuel 12:3 (Samuel's integrity speech) and Amos 5:12 (prophetic accusation of injustice). The multilingual glosses diverge sharply from the ransom sense: English 'bribe', Hindi रिश्वत/घूस (both meaning bribe), Korean 뇇물 (bribe), Spanish soborno (bribery). Arabic and German retain the 'ransom' gloss but the dominant pattern clearly distinguishes corrupt payment from legitimate redemption. 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"]
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…