Lexical Summary exagorazó: To redeem, to buy back, to make the most of Original Word: ἐξαγοράζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance redeem. From ek and agorazo; to buy up, i.e. Ransom; figuratively, to rescue from loss (improve opportunity) -- redeem. see GREEK ek see GREEK agorazo HELPS Word-studies 1805 eksagorázō (from 1537 /ek, "completely out from" which intensifies 59 /agorázō, "buy-up at the marketplace") – properly, take full advantage of, seizing a buying-opportunity, i.e. making the most of the present opportunity (recognizing its future gain). Note the prefix (ek) which lends the meaning, "out and out," "fully" (WS, 917.) NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ek and agorazó Definition to buy up, i.e. ransom, fig. to rescue from loss NASB Translation making the most (2), redeem (1), redeemed (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1805: ἐξαγοράζωἐξαγοράζω: 1 aorist ἐξηγόρασα; (present middle ἐξαγοράζομαι); 1. to redeem i. e. by payment of a price to recover from the power of another, to ransom, buy off (cf. ἐκ, VI. 2): properly, θεραπαινιδα, Diodorus 36, 1, p. 530; metaphorically, of Christ freeing men from the dominion of the Mosaic law at the price of his vicarious death (see ἀγοράζω, 2 b.), τινα, Galatians 4:5; with addition of ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου, Galatians 3:13. 2. to buy up, Polybius 3, 42, 2; Plutarch, Crass. 2; middle τί, to buy up for oneself, for one's use (Winers Grammar, § 38, 2 b.; Buttmann, 192 (166f)): tropically, in the obscure phrase, ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τόν καιρόν, Ephesians 5:16 and Colossians 4:5, where the meaning seems to be to make a wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal and well-doing are as it were the purchase-money by which we make the time our own; (active ἐξαγοράζειν καιρόν, to seek (to gain time (A. V.) i. e.) delay, Daniel 2:8; middle with the accusative of thing, 'by ransom to avert evil from oneself', 'to buy oneself off or deliver oneself from evil': διά μιᾶς ὥρας τήν αἰώνιον κόλασιν ἐξαγοραζόμενοι, of the martyrs, Martyr. Polycarp, 2, 3 [ET]). In the Greco-Roman world an agora was more than a shopping district; it was a place where slaves were displayed and purchased. The verb under study evokes the decisive act of buying someone out of that market and removing the person from further sale. First-century readers would have immediately pictured a final, liberating transaction that transferred ownership forever. That concrete social practice becomes the Spirit-inspired metaphor for the saving work of Jesus Christ and for the way believers steward the fleeting opportunities of life. Christ’s Liberating Purchase (Galatians 3:13; Galatians 4:5) The Apostle Paul applies the term to the atonement itself: Here the setting is judicial rather than commercial. Humanity, enslaved under the Law’s condemnation, could not ransom itself. Jesus voluntarily entered the slave-market, took the place of the condemned, paid the full price with His own blood, and led the captives into the freedom of sonship. Adoption is the immediate result; covenantal inheritance and Spirit-wrought intimacy with the Father are the privileges secured. Redeeming the Time (Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5) Paul then transfers the same verb from justification to exhortation: Instead of people, it is now the kairos—each God-given moment—that must be rescued from the evil age. Believers buy up the passing opportunities by walking in wisdom, holiness, and evangelistic urgency. The purchase price is alertness, prayer, and Spirit-filled obedience. Thus, the redeemed become redeemers of time, turning ordinary interactions into eternal investments. Old Testament Roots and Prophetic Fulfilment The concept echoes the Hebrew go’el, the kinsman-redeemer who pays a price to set a relative free (Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 4:4-10). Paul’s choice of this particular verb signals that the Messianic Redeemer has arrived and accomplished the ultimate Jubilee. What was foreshadowed in Israel’s legislation and festivals now finds its substance in the cross. Doctrinal and Pastoral Implications 1. Assurance: Because the action is decisive and completed, the believer’s standing is secure; no further transaction is needed or possible. Summary Whether describing the ransom paid by Christ or the wise conduct of His people, Strong’s Greek 1805 carries the picture of a permanent, liberating purchase. It unites justification, sanctification, and eschatological hope in one vivid term: redeemed lives, redeeming every moment, awaiting final redemption. Englishman's Concordance Galatians 3:13 V-AIA-3SGRK: Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς NAS: Christ redeemed us from the curse KJV: Christ hath redeemed us from INT: Christ us ransomed from the Galatians 4:5 V-ASA-3S Ephesians 5:16 V-PPM-NMP Colossians 4:5 V-PPM-NMP Strong's Greek 1805 |