λυτρωτής (lutrōtēs)
lutrōtēs
redeemer
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun lutrōtēs identifies a person who acts as a redeemer or deliverer. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in Acts 7:35, where Stephen describes Moses as the one whom God sent to serve as a ruler and liberator for the Israelites.
Its meaning is rooted in the concept of ransom, sharing a family with verbs that describe buying back or freeing someone. The sources note that this term corresponds to the Hebrew word gā’al, which appears frequently in the Old Testament to describe God’s role as the protector and rescuer of His people.
This single usage highlights a specific historical moment rather than a general theological principle. By calling Moses a lutrōtēs, the text emphasizes his function as an agent of liberation who was rejected by his own people but ultimately used by God to bring them out of Egypt.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word lutrōtēs appears only once in the New Testament, found in Stephen’s speech in Acts 7:35. Here it describes Moses as a deliverer sent by God to rescue Israel from slavery. This usage connects deeply with Old Testament concepts of redemption, where a close relative or appointed agent acts to free those in bondage.
For your faith, this reminds us that God often works through human agents to bring about liberation and justice. While Moses was rejected initially, God used him to fulfill His redemptive plan. This shows that divine deliverance can come through unexpected means and people, encouraging trust in God’s timing and methods even when circumstances seem difficult.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- redeemer1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- λυτρωτὴν1×
Key Verses
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Acts 7:35
“This Moses whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
This verse uniquely applies the title 'deliverer' to Moses, highlighting his role as a human agent of God's redemption for Israel.