פִּדְיוֹם (pid.yom)
pid.yom
redemption
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun pidyon refers to a ransom or redemption, specifically the price paid to secure freedom or release. It appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, both instances found in the book of Numbers. In these passages, it denotes the monetary compensation required for the firstborn sons of Israel, serving as a substitute for their consecration to God.
This term is essentially a variant spelling of pidyon, another word meaning redemption. The sources indicate that both forms carry the same core definition: a ransom payment. Its usage here is concrete and legal, tied directly to the ritual substitution described in Numbers 3:46-47, where silver was given to Moses and Aaron on behalf of the firstborn.
The word highlights a transactional aspect of redemption common in ancient Near Eastern contexts. It is not merely an abstract concept of salvation but a specific financial settlement. By using this term, the text emphasizes that freedom was obtained through a measured cost, reflecting the value placed on life and the obligation to restore what was due.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
This word, appearing only twice in the Hebrew Bible, describes a specific price paid to secure freedom. In Numbers, it refers to the silver collected to substitute for the firstborn sons of Israel who were otherwise consecrated to God. It is not an abstract idea but a concrete payment that acknowledged the value of life and the cost of release.
For your faith, this highlights that redemption often involves a real exchange. The text shows that freedom was not free; it required a measured cost paid on behalf of others. This reminds us that our own deliverance is grounded in a serious transaction where one life stands in for another, reflecting the high value God places on every person.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ ransom1×
- [the] ransom of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פִּדְיֹ֣ן1×
- הַ/פִּדְי֑וֹם1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 3:49
Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites;
This verse records Moses collecting the silver that served as the legal substitute for the firstborn who exceeded the number of Levites.