ransom for sins

ἁμαρτία, ίας, ἡ (w. mngs. ranging fr. involuntary mistake/ error to serious offenses against a deity: Aeschyl., Antiphon, Democr.+; ins fr. Cyzicus JHS 27, 1907, p. 63 [III B.C.] ἁμαρτίαν μετανόει; PLips 119 recto, 3; POxy 1119, 11; LXX; En, TestSol, TestAbr, TestJob, Test12Patr; JosAs 12:14; ParJer, ApcEsdr, ApcSed, ApcMos; EpArist 192; Philo; Jos., Ant. 13, 69 al.; Ar. [Milne 76, 42]; Just., A I, 61, 6; 10; 66, 1, D. 13, 1 al.; Tat. 14, 1f; 20, 1; Mel., P. 50, 359; 55, 400; s. ClR 24, 1910, 88; 234; 25, 1911, 195–97).

① a departure fr. either human or divine standards of uprightness

ⓐ sin (w. context ordinarily suggesting the level of heinousness), the action itself (ἁμάρτησις s. prec.), as well as its result (ἁμάρτημα), πᾶσα ἀδικία ἁ. ἐστίν 1J 5:17 (cp. Eur., Or. 649; Gen 50:17). ἁ. w. ἀνομήματα Hv 1, 3, 1; descr. as ἀνομία (cp. Ps 58:3; TestJob 43:17) 1J 3:4; but one who loves is far from sin Pol 3:3, cp. Js 5:20; 1 Pt 4:8, 1 Cl 49:5; Agr 13. ἀναπληρῶσαι τὰς ἁ. fill up the measure of sins (Gen 15:16) 1 Th 2:16. κοινωνεῖν ἁ. ἀλλοτρίαις 1 Ti 5:22. ποιεῖν ἁ. commit a sin (Tob 12:10; 14:7S; Dt 9:21) 2 Cor 11:7; 1 Pt 2:22; Js 5:15; 1J 3:4, 8. For this ἁμαρτάνειν ἁ. (Ex 32:30; La 1:8) 1J 5:16; ἐργάζεσθαι ἁ. Js 2:9; Hm 4, 1, 2 (LXX oft. ἐργάζ. ἀδικίαν or ἀνομίαν). μεγάλην ἁ. ἐργάζεσθαι commit a great sin m 4, 1, 1; 8:2. Pl. (cp. Pla., Ep. 7, 335a τὰ μεγάλα ἁμαρτήματα κ. ἀδικήματα) Hs 7:2. ἐπιφέρειν ἁ. τινί Hv 1, 2, 4. ἑαυτῷ ἁ. ἐπιφέρειν bring sin upon oneself m 11:4; for this ἁ. ἐπισπᾶσθαί τινι m 4, 1, 8 (cp. Is 5:18). προστιθέναι ταῖς ἁ. add to one’s sins (cp. προσέθηκεν ἁμαρτίας ἐφʼ ἁμαρτίας PsSol 3:10) Hv 5:7; m 4, 3, 7; Hs 6, 2, 3; 8, 11, 3; φέρειν ἁ. 1 Cl 16:4 (Is 53:4). ἀναφέρειν vs. 14 (Is 53:12). γέμειν ἁμαρτιῶν B 11:11. εἶναι ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις 1 Cor 15:17 (cp. Alex. Aphr., Eth. Probl. 9 II 2 p. 129, 13 ἐν ἁμαρτήμασιν εἶναι).—Sin viewed from the perspective of God’s or Christ’s response: ἀφιέναι τὰς ἁ. let go = forgive sins (Lev 4:20 al.) Mt 9:2, 5f; Mk 2:5, 7, 9f; Lk 5:20ff; Hv 2, 2, 4; 1 Cl 50:5; 53:5 (Ex 32:32) al. (ἀφίημι 2); hence ἄφεσις (τῶν) ἁμαρτιῶν (Iren. 1, 21, 2 [Harv. I 182, 4]) forgiveness of sins Mt 26:28; Mk 1:4; Lk 1:77; 3:3; 24:47; Ac 2:38; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; Hm 4, 3, 2; B 5:1; 6:11; 8:3; 11:1; 16:8. διδόναι ἄφεσιν ἁ. AcPl Ha 2, 30; λαβεῖν ἄφεσιν ἁ. receive forgiveness of sins Ac 26:18 (Just., D. 54 al); καθαρίζειν τὰς ἁ. cleanse the sins (thought of as a stain) Hs 5, 6, 3; καθαρίζειν ἀπὸ ἁ. 1 Cl 18:3 (Ps 50:4; cp. Sir 23:10; PsSol 10:1); also καθαρισμὸν ποιεῖσθαι τῶν ἁ. Hb 1:3; ἀπολούεσθαι τὰς ἁ. Ac 22:16 ([w. βαπτίζειν] Just., D. 13, 1 al.). λύτρον ἁ. ransom for sins B 19:10.—αἴρειν J 1:29; περιελεῖν ἁ. Hb 10:11; ἀφαιρεῖν (Ex 34:9; Is 27; 9) vs. 4; Hs 9, 28, 3; ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ ἁ. 1 Cl 60:3; ἀπὸ τῶν ἁ. ἀποσπασθῆναι AcPlCor 2:9. Sin as a burden αἱ ἁ. κατεβάρησαν Hs 9, 28, 6; as a disease ἰᾶσθαι Hs 9, 28, 5 (cp. Dt 30:3); s. also the verbs in question.—Looked upon as an entry in a ledger; hence ἐξαλείφεται ἡ ἁ. wiped away, cancelled (Ps 108:14; Jer 18:23; Is 43:25) Ac 3:19.—Opp. στῆσαι τὴν ἁ. 7:60; λογίζεσθαι ἁ. take account of sin (as a debt; cp. the commercial metaphor Ro 4:6 and s. FDanker, Gingrich Festschr. 104, n. 2) Ro 4:8 (Ps 31:2); 1 Cl 60:2 (Just., D. 141, 3). Pass. ἁ. οὐκ ἐλλογεῖται is not entered in the account Ro 5:13 (GFriedrich, TLZ 77, ’52, 523–28). Of sinners ὀφειλέτης ἁ. Pol 6:1 (cp. SIG 1042, 14–16 [II A.D.] ὸ̔ς ἂν δὲ πολυπραγμονήσῃ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἢ περιεργάσηται, ἁμαρτίαν ὀφιλέτω Μηνὶ Τυράννωι, ἣν οὐ μὴ δύνηται ἐξειλάσασθαι).—γινώσκειν ἁ. (cp. Num 32:23) Ro 7:7; Hm 4, 1, 5. ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας Ro 3:20; ὁμολογεῖν τὰς ἁ. 1J 1:9; ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἐπὶ ταῖς ἁ. B 19:12; ἐξομολογεῖσθαι τὰς ἁ. Mt 3:6; Mk 1:5; Hv 3, 1, 5f; Hs 9, 23, 4; ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁ. confess your sins to each other Js 5:16.—ἐλέγχειν τινὰ περὶ ἁ. convict someone of sin J 8:46; cp. ἵνα σου τὰς ἁ. ἐλέγξω πρὸς τὸν κύριον that I might reveal your sins before the Lord Hv 1, 1, 5.—σεσωρευμένος ἁμαρτίαις loaded down w. sins 2 Ti 3:6; cp. ἐπισωρεύειν ταῖς ἁ. B 4:6; ἔνοχος τῆς ἁ. involved in the sin Hm 2:2; 4, 1, 5. μέτοχος τῆς ἁ. m 4, 1, 9.—In Hb sin is atoned for (ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁ. 2:17) by sacrifices θυσίαι ὑπὲρ ἁ. 5:1 (cp. 1 Cl 41:2). προσφορὰ περὶ ἁ. sin-offering 10:18; also simply περὶ ἁ. (Lev 5:11; 7:37) vss. 6, 8 (both Ps 39:7; cp. 1 Pt 3:18); προσφέρειν περὶ ἁ. bring a sin-offering Hb 5:3; cp. 10:12; 13:11. Christ has made the perfect sacrifice for sin 9:23ff; συνείδησις ἁ. consciousness of sin 10:2; ἀνάμνησις ἁ. a reminder of sins of the feast of atonement vs. 3.

ⓑ special sins (ἁ. τῆς ἀποστασίας Iren. 5, 26, 2 [Harv. II 397, 4]): πρὸς θάνατον that leads to death 1J 5:16b (ἁμαρτάνω e); opp. οὐ πρὸς θάνατον vs. 17. μεγάλη ἁ. a great sin Hv 1, 1, 8 al. (Gen 20:9; Ex 32:30 al.; cp. Schol. on Pla., Tht. 189d ἁμαρτήματα μεγάλα). μείζων ἁ. m 11:4; ἥττων 1 Cl 47:4. μεγάλη κ. ἀνίατος Hm 5, 2, 4; τέλειαι ἁ. Hv 1, 2, 1; B 8:1, cp. τὸ τέλειον τῶν ἁ. 5:11 (Philo, Mos. 1, 96 κατὰ τῶν τέλεια ἡμαρτηκότων); ἡ προτέρα ἁ. (Arrian, Anab. 7, 23, 8 εἴ τι πρότερον ἡμάρτηκας) sin committed before baptism Hm 4, 1, 11; 4, 3, 3; Hs 8, 11, 3; cp. v 2, 1, 2.

② a state of being sinful, sinfulness, a prominent feature in Johannine thought, and opposed to ἀλήθεια; hence ἁ. ἔχειν J 9:41; 15:24; 1J 1:8. μείζονα ἁ. ἔχειν J 19:11; ἁ. μένει 9:41. γεννᾶσθαι ἐν ἁμαρτίαις be born in sin 9:34 (ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ v.l).; opp. ἐν ἁ. ἀποθανεῖν die in sin 8:21, 24; AcPl Ha 1, 16. ἁ. ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν 1J 3:5.

③ a destructive evil power, sin

ⓐ Paul thinks of sin almost in pers. terms (cp. Sir 27:10; Mel., P. 50, 359; PGM 4, 1448 w. other divinities of the nether world, also Ἁμαρτίαι χθόνιαι; Dibelius, Geisterwelt 119ff) as a ruling power that invades the world. Sin came into the world Ro 5:12 (JFreundorfer, Erbsünde u. Erbtod b. Ap. Pls 1927; ELohmeyer, ZNW 29, 1930, 1–59; JSchnitzer, D. Erbsünde im Lichte d. Religionsgesch. ’31; ROtto, Sünde u. Urschuld ’32; FDanker, Ro 5:12: Sin under Law: NTS 14, ’67/68, 424–39), reigns there vs. 21; 6:14; everything was subject to it Gal 3:22; people serve it Ro 6:6; are its slaves vss. 17, 20; are sold into its service 7:14 or set free from it 6:22; it has its law 7:23; 8:2; it revives (ἀνέζησεν) Ro 7:9 or is dead vs. 8; it pays its wages, viz., death 6:23, cp. 5:12 (see lit. s.v. ἐπί 6c). As a pers. principle it dwells in humans Ro 7:17, 20, viz., in the flesh (s. σάρξ 2cα) 8:3; cp. vs. 2; 7:25. The earthly body is hence a σῶμα τῆς ἁ. 6:6 (Col 2:11 v.l.).—As abstr. for concr. τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁ. ὑπέρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν (God) made him, who never sinned, to be sin (i.e. the guilty one) for our sakes 2 Cor 5:21.

ⓑ In Hb (as in OT) sin appears as the power that deceives humanity and leads it to destruction, whose influence and activity can be ended only by sacrifices (s. 1a end): ἀπάτη τῆς ἁ. Hb 3:13.—On the whole word s. ἁμαρτάνω, end. GMoore, Judaism I 445–52; ABüchler, Studies in Sin and Atonement in the Rabb. Lit. of the I Cent. 1928; WKnuth, D. Begriff der Sünde b. Philon v. Alex., diss. Jena ’34; EThomas, The Problem of Sin in the NT 1927; Dodd 76–81; DDaube, Sin, Ignorance and Forgiveness in the Bible, ’61; AGelin and ADescamps, Sin in the Bible, ’65.—On the special question ‘The Christian and Sin’ see PWernle 1897; HWindisch 1908; EHedström 1911; RBultmann, ZNW 23, 1924, 123–40; Windisch, ibid. 265–81; RSchulz, D. Frage nach der Selbsttätigkt. d. Menschen im sittl. Leben b. Pls., diss. Hdlb. ’40.—JAddison, ATR 33, ’51, 137–48; KKuhn, πειρασμός ἁμαρτία σάρξ im NT: ZTK 49, ’52, 200–222; JBremer, Hamartia ’69 (Gk. views).—B. 1182. EDNT. DELG s.v. ἁμαρτάνω. M-M. TW.

λύτρον, ου, τό (s. λύω and next entry; Pind., Hdt. et al.; ins, pap, LXX, Philo, Joseph.; Mel., P. 91, 684; 103, 792) price of release, ransom (esp. also the ransom money for the manumission of slaves, mostly in pl.: Diod S 19, 85, 3; Polyaenus 4, 10, 1; POxy 48, 6 [86 A.D.]; 49, 8; 722, 30; 40; Mitt-Wilck. II/2, 362, 19; Jos., Ant. 12, 46, but also in sing.: Diod S 20, 84, 6 δοῦναι λύτρον; ins in KBuresch, Aus Lydien 1898 p. 197 [on this ins. and Dssm’s ref. to it, s. New Docs 2, 90]; Jos., Ant. 14, 371.—LMitteis, Reichsrecht und Volksrecht 1891, 388; FSteinleitner, Die Beicht 1913, 36ff; 59; 111) give up one’s life λ. ἀντὶ πολλῶν as a ransom for many (s. πολύς 1aβא) Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45 (BBlake, ET 45, ’34, 142; WHoward, ET 50, ’38, 107–10; JJeremias, Judaica 3, ’48, 249–64; ELohse, Märtyrer u. Gottesknecht, ’55, 116–22; CBarrett, NT Essays: TManson mem. vol. ’59, 1–18 [refers to 2 Macc 7:37].—Cp. Diod S 12, 57, 2; Dio Chrys. 64 [14], 11 λύτρα διδόναι; Jos., Ant. 14, 107 λ. ἀντὶ πάντων; Philo Bybl. [I/II A.D.]: 790 Fgm. 3b p. 814, 9 Jac. [in Eus., PE 1, 16, 44] ἀντὶ τῆς πάντων φθορᾶς … λ.). God gave his Son λ. ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν as a ransom for us Dg 9:2 (Mel., P. 103, 792 ἐγὼ τὸ λύτρον ὑμῶν [λουτρόν Bodmer]; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 4, 2 κριὸν λύτρον ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ; schol. on Nicander, Alexiph. 560 λύτρα ὑπὲρ τῶν βοῶν; Philo, Spec. Leg. 2, 122; Jos., Ant. 14, 371 λ. ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ). ἐπὶ σοὶ φανερώσει κύριος τὸ λ. τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ because of you the Lord will reveal the (promised) salvation to the people of Israel GJs 7:2. λ. τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν a ransom for sins B 19:10 v.l.—S. lit. on ἀπολύτρωσις, 2 end; also NLevinson, SJT 12, ’59, 277–78; DHill, Gk. Words and Heb. Mngs. ’67, 49–81, with correction of perspective in light of new discoveries New Docs 3, 72–75. S. SEG XXXIX, ’89, 1863 for list of ins.—DELG s.v. λύω. M-M. EDNT. TW. Spicq (in citation of SB III, 6293, 10 ὑπὲρ λυτρῶν is restored). Sv.

λύτρωσις, εως, ἡ (s. λυτρόω; as legal and commercial t.t. in pap)

① experience of being liberated from an oppressive situation, transf. sense of commercial usage ‘redemption of someth. for a price’: ransoming, releasing, redemption (Plut., Arat. 11, 2 λ. αἰχμαλώτων; Palaeph. exc. Vat. p. 99, 10; LXX; TestJos 8:1) ποιεῖν λύτρωσιν τῷ λαῷ bring about a deliverance for the people Lk 1:68 (cp. TestLevi 2:10 Armenian vers.: s. Charles). προσδέχεσθαι λύτρωσιν Ἰερουσαλήμ wait for the redemption of Jerusalem 2:38; αἰωνία λ. Hb 9:12. διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ κυρίου λ. ἔσται πᾶσιν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν redemption will come 1 Cl 12:7.

② abstr. for concr. ransom(-money) δώσεις λ. ἁμαρτιῶν σου you must give a ransom for your sins D 4:6; cp. B 19:10.—M-M. TW. Spicq.

1) ( освобождение от вины и греха и совершенство в вечной жизни) redemption, ransom, expiation; богосл. satisfaction

2) (совершённое Иисусом Христом дело спасения людей, избавления Его страданиями и смертью рода человеческого от греха, проклятия и смерти) богосл. substitutional [vicarious] atonement, the Atonement

3) библ. (умилостивле́ние) propitiation

⁺ V 37-6-20-36-9=108 Ex 6,6; 13,13(bis).15; 15,13

M: to release by payment of ransom, to redeem [τινα] Ex 6,6; id. [τι] Lv 25,25; to deliver (life, soul) [τι] Ps 54(55),19; id. [τινα] Ps 58(59),2; to atone for (sins) [τι] Dn^Th 4,24

P: to be ransomed Lv 19,20

Cf. BEAUCHAMP 1978, 49-56; HARL 1991=1992a 151; HILL 1967, 53-66; HORSLEY 1983, 72-75; SPICQ

1982, 429-435

(→ἀπολυτρόω,,)

s, m., pl. ir: [the etymology of this word has been much contested; some—upon the authority of Snorri, hans menn fóru ‘brynjulausir,’ Hkr. i. 11—derive it from ‘berr’ ( bare) and ‘serkr’ [cp. sark, Scot. for shirt]; but this etymology is inadmissible, because ‘serkr’ is a subst. not an adj.: others derive it from ‘berr’ (Germ. bär = ursus), which is greatly to be preferred, for in olden ages athletes and champions used to wear hides of bears, wolves, and reindeer (as skins of lions in the south), hence the names Bjálfi, Bjarnhéðinn, Úlfhéðinn, (héðinn, pellis,)—‘pellibus aut parvis rhenonum tegimentis utuntur,’ Caes. Bell. Gall. vi. 22: even the old poets understood the name so, as may be seen in the poem of Hornklofi (beginning of 10th century), a dialogue between a Valkyrja and a raven, where the Valkyrja says, at berserkja reiðu vil ek þik spyrja, to which the raven replies, Úlfhéðnar heita, they are called Wolfcoats, cp. the Vd. ch. 9; þeir berserkir er Úlfhéðnar vóru kallaðir, þeir höfðu vargstakka ( coats of wild beasts) fyrir brynjur, Fs. 17]:—a ‘bear-sark,’ ‘bear-coat,’ i. e. a wild warrior or champion of the heathen age; twelve berserkers are mentioned as the chief followers of several kings of antiquity, e. g. of the Dan. king Rolf Krake, Edda 82; a Swed. king, Gautr. S. Fas. iii. 36; king Adils, Hrólf. Kr. S. ch. 16 sqq.; Harald Hárfagri, Eg. ch. 9, Grett. ch. 2, Vd. l. c. (Hornklofi, v. above); the twelve sons of Arngrim, Hervar. S. ch. 3–5, Hdl. 22, 23; the two berserkers sent as a present by king Eric at Upsala to earl Hakon of Norway, and by him presented to an Icel. nobleman, Eb. ch. 25. In battle the berserkers were subject to fits of frenzy, called berserks-gangr (furor bersercicus, cp. the phrase, ganga berserksgang), when they howled like wild beasts, foamed at the mouth and gnawed the iron rim of their shields; during these fits they were, according to popular belief, proof against steel and fire, and made great havoc in the ranks of the enemy; but when the fever abated they were weak and tame. A graphical description of the ‘furor bersercicus’ is found in the Sagas, Yngl. S. ch. 6, Hervar. S. l. c., Eg. ch. 27, 67, Grett. ch. 42, Eb. ch. 25, Nj. ch. 104, Kristni S. ch. 2, 8 (Vd. ch. 46); cp. also a passage in the poem of Hornklofi | grenjuðu berserkir, | guðr var þeim á sinnum, | emjaðu Úlfhéðnar | ok ísarn gniiðu—which lines recall to the mind Roman descriptions of the Cimbric war-cry. In the Icel. Jus Eccles. the berserksgangr, as connected with the heathen age, is liable to the lesser outlawry, K. Þ. K. 78; it is mentioned as a sort of possession in Vd. ch. 37, and as healed by a vow to God. In the Dropl. S. Major (in MS.) it is medically described as a disease (v. the whole extract in the essay ‘De furore Bersercico,’ Kristni S. old Ed. in cake); but this Saga is modern, probably of the first part of the 17th century. The description of these champions has a rather mythical character. A somewhat different sort of berserker is also recorded in Norway as existing in gangs of professional bullies, roaming about from house to house, challenging husbandmen to ‘holmgang’ ( duel), extorting ransom (leysa sik af hólmi), and, in case of victory, carrying off wives, sisters, or daughters; but in most cases the damsel is happily rescued by some travelling Icelander, who fights and kills the berserker. The most curious passages are Glúm, ch. 4, 6, Gísl. ch. 1 (cp. Sir Edm. Head’s and Mr. Dasent’s remarks in the prefaces), Grett. ch. 21, 42, Eg. ch. 67, Flóam. S. ch. 15, 17; according to Grett. ch. 21, these banditti were made outlaws by earl Eric, A. D. 1012. It is worth noticing that no berserker is described as a native of Icel.; the historians are anxious to state that those who appeared in Icel. (Nj., Eb., Kr. S. l. c.) were born Norse (or Swedes), and they were looked upon with fear and execration. That men of the heathen age were taken with fits of the ‘furor athleticus’ is recorded in the case of Thorir in the Vd., the old Kveldulf in Eg., and proved by the fact that the law set a penalty upon it. Berserkr now and then occurs as a nickname, Glúm. 378. The author of the Yngl. S. attributes the berserksgangr to Odin and his followers, but this is a sheer misinterpretation, or perhaps the whole passage is a rude paraphrase of Hm. 149 sqq. In the old Hbl. 37 berserkr and giant are used synonymously. The berserkers are the representatives of mere brute force, and it therefore sounds almost blasphemous, when the Norse Barl. S. speaks of Guðs berserkr (a ‘bear-coat’ or champion of God), (Jesus Kristr gleymdi eigi hólmgöngu sins berserks), 54, 197. With the introduction of Christianity this championship disappeared altogether.