G487 — ἀντίλυτρον (antilytron)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G487
Original: ἀντίλυτρον
Transliteration: antilytron
Pronunciation: an-til'-oo-tron
Part of Speech: Neuter noun
Root: Compound of ἀντί (anti, G473) "in place of, instead" + λύτρον (lytron, G3083) "ransom price"
Occurrences: 1 in NT (hapax legomenon)
First Occurrence: 1 Tim 2:6 — "Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
Hapax Legomenon: YES — appears only once in the entire NT

Lexicon Definition¶

From ἀντί (G473, "opposite, instead of, in place of") and λύτρον (G3083, "something to loosen with, a redemption-price"); a redemption-price, a ransom given in exchange. The compound prefix ἀντι- intensifies the substitutionary dimension: not merely a ransom, but a ransom in the place of another.

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain: 37 — Control, Rule
Subdomain: 37.010 — Release, Set Free
Glosses: means of release, ransom
Other words in subdomain: λύτρον (lytron, G3083), λυτρόω (lytroō, G3084), λύτρωσις (lytrōsis, G3085), λυτρωτής (lytrōtēs, G3086), ἀπολύτρωσις (apolytrōsis, G629), ἀγοράζω (agorazō, G59), ἐξαγοράζω (exagorazō, G1805), λύω (lyō, G3089), ἀπαλλάσσω (apallassō, G525), ἀπολύω (apolyō, G630), ἄφεσις (aphesis, G859), ἐλευθερόω (eleutheroō, G1659), δικαιόω (dikaioō, G1344)

UBS Semantic Domains: - [037] Control, Rule

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
a ransom	1	100%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
1 Timothy	1	0.9

Single occurrence in one Pastoral Epistle. The theological concept of ransom/redemption is carried by the broader λυτρ- word family across the NT (see Related Words).

Semantic Categories¶

1. Substitutionary Ransom — Self-Giving of Christ¶

1 Tim 2:5–6 — "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom (antilytron) for (hyper) all, to be testified in due time."

This single occurrence establishes the word's full semantic range: Christ as mediator gives himself — not an external payment — as the substitute-ransom on behalf of all humanity. The construction ὁ δοὺς ἑαυτὸν ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων chains three substitutionary markers: (1) ἑαυτόν "himself" as the ransom content, (2) ἀντι- prefix denoting exchange/substitution, (3) ὑπέρ "on behalf of" denoting beneficiaries.

Grammatical Note¶

The sole occurrence is accusative singular neuter (ἀντίλυτρον, [N-ASN]), functioning as an appositive to ἑαυτόν ("himself") — Christ gave himself as a ransom. The participle δούς (aorist active of δίδωμι, G1325) marks a completed, once-for-all act of giving.

Common Collocations¶

As a hapax, no statistical collocations are possible. The immediate syntactic context provides the word's entire collocational profile:

Word	Strong's	Relationship	Pattern
δίδωμι (didōmi)	G1325	governing verb	"gave himself [as] a ransom"
ἑαυτοῦ (heautou)	G1438	ransom content	"himself a ransom"
ὑπέρ (hyper)	G5228	beneficiary marker	"a ransom for all"
πᾶς (pas)	G3956	scope of ransom	"for all" — universal scope
μεσίτης (mesitēs)	G3316	preceding context (v.5)	"one mediator... who gave himself a ransom"

Word Family / Cognates (λυτρ- root)¶

G3083 λύτρον (lytron) — ransom price (Matt 20:28, Mark 10:45); the simple noun without the ἀντι- prefix. Used of Christ giving his life "a ransom (lytron) for (anti) many."
G3084 λυτρόω (lytroō) — to redeem, set free by paying a ransom (Luke 24:21, Titus 2:14, 1 Pet 1:18)
G3085 λύτρωσις (lytrōsis) — redemption, the act of ransoming (Luke 1:68, 2:38, Heb 9:12)
G3086 λυτρωτής (lytrōtēs) — deliverer, redeemer (Acts 7:35 — hapax in NT)
G629 ἀπολύτρωσις (apolytrōsis) — redemption in full, complete release (10v; Rom 3:24, Eph 1:7, Heb 9:15)
G3089 λύω (lyō) — to loose, untie, release — the ultimate root verb

Component Word¶

G473 ἀντί (anti) — preposition: in place of, instead of, because of (22v). The prefix that distinguishes ἀντίλυτρον from λύτρον, adding the explicit substitutionary ("in the place of") nuance.

Synonyms¶

No close lexical synonyms were identified by search_relationships.py; the λυτρ- family and domain neighbors below remain the closest parallels.

Antonyms¶

No direct antonyms were identified by search_relationships.py.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
λύτρον (lytron)	G3083	"ransom"	Simple ransom price; antilytron adds the ἀντι- prefix emphasizing exchange/substitution. In Matt 20:28 / Mark 10:45, the substitutionary idea is carried by the separate preposition ἀντί: "a ransom (lytron) for (anti) many." In 1 Tim 2:6, substitution is built into the compound noun itself.
ἀπολύτρωσις (apolytrōsis)	G629	"redemption"	The act/result of ransoming, not the price paid. Focus on the release achieved rather than the substitute given.
כֹּפֶר (kopher)	H3724	"ransom" (OT)	Hebrew ransom/covering price (Exod 21:30, Ps 49:7); broader range including "bribe," "pitch," "satisfaction." Conceptual OT precursor, especially Ps 49:7–8 where no human can pay a kopher for another — a problem antilytron resolves christologically.

Domain Neighbors (Louw-Nida 37.010 — Release, Set Free)¶

Word	Strong's	NT Verses	Primary KJV Translation	Key Difference
λύτρον	G3083	2	ransom	The price itself (without substitutionary prefix)
λυτρόω	G3084	3	redeem	Verbal action of ransoming
λύτρωσις	G3085	3	redemption	The event/process of redemption
λυτρωτής	G3086	1	deliverer	The agent who redeems
ἀπολύτρωσις	G629	10	redemption	Full/complete redemption
ἀγοράζω	G59	31	buy, purchase	Marketplace purchase metaphor; used of Christ buying believers (1 Cor 6:20, Rev 5:9)
ἐξαγοράζω	G1805	4	redeem	To buy out of the marketplace; ransom from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13, 4:5)
ἄφεσις	G859	15+	forgiveness, remission	Release from guilt/sin, not a price-payment
ἐλευθερόω	G1659	7	set free	Freedom language without ransom-price connotation

Hebrew Source¶

No direct LXX mapping exists for this NT-only compound. However, the lexicon notes LXX usage of the word at Psalm 48:9 (LXX numbering) = Psalm 49:8 (MT/KJV), where the Hebrew underlying the "ransom" concept is כֹּפֶר (kopher, H3724) and פִּדְיוֹם (pidyom, H6306). The conceptual OT background — that no human ransom suffices to redeem a soul (Ps 49:7–8) — is the theological problem that 1 Tim 2:6 answers with Christ as the antilytron.