G629 — ἀπολύτρωσις (apolytrosis)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G629
Original: ἀπολύτρωσις
Transliteration: apolytrosis
Pronunciation: ap-ol-oo'-tro-sis
Part of Speech: Feminine noun
Root: Compound of ἀπό (apo, G575 "away from") + λύτρωσις (lytrosis, G3085 "ransoming"); intensified form — ransom in full
Occurrences: 10 in NT (10 unique verses across 6 books)
First Occurrence: Luke 21:28 — "then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From a compound of ἀπό (G575) and λύτρον (G3083); (the act of) ransom in full, i.e. (figuratively) riddance, or (specifically) Christian salvation: deliverance, redemption.

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain: 37 — Control, Rule
Subdomain: 37.010 — Release, Set Free
Glosses: to set free, to liberate, to deliver
Other words in subdomain: λύτρον (lytron, G3083), λύτρωσις (lytrosis, G3085), λυτρόω (lytroo, G3084), λυτρωτής (lytrotes, G3086), λύω (lyo, G3089), ἀπολύω (apolyo, G630), ἄφεσις (aphesis, G859), ἐλευθερόω (eleutheroo, G1659), ἐξαγοράζω (exagorazo, G1805), ἀντίλυτρον (antilytron, G487), ἀγοράζω (agorazo, G59)

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
redemption	6	60%
the redemption	2	20%
deliverance	1	10%
of redemption	1	10%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Ephesians	3	1.9
Colossians	1	1.1
Hebrews	2	0.7
Romans	2	0.5
1 Corinthians	1	0.2
Luke	1	0.1

Exclusively Pauline/Hebrews (9 of 10 occurrences) with one Lukan use in the Olivet Discourse. Absent from the Johannine and Petrine writings. Highest density in Ephesians, where all three uses fall within the first four chapters.

Morphological Distribution¶

Case	Count	Typical Construction
Accusative (ASF)	6	Object: "we have redemption," "waiting for the redemption," "for the redemption of"
Genitive (GSF)	2	Modifier: "through the redemption," "unto the day of redemption"
Nominative (NSF)	2	Subject: "your redemption draweth nigh," "who is made unto us... redemption"

Semantic Categories¶

1. Present Redemption Through Christ's Blood (Forgiveness)¶

Eph 1:7 — "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace"
Col 1:14 — "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins"
Rom 3:24 — "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus"

The dominant usage: a present possession ("we have"), accomplished through Christ's blood, equated with or resulting in forgiveness of sins. Eph 1:7 and Col 1:14 are nearly identical formulations.

2. Future Redemption of the Body / Eschatological Deliverance¶

Rom 8:23 — "ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body"
Luk 21:28 — "then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh"
Eph 1:14 — "the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory"
Eph 4:30 — "grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption"

Future-oriented: something still awaited. Involves bodily transformation (Rom 8:23), the Second Coming (Luk 21:28), and final consummation of inheritance (Eph 1:14). The "day of redemption" (Eph 4:30) parallels OT "day of the LORD" language.

3. Redemption as Complete Provision from God¶

1 Cor 1:30 — "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption"

Apolytrosis as the climactic fourth term in a theological tetrad: wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption — the complete scope of what Christ is "made unto us."

4. Redemption from Transgressions Under the Old Covenant¶

Heb 9:15 — "by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance"

Retroactive application: Christ's death provides redemption for sins committed under the old covenant, enabling the promised eternal inheritance.

5. Physical Deliverance / Release from Suffering¶

Heb 11:35 — "others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection"

The only non-soteriological use. Here apolytrosis means physical release from torture — which the faithful refused in order to gain resurrection. This usage preserves the word's secular sense of "release obtained by payment of ransom."

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
αἷμα (haima)	G129	2x (20%)	"redemption through his blood" (Eph 1:7, Col 1:14)
ἄφεσις (aphesis)	G859	2x (20%)	"redemption... the forgiveness of sins" — redemption defined as or resulting in forgiveness
χάρις (charis)	G5485	2x (20%)	"freely by his grace through the redemption" (Rom 3:24), "riches of his grace" (Eph 1:7)
Χριστός (Christos)	G5547	2x (20%)	"in Christ Jesus" as location/means of redemption
Ἰησοῦς (Iesous)	G2424	2x (20%)	Paired with Christos — "Christ Jesus" as agent of redemption
πνεῦμα (pneuma)	G4151	2x (20%)	"firstfruits of the Spirit" (Rom 8:23), "sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph 4:30)
κληρονομία (kleronomia)	G2817	2x (20%)	"earnest of our inheritance until the redemption" — redemption as consummation of inheritance

Word Family / Cognates¶

G3083 λύτρον (lytron) — ransom, means of release (2v: Matt 20:28, Mark 10:45 — "a ransom for many")
G3085 λύτρωσις (lytrosis) — ransoming, redemption (3v: Luk 1:68, 2:38, Heb 9:12)
G3084 λυτρόω (lytroo) — to redeem, set free (3v: Luk 24:21, Tit 2:14, 1 Pet 1:18)
G3086 λυτρωτής (lytrotes) — deliverer, liberator (1v: Acts 7:35 — Moses as "deliverer")
G3089 λύω (lyo) — to loose, untie, release (40v — root verb of the family)
G487 ἀντίλυτρον (antilytron) — ransom, corresponding ransom (1v: 1 Tim 2:6)

Synonyms¶

No close lexical synonyms were identified by search_relationships.py; the nearest overlaps are the λυτρ- cognates and release/liberation domain neighbors already listed in this study.

Antonyms¶

No direct antonyms were identified by search_relationships.py.

UBS Semantic Domains¶

[037] Control, Rule — includes ἀγγαρεύω (G29), ἀγοράζω (G59), αἰχμαλωτίζω (G163), ἀκατάστατος (G182), ἅλυσις (G254), ἀναγκάζω (G315)

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
λύτρωσις (lytrosis)	G3085	"redemption"	Simpler form; lytrosis = the act of ransoming; apolytrosis = intensified by ἀπό prefix, emphasizing completeness — "ransom in full"
פְּדוּת (peduth)	H6304	"redemption" (OT)	Hebrew; denotes distinction/separation; used of God's redemption of Israel from Egypt (Ps 111:9, 130:7)
פִּדְיוֹם (pidyom)	H6306	"redemption" (OT)	Hebrew; the price of ransom — monetary sense (Num 3:49, 51)
גְּאֻלָּה (geullah)	H1353	"redemption" (OT)	Hebrew; kinsman-redeemer concept — includes right of redemption and family relationship (Lev 25:24, Ruth 4:7)

Domain Neighbors (Louw-Nida 37.010)¶

Word	Strong's	Total Verses	Primary Translation	Key Difference
λύω (lyo)	G3089	40	loose, loosen	Root verb — general loosing/releasing; no payment connotation
δικαιόω (dikaioo)	G1344	36	justified	Legal acquittal — declared righteous; apolytrosis = liberation by ransom payment
καταργέω (katargeo)	G2673	26	done away, destroy	Nullification/abolishment; apolytrosis = deliverance from bondage
ἐλεύθερος (eleutheros)	G1658	23	free	State of being free; apolytrosis = the act of securing that freedom
ἐλευθερία (eleutheria)	G1657	10	liberty	Abstract freedom; apolytrosis emphasizes the cost/transaction of obtaining it
ἐλευθερόω (eleutheroo)	G1659	7	set free, made free	Verb of liberation; apolytrosis = the noun for the liberating event, with ransom emphasis
ἐξαγοράζω (exagorazo)	G1805	4	redeem, make good use	Market-purchase metaphor; both involve buying back, but exagorazo = buying out of the marketplace
λύτρωσις (lytrosis)	G3085	3	redemption, redeemed	Near-synonym; apolytrosis is the intensified compound form
λυτρόω (lytroo)	G3084	3	redeemed	Verb form of the same concept; lytroo = to ransom, apolytrosis = the ransoming event
λύτρον (lytron)	G3083	2	ransom	The ransom price itself; apolytrosis = the completed act of paying it
λυτρωτής (lytrotes)	G3086	1	deliverer	The person who ransoms; apolytrosis = the ransoming act

Hebrew Source¶

No Hebrew sources found via LXX mapping. This word is a NT-only compound; the LXX uses the simpler cognates λύτρωσις (G3085) and λυτρόω (G3084) for Hebrew redemption terms (פדה H6299, גאל H1350).