Introduction

The word “goel” is defined in Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon as kinsman.[1] However, in ancient Jewish life, the term took on significant additional meaning. The Jewish Encyclopedia states that the concept of goel “was based on the solidarity of the interests”[2] of the individual tribes of the nation of Israel and God. “Any duty which a man could not perform by himself had to be taken up by his next of kin” (goel).[3] The object was to preserve the Promised Land according to the form and boundaries set by God among the tribes of Israel, and to protect God’s chosen people from abuse within and among the tribes. The Jewish concept of goel included significant duties and obligations.

The Biblical Concept of Goel

The biblical concept of goel, then, is not merely that of kinsman, but of kinsman-redeemer. Eventually, the term goel “became entirely confined to the spiritual sense of ‘redeemer.’ In the Talmud, it is used exclusively in this manner.”[4] The concept is described in two passages in the book of Leviticus and one passage in the book of Numbers. The first passage is Leviticus 25:23-28

The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me. Thus for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land. If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold. Or in case a man has no kinsman, but so recovers his means as to find sufficient for its redemption, then he shall calculate the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and so return to his property. But if he has not found sufficient means to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it shall revert, that he may return to his property.

This first passage regards the redemption of land. God gave the land of Canaan to the nation of Israel according to the promises He made previously to the nation’s progenitor, Abraham. To each tribe of Israel was specific land allotted as an inheritance. This “Promised Land” was to be a permanent possession for the nation.[5]

God prohibited any actual sale of the land. However, He did allow for the leasing of the land for a specific period of time. At the end of this period of time, the land reverted back to the owner. Should the owner wish to regain possession of his land before the prescribed lease period ended, he could repay the price of the remaining years to the one who had leased it. If the land owner was not financially able to repay the price of the remaining years, he either had to wait until the lease expired or seek a family member to pay the price on his behalf. This family member was known as a “goel,” or kinsman-redeemer.

The second passage is Leviticus 25:47-55:

Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger’s family, then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. He then with his purchaser shall calculate from the year when he sold himself to him up to the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall correspond to the number of years. It is like the days of a hired man that he shall be with him. If there are still many years, he shall refund part of his purchase price in proportion to them for his own redemption; and if few years remain until the year of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him. In proportion to his years he is to refund the amount for his redemption. Like a man hired year by year he shall be with him; he shall not rule over him with severity in your sight. Even if he is not redeemed by these means, he shall still go out in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with him. For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

The second passage regards the redemption of people. In the economy of ancient Israel, it sometimes became necessary for a person to hire himself out as a laborer for an extended period of time. He could not sell himself outright for the Israelite’s were a permanent possession of God. This form of indentured-servanthood was usually the result of one’s encountering severe financial difficulties.

However, it could also come through a pledge of marriage, as in the instance of Jacob and Rachel. In any case, the “bond-servant” was required to serve his master until the prescribed period of time was completed. Should the bond-servant desire his freedom prior to the completion of his service, he could repay to his master the price of the years remaining on the arrangement. If he was financially unable to repay the price of the remaining years, he could either remain in service until the completion of the prescribed period or he could seek a kinsman-redeemer (goel) to pay the price on his behalf.

The third passage is Numbers 35:16-21, 31.

But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.  If he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.  Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he might die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.  The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him.  If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait and as a result he died, or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.  Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.

This third passage regards the avenging of blood. The kinsman-redeemer was obliged to avenge the blood of a murdered relative. If the murder was accidental, the perpetrator had the right to flee to a city of refuge to seek acquittal by trial. If he was acquitted, he was required to remain in the city of refuge until the death of the then high priest.

God as Israel’s Goel

The concept of kinsman-redeemer is deeply rooted in the ancient Jews’ exodus from captivity in Egypt. After four hundred years of bondage, the Hebrews emerged from their Egyptian captivity as the nation of Israel by the miraculous works of God. Thus, their deliverance by God led the nation to regard Him as their goel.[6]

Christ as the Fulfillment of Goel

The concept of the kinsman-redeemer ultimately describes the role of Christ in the redemption of the land of Israel,[7] in the redemption of God’s elect,[8] and in judgment. [9] The act of redemption by a goel is typified in the Book of Ruth. The characters in the book of Ruth are both historic and prophetic. The people were real and the events actually happened. But, their typological value with respect to the concept of kinsman-redeemer is significant.

Levirate Marriage

At this juncture, it is important to mention the concept of Levirate Marriage,[10] which figures largely in the book of Ruth. When a son of one of the twelve tribes died leaving no male heir, his brother had the obligation to marry his widow and produce a son to inherit the deceased brother’s land.

The point was to prevent the deceased man’s name from dying out and to ensure that the land allotted to his family was not lost.[11] The concept of Levirate Marriage is closely related to and bound up in the obligations of that of the kinsman-redeemer.[12] Qualifications for kinsman-redeemer and Levirate Marriage include his being a near relative, being capable of performing the functions of the two closely related offices, and being willing to perform the functions. As is clear in the Book of Ruth, not all kinsmen-redeemers are qualified.

The Book of Ruth

Background

The story of the book of Ruth begins in Bethlehem where a famine has overtaken the land. A man named Elimelech and his wife and their two sons travel to Moab seeking provision during the famine. While abroad, Elimelech and his two sons die, leaving Elimelech’s wife, Naomi, and their two daughters-in-law widowed. Naomi wishes to return to her land which has been sold under the lease provisions mentioned above in Leviticus chapter 25. On the return trip from Moab, Naomi encourages the two daughters-in-law to return to their native land. One reluctantly agrees to return. The other, Ruth, begs to continue on with Naomi. Upon arriving in Bethlehem, the two women cause a stir.

Naomi has returned to her homeland, but is in need of a kinsman-redeemer to restore her land. Ruth, whose marriage to Naomi’s son did not produce a child, is in need of a Kinsman Redeemer to marry her under the Levirate marriage law to raise up a son to Ruth’s deceased husband so that he will not be disinherited from the land. This was an additional responsibility of a goel.[13] Boaz is sought to serve as goel. He is qualified, willing and able, but must give the right of first refusal to a nearer kinsman. The nearer kinsman refuses, and Boaz becomes the kinsman-redeemer for both Naomi and Ruth.

Typological Significance

Each of the main characters in the story plays a role in the foreshadowing of the work of Christ, the kinsman-redeemer. The types are as follows: Naomi is a type is the Nation of Israel. Elimelech is a type of God the father. Ruth is a type of the Gentile church. The unnamed nearer kinsman is a type of the Mosaic Law. The unnamed head servant in charge of the reapers is a type of God the Holy Spirit. Boaz is a type of God the Son (Christ), the Kinsman-Redeemer.

Naomi: A Type of Israel

Naomi is Jewish. Her name means my delight,[14] which is a term used by God in reference to Israel and is used in conjunction with the concept of Israel being His bride,[15] which is an Old Testament idiom for the relationship between God and Israel. Naomi is married to a man whose name means, God is King.

Elimelech: A Type of God the Father

Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, is a type of God the Father. His name means God is king.[16] He is married to a woman who is bereft of her husband when she leaves the land of Israel to seek the aid of a pagan nation, Moab, when she encounters a drought in her homeland. God is the husband of Israel, yet Israel loses God as her husband when she abandons Him for other nations and gods.[17]

Ruth: A Type of the Gentile Church

Ruth is a Moabitess (Gentile). Her name means female companion or mate.[18] She is seeking redemption through marriage with a kinsman-redeemer. When she asks Boaz why she has found favor in his sight, he responds in Ruth 2:11-12:

“All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. “May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.”

This passage is alluded to in Matthew 19:29, when Christ, Himself, identifies true believers as:

“everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.

The Nearer Kinsman: A Type of the Mosaic Law

The nearer kinsman is unnamed, yet he is referred to by Boaz (the kinsman-redeemer) as “friend.”[19] The two are not at odds, but the former must have first right of redemption. When the former fails, the responsibility falls to only truly qualified redeemer, Boaz. The Mosaic Law was a custodian or tutor which pointed to Christ.[20] The law was given before Christ fulfilled it in His coming. Yet, the Law was never intended to redeem the unsaved, but rather was used to prove the unsaved person’s need for Christ. In the same way, the nearer kinsman had to be given the first opportunity to redeem and be proven unable to do so before Boaz could redeem. The two kinsmen worked hand in hand to bring about the act of Ruth’s and Naomi’s redemption.

The Head Reaper: A Type of God the Holy Spirit

The head reaper is an unnamed servant in charge of the reapers. The Holy Spirit, unlike God the Gather (Yahweh) and God the Son (Jesus), is unnamed in Scripture. He is in a subordinate role to God the Father and God the Son, and His responsibilities are mainly that of bearing witness of Christ, that is, bringing people to faith in Christ through convicting them of sin, revealing Christ (all Truth) to them, regenerating them (making them virgins again), and giving them repentance and faith. This work of the Holy Spirit, in a sense, is the introduction of the bride (the Gentile Church) to her groom (Christ). In the story of Ruth, it is this unnamed servant of Boaz the redeemer who introduces the bride to the groom. Lastly, the Holy Spirit is aptly referred to by Christ as the Lord of the Harvest, a metaphor pointing to His work in gathering a bride for Christ. [21]

Boaz: A Type of God the Son

All the other types in the Book of Ruth provide the setting and backdrop for the acts of the clearest type in the book, which is that of Boaz as the Kinsman-Redeemer, who is a type of Christ. Boaz’s name means in him is strength,[22] an appropriate reference to Christ. Boaz is the great-grandfather of King David upon whose throne the Christ will reign for eternity. Boaz is a “model of piety, generosity and chastity,”[23] clear attributes of Christ. He was a chieftain from the town of Bethlehem[24] where Christ was born. Boaz, acting in hesed,[25] which means lovingkindness or grace,[26] takes Ruth to be his (Gentile) bride, which prefigures Christ’s taking the church as His bride. Boaz restores the land to Naomi, which prefigures Christ’s redemption of the nation of Israel.

Summary of Scholarship

There is little, if any, scholarly debate on the concept of goel as it is presented in the Bible. The concept of goel is seen from a Jewish perspective in the same way it is seen from a Christian perspective: both faiths see goel as kinsman-redeemer. However, as is the case in other areas of Judaism, such as in that of the office of the Messiah, Christianity sees Jesus as the fulfillment of the concept.

Conclusion

The concept of goel has a long tradition in Judaism and Christianity. The concept regards the role of God in His relationship with His elect.[27] That role is of redeemer, and the redeemer is Christ. Christ will redeem Israel, restore her land, take the church as His Gentile bride, and avenge His adversaries who have attacked and destroyed His people.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jamieson, Robert and A. R. Fausset, David Brown. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishing, 1997.

Keil, C. F. and F. Delitzsch. Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2001.

Huey, F. B., Jr. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ruth, Vol. 3. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1992.

Hals, Ronald M. “A Review of the Levirate and Goel Institutions in the Old Testament: With Special Attention to the Book of Ruth, by Donald A Leggett, Cherry Hill, NJ: Mack Publishing Co., 1974 Pp. ix+351. $4.25.” Journal of Biblical Literature 95, no. 3 (1976): 466-467.

Davies, Eryl W. “Ruth 4:5 and the Duties of the Go’el.” Vetus Testamentum 33, no. 2 (1983): 231-234.

Smith, H. P. Old Testament History. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1903.

Lasor, William Sanford and David Allan Hubbard, Frederic William Bush. Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form and Background of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996.

Singer, Isadore The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company,

1901.

Orr, James. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Peabody, Massachusetts:

Hendrickson Publishers, 1943

Strong, James. Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson

Publishers, 2004

[1] James Strong, “Goel,” in Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon, Online Bible ed.

[2] Isidore Singer, “Goel,” in The Jewish Encyclopedia, 1st ed.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Robert and A. R. Fausset Jamieson, David Brown, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishing, 1997), 503.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Isaiah 49:8 Thus says the LORD, “In a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land.”

[8] Psalms 34:22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. Isaiah 54:5 “For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth. Luke 24:21 “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE” 1Pe 1:18-19 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

[9] Nahum 1:2 “A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies.” 2 Timothy 4:1 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:”

[10] Deuteronomy 25:5-10 When brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. It shall be that the firstborn whom she bears shall assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. But if the man does not desire to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to establish a name for his brother in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’ Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak to him. And if he persists and says, ‘I do not desire to take her,’ then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the sight of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall declare, ‘Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’ In Israel his name shall be called, ‘The house of him whose sandal is removed.’

[11] William Sanford and David Allan Hubbard Lasor, Frederic William Bush, Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form and Background of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996), 521.

[12] Eryl W. Davies, “Ruth 4:5 and the Duties of the Go’el,” Vetus Testamentum 33, no. 2 (1983): .

[13] C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2001), 352-353.

[14] James Strong, “Naomi,” in Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon, Online Bible ed.

[15] Isaiah 62:1-5 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, And her salvation like a torch that is burning. The nations will see your righteousness, And all kings your glory; And you will be called by a new name Which the mouth of the LORD will designate. You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem in the hand of your God. It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,” Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”; But you will be called, “My delight is in her,” And your land, “Married”; For the LORD delights in you, And to Him your land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, So your sons will marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you.

[16] James Strong, “Elimelech,” in Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon, Online Bible ed.

[17] Jeremiah 3:8 “And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also. Jeremiah 5:7 “Why should I pardon you? Your sons have forsaken Me And sworn by those who are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, They committed adultery And trooped to the harlot’s house. Isaiah 31:1, 6 “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD! Return to Him from whom you have deeply defected, O sons of Israel.

[18] James Strong, “Naomi,” in Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon, Online Bible ed.

[19] In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Jesus was not the enemy of the law.

[20] Galatians 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

[21] Luke 10:2 And [Christ] was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

[22] James Strong, “Boaz,” in Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon, Online Bible ed.

[23] H. P. Smith, Old Testament History (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1903), 398.

[24] David Francis Roberts, “Boaz,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Online Bible ed.

[25] Ronald M. Hals, “A Review of the Levirate and Goel Institutions in the Old Testament: With Special Attention to the Book of Ruth, by Donald A Leggett, Cherry Hill, NJ: Mack Publishing Co., 1974 Pp. ix+351. $4.25,” Journal of Biblical Literature 95, no. 3 (1976).

[26] James Strong, “hesed,” in Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon, Online Bible ed.

[27] F. B. Huey, Jr, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ruth, Vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1992), 513.