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Redemption in the Old Testament

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 August 2024

Roland Potter O.P.
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The gospels and the new testament generally tell of'good tidings of great joy': but so does the old testament in its own way, for we can read it as a long-drawn preparation for the gospel, and text after text speaks of God's joyous plan. It is perhaps in this aspect of the scriptures that we best realize the fundamental unity of old testament and new. This unity is well illustrated when we, as we should, explain the term ‘gospel’ by citing texts of Isaias, e.g.:

      Get thee up upon a high mountain,
      thou that bringest good tidings to Sion;
      lift up thy voice with strength,
      thou that bringest good tidings to Jerusalem, (xl, 9.)
      How beautiful upon the mountains
      are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings
      and that preacheth peace;
      of him that showeth forth good,
      that preacheth salvation
      and saith to Sion,
      thy God shall reign, (lii, 7.)
      The spirit of the Lord is upon me
      because the Lord has anointed me.
Type
Research Article
Information
Life of the Spirit , Volume 14 , Issue 166 , April 1960 , pp. 452 - 460
Copyright
Copyright © 1960 Provincial Council of the English Province of the Order of Preachers

References

1 St Jerome, Ep. 46. P.L. 22, 490.

2 Saphnath-Paaneah, which St Jerome, and so the Douay version, render ‘Saviour of the world'. There are numerous modern interpretations. Latest is Vergote's (Joseph C Egypte, 1959, p. 145):—'the man who knows things': contrasting with those pretentious people who could not interpret the dreams.

3 Goel and Padah are the two great words. Goel is used (i) of the blood-avenger (Num. xxxv, 19, etc.), (ii) he who defends the widow or prisoner for debt (cf. Ruth ii, 20), (iii) of God as avenger of the oppressed and liberator of his people. Frequently in the Psalms and Isaias (e.g. xliii, 14; xliv, 6; xlvii, 4). (iv) N.T. and Christian theology apply the term to Jesus who redeems from sin. Padah is used (i) for ransoming at an assessed price Exod. xiii, 13, 15, etc., (ii) of God ransoming from Egypt and from exile, ct- Deut. vii, 8; Jerem. xxxi, 11; Mich, vi, 4; Zach. x, 8.

4 In a tradition springing from the time of the Greek translators.

5 The traditional rendering from the Vulgate of St Jerome.

6 Summa Theol. Ia-2ae, 97, 2.