ἀγοράζω – Pronunciation Guide: ah-gor-AD-zō (emphasis on the third syllable)

Basic Definition

Strong’s G59: To buy, purchase, or acquire through payment of a price. In biblical usage, this term carries both literal economic meaning of marketplace transactions and profound spiritual significance regarding redemption through the Messiah’s sacrifice.

Word Study

• Part of Speech: Verb
• Origin: Derived from ἀγορά (agora, G58), meaning marketplace or forum
• Root: Indo-European *ger- (to gather)

Morphology:

• Present Active: ἀγοράζω (I buy)
• Aorist Active: ἠγόρασα (I bought)
• Perfect Active: ἠγόρακα (I have bought)
• Aorist Passive: ἠγοράσθην (I was bought)
• Perfect Passive: ἠγορασμένος (having been bought)

Word Origin & History

The term ἀγοράζω emerges from the bustling ancient Greek marketplace (agora), the heart of civic and commercial life. In classical Greek literature, Xenophon uses it extensively in his “Oeconomicus” when discussing household management and proper purchasing practices. Thucydides employs it when describing military provisions and supplies in his “History of the Peloponnesian War.”

The agora was more than just a marketplace; it was the center of public life where citizens gathered for commerce, political discourse, and social interaction. This rich cultural context adds layers of meaning to the biblical usage of ἀγοράζω.

Biblical Usage

In the New Testament, ἀγοράζω appears 31 times, demonstrating both literal and metaphorical applications. Its literal use describes everyday transactions, such as buying food or property. However, its most theologically significant usage relates to spiritual redemption, particularly in reference to believers being “bought with a price” by the Messiah’s sacrifice.

Key Passages:

• 1 Corinthians 6:20 – “For you were bought with a price”
• Revelation 5:9 – “You were slain, and by Your blood You bought persons for God”
• 2 Peter 2:1 – “Even denying the Master who bought them”

Cultural Insights

In the ancient world, ἀγοράζω was often used in the context of slave markets, where people were bought and sold as property. This background powerfully illuminates the New Testament’s use of the term to describe believers’ redemption. Just as a price was paid to free slaves, the Messiah paid the ultimate price to purchase His people from spiritual bondage.

Theological Significance

The use of ἀγοράζω in redemptive contexts emphasizes the costliness of salvation. It underscores that our redemption was not free but required the precious blood of the Messiah as payment. This commercial metaphor highlights both our previous state of spiritual bondage and the completeness of our redemption.

This word choice also emphasizes divine ownership. When something is purchased, it belongs to the buyer. Thus, believers are not their own but belong to the One who bought them with His blood.

Personal Application

Understanding ἀγοράζω should profoundly impact how we view our relationship with God. We are not merely forgiven sinners but purchased possession, bought at the highest possible price. This reality should inspire both deep gratitude and a sense of responsible stewardship of our lives for His glory.

Related Words

• ἀγορά (agora) – marketplace, public square – See G58
• λυτρόω (lutroō) – to redeem, liberate by paying a ransom – See G3084
• ἐξαγοράζω (exagorazō) – to buy back, redeem – See G1805
• περιποιέομαι (peripoieomai) – to acquire, obtain – See G4046

Did You Know?

• The ancient Greek agora in Athens, where this word was commonly used, still stands today as an archaeological site.
• The term was used in ancient shipping documents found in Egyptian papyri for purchasing cargo.
• Modern Greek still uses ἀγοράζω for everyday purchases, maintaining its ancient meaning.

Remember This

Being bought by the blood of the Messiah means we are His treasured possession, purchased at an infinite price for an eternal purpose.