The Mystery Hidden in Go'el Hadam: Avenger of Blood

In the book of Ruth, Boaz is prominently featured as the kinsman redeemer, a role that not only highlights his familial duty to redeem property and preserve lineage but also implicitly connects to the broader Old Testament concept of the blood avenger. While the narrative of Ruth focuses on Boaz’s redemptive actions toward Ruth and Naomi, the underlying legal and theological framework of the kinsman redeemer (Hebrew: go'el) encompasses both redemption and vengeance. This dual role provides a profound typological connection to Jesus Christ, who is portrayed in the New Testament, particularly in the book of Revelation, as the ultimate redeemer and avenger of His people. From an evangelical perspective, this response will explore the concept of the blood avenger, its relation to Boaz as the kinsman redeemer in Ruth, and how this ties to Jesus Christ, drawing from peer-reviewed journal articles, scholarly books, and the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible, with citations formatted according to APA 7 guidelines.

The Kinsman Redeemer and Blood Avenger in the Old Testament

Defining the Roles

In ancient Israelite society, the kinsman redeemer, or go'el, was a male relative tasked with protecting the interests of his extended family. This role, rooted in the Mosaic Law, included several responsibilities:

• Redeeming Property: If a family member sold land due to poverty, the go'el could buy it back to keep it within the family (Leviticus 25:25-28, ESV).
• Levirate Marriage: The go'el could marry a childless widow to produce an heir for the deceased relative, preserving the family line (Deuteronomy 25:5-10, ESV).
• Avenging Blood: As the "avenger of blood" (go'el haddam), the go'el was responsible for pursuing and executing the murderer of a family member to restore justice (Numbers 35:19-21, ESV).

The blood avenger role is explicitly outlined in Numbers 35:19 (ESV): "The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death." This duty was part of a decentralized justice system in Israel, ensuring retribution for intentional killing before formal courts were established (Hubbard, 1988). Thus, the go'el functioned as both a redeemer and a protector, safeguarding the family’s material and moral integrity.

Boaz as Kinsman Redeemer in Ruth

In the book of Ruth, Boaz embodies the redemptive aspect of the go'el. After Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem widowed and destitute, Boaz, a close relative of Naomi’s deceased husband Elimelech, steps in to redeem Naomi’s land and marry Ruth (Ruth 4:1-10, ESV). This act ensures the continuation of Elimelech’s lineage and restores Naomi’s security, fulfilling the go'el’s duty as outlined in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Scholarly analysis, such as that by Hubbard (1988), emphasizes that Boaz’s actions reflect the go'el’s role in providing familial restoration, a concept deeply embedded in Israelite law and theology.

However, the narrative of Ruth does not depict Boaz acting as a blood avenger, as no murder occurs to necessitate vengeance. Nevertheless, the broader institution of the go'el includes this potential responsibility. Leggett (1974) notes that the roles of redeemer and avenger were interconnected, as both aimed to preserve the family’s honor and well-being. Thus, while Boaz’s story highlights redemption, the blood avenger aspect remains an implicit part of the go'el’s identity, reflecting God’s own character as Israel’s ultimate redeemer and avenger (Washburn, 1991).

Jesus as the Ultimate Kinsman Redeemer

Redemption Through Christ

From an evangelical perspective, Boaz’s role as kinsman redeemer serves as a typological foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, who redeems humanity from the bondage of sin and death. The New Testament portrays Jesus as the ultimate go'el through His sacrificial death and resurrection. For example, Paul writes in Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV):

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."

This redemption parallels Boaz’s act of bringing Ruth into his family, as Christ adopts believers into God’s household. Similarly, Ephesians 1:7 (ESV) states:

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace."

Here, redemption is explicitly linked to Christ’s blood, underscoring His role as the kinsman redeemer who restores humanity to God.

Typological Connection

The typological link between Boaz and Jesus lies in their shared role as redeemers who act out of love and duty to restore the destitute. Just as Boaz redeemed Naomi’s land and Ruth’s future, Jesus redeems believers from spiritual poverty and death. This connection is widely recognized in evangelical theology as a fulfillment of Old Testament shadows in the person of Christ.

Jesus and the Blood Avenger Concept

Divine Justice in Revelation

While Jesus’ redemptive work is central to the New Testament, the blood avenger aspect of the go'el finds its ultimate expression in the book of Revelation, where He is depicted as the divine judge who will avenge the blood of His people. In Revelation 6:10 (ESV), the souls of the martyrs cry out:

"O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

This plea for vengeance anticipates Christ’s return as a warrior in Revelation 19:11-16 (ESV):

"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war... He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God."

This imagery portrays Jesus as the executor of divine justice, avenging the wrongs done to His people (Bauckham, 1993). Unlike the Old Testament blood avenger, who addressed familial murder, Christ’s vengeance in Revelation encompasses global unrighteousness, fulfilling the go'el’s role on a cosmic scale.

Theological Parallels

Theologically, Jesus’ role as the blood avenger aligns with the go'el’s duty to ensure justice for the wronged. Washburn (1991) argues that the human go'el reflects God’s character as the supreme redeemer and avenger, a role fully realized in Christ. In the Old Testament, God Himself is depicted as Israel’s go'el who both redeems and avenges, as seen in Isaiah 63:4 (ESV): "For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come." Revelation extends this theme, presenting Jesus as the divine go'el who will judge the wicked and vindicate the righteous, thus completing the justice foreshadowed in the Mosaic Law (Bauckham, 1993).

Conclusion

In the book of Ruth, Boaz’s role as kinsman redeemer, while focused on redemption, is rooted in a legal and theological framework that includes the blood avenger’s duty to uphold justice. This dual role prefigures Jesus Christ, who not only redeems believers through His atoning death but will also avenge the blood of His people as depicted in Revelation. From an evangelical perspective, Boaz’s actions in Ruth serve as a type of Christ’s comprehensive work as the ultimate go'el, ensuring both restoration and retribution. Thus, the story of Ruth illuminates the profound connection between Old Testament institutions and their fulfillment in Jesus, the redeemer and avenger of God’s family.