To REDEEM by paying a price — to buy back something that has fallen under another's claim. It is the verb of the firstborn law: a donkey's firstling is bought back with a lamb, and 'every firstborn of MAN among your sons you shall REDEEM' (Exodus 13:13, 15). ⚠️ The distinction from its close relative GA'AL is roughly that ga'al stresses the redeemer's family duty while padah stresses the PAYMENT. The word then carries the exodus itself — 'Jehovah REDEEMED you from the house of slaves' (Deuteronomy 7:8) — and becomes one of the standing verbs of rescue in the Psalms ('he will REDEEM Israel from all his iniquities,' 130:8). → first discussed at Exod 13:13