free, freed, freedom, freeman, freewill, liberty

Freed - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

FREED, pp. Set at liberty; loosed; delivered from restraint; cleared of hinderance or obstruction.

Freedom - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

The law of Moses pointed out the cases in which the servants of the Hebrews were to receive their freedom (Ex. 21:2-4, 7, 8; Lev. 25:39-42, 47-55; Deut. 15:12-18). Under the Roman law the "freeman" (ingenuus) was one born free; the "freedman" (libertinus) was a manumitted slave, and had not equal rights with the freeman (Acts 22:28; comp. Acts 16:37-39; 21:39; 22:25; 25:11, 12).

Freedom - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

FREE'DOM, n.

1. A state of exemption from the power or control of another; liberty; exemption from slavery, servitude or confinement. Freedom is personal, civil, political, and religious. [See Liberty.]

2. Particular privileges; franchise; immunity; as the freedom of a city.

3. Power of enjoying franchises.

4. Exemption from fate, necessity, or any constraint in consequence of predetermination or otherwise; as the freedom of the will.

5. Any exemption from constraint or control.

6. Ease or facility of doing any thing. He speaks or acts with freedom.

7. Frankness; boldness. He addressed his audience with freedom.

8. License; improper familiarity; violation of the rules of decorum; with a plural. Beware of what are called innocent freedoms.

Freeman - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

FREE'MAN, n. [free and man.]

1. One who enjoys liberty, or who is not subject to the will of another; one not a slave or vassal.

2. One who enjoys or is entitled to a franchise or peculiar privilege; as the freemen of a city or state.

Freewill - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

FREEWILL', n.

1. The power of directing our own actions without restraint by necessity or fate.

2. Voluntariness; spontaneousness.

Liberty - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

LIB'ERTY, n. [L. libertas, from liber, free.]

1. Freedom from restraint, in a general sense, and applicable to the body, or to the will or mind. The body is at liberty, when not confined; the will or mind is at liberty, when not checked or controlled. A man enjoys liberty, when no physical force operates to restrain his actions or volitions.

2. Natural liberty, consists in the power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or control, except from the laws of nature. It is a state of exemption from the control of others, and from positive laws and the institutions of social life. This liberty is abridged by the establishment of government.

3. Civil liberty, is the liberty of men in a state of society, or natural liberty, so far only abridged and restrained, as is necessary and expedient for the safety and interest of the society, state or nation. A restraint of natural liberty, not necessary or expedient for the public, is tyranny or oppression. civil liberty is an exemption from the arbitrary will of others, which exemption is secured by established laws, which restrain every man from injuring or controlling another. Hence the restraints of law are essential to civil liberty.

The liberty of one depends not so much on the removal of all restraint from him, as on the due restraint upon the liberty of others.

In this sentence, the latter word liberty denotes natural liberty.

4. Political liberty, is sometimes used as synonymous with civil liberty. But it more properly designates the liberty of a nation, the freedom of a nation or state from all unjust abridgment of its rights and independence by another nation. Hence we often speak of the political liberties of Europe, or the nations of Europe.

5. Religious liberty, is the free right of adopting and enjoying opinions on religious subjects, and of worshiping the Supreme Being according to the dictates of conscience, without external control.

6. Liberty, in metaphysics, as opposed to necessity, is the power of an agent to do or forbear any particular action, according to the determination or thought of the mind, by which either is preferred to the other.

Freedom of the will; exemption from compulsion or restraint in willing or volition.

7. Privilege; exemption; immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant; with a plural. Thus we speak of the liberties of the commercial cities of Europe.

8. Leave; permission granted. The witness obtained liberty to leave the court.

9. A space in which one is permitted to pass without restraint, and beyond which he may not lawfully pass; with a plural; as the liberties of a prison.

10. Freedom of action or speech beyond the ordinary bounds of civility or decorum. Females should repel all improper liberties.

To take the liberty to do or say any thing, to use freedom not specially granted.

To set at liberty, to deliver from confinement; to release from restraint.

To be at liberty, to be free from restraint.

Liberty of the press, is freedom from any restriction on the power to publish books; the free power of publishing what one pleases, subject only to punishment for abusing the privilege, or publishing what is mischievous to the public or injurious to individuals.

See CHOICE; WILL.

fred'-man, fre'-man: The term occurs in 1Co 7:22; Col 3:11, and Re 6:15, and represents two slightly different words. In 1Co 7:22 the word is apeleutheros, "a freeman," one who was born a slave and has received freedom. In this case it refers to spiritual freedom. He that was in bondage to sin has been presented with spiritual freedom by the Lord. In Re 6:15 the word is simply eleutheros, "a free man" as opposed to a slave.

lib'-er-ti (deror, rachabh; eleutheria): The opposite of servitude or bondage, hence, applicable to captives or slaves set free from oppression (thus deror, Le 25:10; Isa 61:1, etc.). Morally, the power which enslaves is sin (Joh 8:34), and liberty consists, not simply in external freedom, or in possession of the formal power of choice, but in deliverance from the darkening of the mind, the tyranny of sinful lusts and the enthrallment of the will, induced by a morally corrupt state. In a positive respect, it consists in the possession of holiness, with the will and ability to do what is right and good. Such liberty is possible only in a renewed condition of soul, and cannot exist apart from godliness. Even under the Old Testament godly men could boast of a measure of such liberty (Ps 119:45, rachabh, "room," "breadth"), but it is the gospel of Christ which bestows it in its fullness, in giving a full and clear knowledge of God, discovering the way of forgiveness, supplying the highest motives to holiness and giving the Holy Spirit to destroy the power of sin and to quicken to righteousness. In implanting a new life in the soul, the gospel lifts the believer out of the sphere of external law, and gives him a sense of freedom in his new filial relation to God. Hence, the New Testament expressions about "the glorious liberty" of God's children (Ro 8:21 the King James Version; compare Ga 2:4; 5:13, etc.), about liberty as resulting from the possession of the Spirit (2Co 3:17), about "the perfect law of liberty" (Jas 1:25). The instrument through which this liberty is imparted is "the truth" (Joh 8:32). Christians are earnestly warned not to presume upon, or abuse their liberty in Christ (Ga 5:13; 1Pe 2:16).

James Orr

Definition

The terms “free” or “freedom” refer to not being in slavery, or any other kind of bondage. Another word for “freedom” is “liberty.”

• The expression to “set someone free” or to “free someone” means to provide a way for someone to no longer be in slavery or captivity.
• In the Bible, these terms are often used figuratively to refer to how a believer in Jesus is no longer under the power of sin.
• Having “liberty” or “freedom” can also refer to no longer being required to obey the Law of Moses, but instead being free to live by the teachings and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Translation Suggestions

• The term “free” could be translated with a word or phrase that means “not bound” or “not enslaved” or “not in slavery” or “not in bondage.”
• The term “freedom” or “liberty” could be translated with a word or phrase that means “the state of being free” or “the condition of not being a slave” or “not being bound.”
• The expression to “set free” could be translated as to “cause to be free” or to “rescue from slavery” or to “release from bondage.”
• A person who has been “set free” has been “released” or “taken out of” bondage or slavery.

(See also: bind, enslave, servant)

Bible References

• Galatians 4:26
• Galatians 5:1
• Isaiah 61:1
• Leviticus 25:10
• Romans 6:18

Word Data

• Strong’s: H1865, H2600, H2666, H2668, H2670, H3318, H4800, H5068, H5069, H5071, H5337, H5352, H5355, H5425, H5674, H5800, H6299, H6362, H7342, H7971, G04250, G05250, G05580, G06290, G06300, G08590, G13440, G14320, G16570, G16580, G16590, G18490, G30890, G39550, G45060, G54830