The Hebrew word geullah means redemption, the right of redemption, or the act of buying back. It derives from gaal (H1350), the verb for the kinsman-redeemer. Geullah describes both the legal right to redeem property or persons and the act of redemption itself — restoring what was lost to its rightful owner.
In ancient Israel, the goel (kinsman-redeemer) was obligated to buy back a relative's land or freedom. This legal institution foreshadowed Christ's work of redemption: He became our kinsman by taking on flesh, and paid the ultimate price to restore us to God. The book of Ruth is the great narrative illustration of geullah, with Boaz serving as a type of Christ.