Erlösen

Erlösen is a German verb meaning to redeem, to rescue, or to deliver someone or something from danger, suffering, or difficulty. It is used in both secular and religious contexts, and its object can be a person, a group, or a situation. The sense ranges from practical rescue to moral or spiritual liberation, as in phrases such as rescuing someone from peril or providing relief from hardship.

Etymology and form: Erlösen is formed from the verb lösen (to loosen or release) with the prefix er-, which adds a sense of completion or release. The word appears in historical Germanic usage in forms such as erlösen in Middle High German, and it remains productive in modern High German.

Usage and context: In theology, erlösen is closely tied to the concept of salvation, especially in Christian texts, where it denotes deliverance from sin and its consequences. The related noun Erlösung expresses the act or process of redemption, and Erlöser (redeemer, savior) names the agent responsible for it. Beyond religious language, erlösen can describe freeing someone from danger, oppression, or pain, as in rescuing a person from a perilous situation or relieving someone from suffering or obligation.

Related terms: Erlösung (redemption, salvation), Erlöser (redeemer, savior), and the broader family of lösen-related terms. In contemporary usage, the verb remains common in both metaphorical and factual contexts, contrasting with more neutral terms like befreien or retten depending on nuance.

See also: Redemption, Salvation, Befreien, Retten.