4.25 · Animals · Animals

lamb, sheep, ram (derivative of ἀρήν ‘lamb,’ 4.24) young of sheep (πρόβατον); often used for ritual sacrifice; or a sheep of any age In the one context in the NT, namely, REV 13:11, in which ἀρνίον refers literally to a sheep, it is used in a phrase referring to the horns of an ἀρνίον. In such a context the reference is undoubtedly to a ‘ram,’ that is to say, the adult male of sheep.

REV 13:11

11.29 · Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes · Socio-Religious

a person who is like a lamb (a figurative extension of meaning of ἀρνίον[a] ‘lamb,’ 4.25) a follower of Christ, with the implication of helplessness and dependence Compare 11.30 and 11.31.

JHN 21:15

4.26 · Animals · Animals

Lamb a title for Christ ἀρνίον[c] as a title of Jesus Christ occurs only in the book of Revelation, but it is used there more than twenty times. In contrast with ἀρνίον[b] in βόσκε τὰ ἀρνία μου ‘feed my lambs’ (JHN 21:15; see 11.29), designating people who need care and help, the supplementary components of meaning in ἀρνίον[c] involve the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Some persons have wanted to eliminate the notion of ‘lamb’ in this title, especially in the case of languages in which sheep are looked down on as relatively worthless scavengers (as is the case in certain tropical areas of the world), but in view of the significance of the symbolism of ‘lamb’ in terms of OT sacrificial practices, it is wrong to avoid a term meaning ‘lamb.’ A marginal note, however, may be necessary to explain the significance of this title.

REV 5:6 · REV 5:8 · REV 5:12 · REV 5:13 · REV 6:1 · REV 6:16 · REV 7:9 · REV 7:10 · REV 7:14 · REV 7:17 · REV 12:11 · REV 13:8 · REV 14:1 · REV 14:4 · REV 14:4 · REV 14:10 · REV 15:3 · REV 17:14 · REV 17:14 · REV 19:7 · REV 19:9 · REV 21:9 · REV 21:14 · REV 21:22 · REV 21:23 · REV 21:27 · REV 22:1 · REV 22:3