v. Goat, Ram, Sheep
Gen 22:8 God will provide c for .. my son
Exo 29:39 you will offer one of the c in the morning
Lev 4:32 for his sin offering I will bring c
1Sa 7:9 Samuel took a c of milk and sacrificed it
Isaiah 11:6; 65:25
The translation of several Hebrew words, most of which refer to the breeding of the sheep. One, however (shes, used in Exo 12:3-6), refers to the offspring of the sheep or goat (compare Exo 12:5) and seems to include adult specimens at times as well. Lamb meat was considered a delicacy by the ancient Hebrews (Deu 32:14; 2Sa 12:3-6; Amo 6:4). Since meat was scarce among them, the slaughter of a lamb marked a very special occasion. Lambs were used for sacrifices very early (Gen 4:4; Gen 22:7).
The lamb was a staple in Moses’ system of burnt offerings. A lamb was offered as a continual burnt offering each morning and evening (Exo 29:38-42), and doubled on the Sabbath day (Num 28:9).
On the first day of each month (Num 28:11), during the seven days of Passover (Num 28:16, Num 28:19), on the Feast of Weeks (Num 28:26-27), on the Feast of Trumpets (Num 29:1-2), on the Day of Atonement (Num 29:7-8) and on the Feast of Tabernacles (Num 29:13-16) lambs were offered. The lamb was one of the accepted sacrifices for the ceremonial cleansing of a woman after giving birth (Lev 12:6) or for the cleansing of a recovered leper (Lev 14:10-18).
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
This is the name given to the son of the sheep up to one year of age. Because of his meekness and innocence, he was the favorite animal for performing sacrifices. God ordained that †œa c. one year old, without blemish, for a burnt offering† (Lev 9:3). A c. in the morning and one in the evening (Num 28:4); at the beginning of each month (Num 28:11). Also one on each Passover day (Num 28:16-24). Likewise on the feast of Pentecost (Num 28:26-30). Also offered c. on the Day of Atonement (Num 29:7-10) and on peace offerings or freewill offerings. The figure of a c. offered in sacrifice is used by Isaiah in prophesying of our Lord Jesus Christ when he says that † œas c. he was led to the slaughter† (Isa 53:7). To point to the great peace that will be in the messianic kingdom we are told that “the wolf shall dwell with the c.” (Isa 11:6). †¢Bible animals.
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
type, FAUN TYPE LEYE QUAD
vet, The lamb is a symbol of humble submission, and when selected for sacrifice it had to be without blemish: a very fitting type of the Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God. He, the Humble and Holy One “was led like a lamb to the slaughter”, and was proclaimed by John as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”; and again as “the Lamb of God,” as the object of the soul’s contemplation (Jn. 1:29, 36). In John’s heavenly vision, the Lord Jesus is seen as a Lamb “as it were slain,” to whom universal worship is given. The special character that goes with the title of Lamb in Revelation is that of suffering, the One who was rejected on earth, although seen in the midst of the throne in heaven. He who suffered is vindicated there, and finally possesses his bride, the new Jerusalem, where the throne of God and of the Lamb is established. He will always bear the character of God’s Elect, “who takes away the sin of the world” on the basis of the sacrifice of Himself (Rev. 5:6-13; 6:1, 16; 7:9-17; 12:11 ; 14:1-10; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7, 9; 21:9-27; 22:1, 3). In all the passages of Revelation the term used is “arnion”, the diminutive of “arnos”, “a lamb”, which means “a young lamb”. It is the same word used by the Lord addressing Peter in Jn. 21:15: “Feed my lambs,” applied to the young disciples of the Lord.
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
(-> sheep and goats, goat, easter). It is for the Old Testament the sacred (sacrificial) animal par excellence. The New Testament links it with Jesus, “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (cf. Jn 1,29.36), thus becoming a unifying symbol of the Bible as a whole. These are some of the texts and figures with which that Jesus, Lamb of God, can be linked.
(1) Lamb of Aquedah or binding of Isaac. He appears linked to the sacrifice of Isaac, which he replaces (Gn 22,7-8). On that basis he often appears as a sign of human life. Along these lines, it can be affirmed that God “forgave” Isaac, but has offered us the life of his Son, as a true saving lamb (cf. Rom 8:32).
(2) Passover lamb. When they left Egypt, the Hebrews sacrificed the lamb and with its blood they painted the lintel and jambs of their doors, so that the destroying angel would pass by their houses, without killing their firstborn (Ex 11,2-14 ). For this reason, they continued to eat the Passover lamb for centuries, in memory of the passing of the Lord, in an attitude of gratitude. This is the lamb that allowed them to walk towards freedom, keeping them alive in the midst of the great risk of death; It was a sign from God on earth.
(3) Prophetic Lamb. Next to the Passover lamb, the experience of the meek lamb influences, which does not oppose or fight, does not confront its butchers. In this context, persecuted by his enemies, Jeremiah has seen himself as a “meek lamb led to the slaughter” (Jr 11,19). Second Isaiah advances in this line, when he presents the Servant of Yahweh as a lamb: “The Lord loaded our crimes upon him. Mistreated, he humiliated himself and did not open his mouth: like a lamb led to the slaughter, like a sheep before the shearer, he fell silent and did not open his mouth. Without defense, without justice, they took him away. Who meditated on his fate? They uprooted him from the land of the living, for the sins of my people they wounded him” (Is 53,6-8). This mysterious passage has served as a reflection for generations of believers, Jews and Christians.
(4) Messianic Lamb. The most significant text is linked to a eunuch of the queen of Ethiopia, who has come as a Jewish proselyte to the temple in Jerusalem, asking about the sign of the lamb; but in the temple they have not answered her and so she returns on the cart without knowing what the lamb means. Then he approaches Philip the Evangelist and “starting from this same passage” presents him with the Gospel (cf. Acts 8:36-40). To understand the meaning of that lamb is to understand and accept Christianity. Without further delay, Philip baptizes the eunuch, who does not need any more catechumenate.
(5) Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. The Gospel of John has reflected on the theme of the lamb that takes away sins. Certainly, in the background is the experience of the sacrifices of Israel, among which is also that of the lamb, for expiation of sins (cf. Lv 4,22; 5,7; 9,3; 14,12.24-25 , Nm 6.12, etc.). In a sense, the great Feast of Atonement and forgiveness of sins is linked to the scapegoat* (emissary) and not to the lamb (cf. Lv 16), but that does not prevent the Israelite liturgy as a whole from seeing the lamb as sacrificial animal. On the other hand, the sacrificial ritual sometimes supposes that kids or lambs can be used equally (Ex 12,5 indicates that Passover can be celebrated with a lamb or a kid). Well, from that background rises the word of John* the Baptist referring to Jesus: “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29). The plural of the evoked text (Is 53,5) has here become singular: deep down, according to John, there is only one sin, the rejection of the world that opposes God. Well, through his dedication Jesus has destroyed that sin, putting men back before the mystery of God.
(6) Apocalypse. (1) The book of the slain Lamb (Rev 5,5-7) (book*, elders*). In the previous context, the image of the Lamb is understood as the central character of the Apocalypse, in the great vision of the Book: Ap 5. The previous scene (Ap 4) has presented God seated on the throne. He carries in his right the book of the history of men. No one can open it and the prophet cries. “Then one of the elders told me: do not cry, he has defeated the lion of the tribe of Judah, the descendant of David, to open the book and untie the seven seals from it. Then, between the throne with the four living beings and the circle of elders, I saw a Lamb: he was standing, as if sacrificed; he had seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent to the entire earth. He approached and received the book from the right hand of the one who is sitting on the throne. When he received the book, the four living and the twenty-four elders prostrated themselves before the Lamb…singing a new song: You are worthy to receive the book and to loosen its seals, because you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought for God men of all ages! race, language, people and nation” (Rev 5,5-9). Normally, in apocalyptic texts (as in Dn, 4 Esd, 2 Bar) there is usually an enigmatic vision first and then comes the clarification, made by an angel or superior hermeneutic. Here the order is reversed: first there is a word, of an Israelite type (the old man speaks to the prophet of the victorious lion: Ap 5,5), and then comes the vision of a Christian type (the prophet looks and sees a lamb: 5,6 ). In that context the scene is understood. The seer cried, because no one could open the Book (Rev 4,4). An Elder with the function of an angel (cf. 7,13; 10,4.8; 17,1; etc.) consoles him: The Lion of Judah has defeated (cf. Gn 49,9: Davidic kingdom), as king of the steppe or jungle, powerful animal, according to an image known in Israel (cf. 1 Mac 3,3-4; 4 Esd 10,60-12,35) and its surroundings. He has defeated the offspring, descendant, of David (from the tree of Jesse: cf. Is 11,1.10). From the animal plane (lion) one passes to the vegetable kingdom: a strong tree that revives and grows, charged with life and future, it will be the Christ. The old man tells the prophet that the lion-offspring has already won, so that he can open the closed book, where the whole unfolding of the story of the Apocalypse is contained. Well then, when the seer looks he does not discover a lion, but a Lamb (ar11í 011) slaughtered, standing, victorious, in the center of the circle formed by the living beings of the tetramorph * and the elders. (7) Apocalypse. (2) The identity of the Lamb. We have seen the Lamb. Now we must better specify the meaning of him within the Apocalypse, (a) he could be a fighting camero. Some think that the amion that John has seen is not a lamb, but rather the strong ram (Aries) of the celestial constellation, a war animal, like the one in Dn 8:3-7. Several apocalyptic texts (Test XII Pat and 1 Hen 89-90) presented the final battle as animal combat. In this context the amion-ram of the text should be understood (cf. Ap 6,15-16; 14,1-5; 17,14). (b) It is a slain Lamb, since John calls him that (it is amion), adding that he is slain; he is not a fighting ram (which is said in Greek krios, in the already cited texts of Daniel LXX). He wins by his death, like the Servant of Is 53; he is a paschal sign, he saves men by his blood (Rev 5,9; 7,14; 12,11), not…