“...you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” 1 Peter 1:18,19 ESV
The Hebrew Bible uses seven different words and expressions for sheep.
- Ts'on is a collective term for small, domesticated animals, particularly sheep and goats.
- Seh is an individual member of the collective ts'on, one sheep or goat.
- Kebes is a young ram, as is the apparently related word keseb.
- Kibsah and kisbah are young lambs.
- Tsoneh is either a variant spelling of or the feminine of Ts'on. Rachel is the mother sheep. The male sheep or ram is ayil, which served as a symbol of authority and rule.
- Taleh is a suckling lamb. It also means ‘covering’ – tallit has the same root.
1. “So Samuel took a nursing lamb (taleh) and
offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 7:9
2. “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs (taleh) in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” Isaiah 40:11
3. “The wolf and the lamb (taleh) shall graze
together;” Isaiah 65:25
טָלֶה - ‘Taleh’ has three Hebrew letters: Tet (9), lamed (30), Heh (5) which totals the number 44.
‘Blood’ in Hebrew is דָם ‘dam’- dalet (4) and mem (40) which also equals 44.
The Greek also uses different words for sheep and lamb:
- Amnos: lamb
- Aren: lamb for slaughter
- Larnion: sheep, lamb (in Revelation a designation of Christ ( Rev 5:6 ; 6:1)
- Probaton: sheep, small cattle.
- Arnion: the Lamb of God
a. “Where is the lamb?” Isaac asks his father Abraham. “Jehovah Jireh”, one of Gods names, provided on the Mountain of the Lord.
b. The lamb that died on Passover saved the first-born on
the Israelite household in Egypt.
d. In Isaiah 53 we read that “he was led as a lamb to the
slaughter.”
e. John the Baptist exclaimed: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who
takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
f. “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” 1
Cor. 5:7
g. The ‘Lamb of God’ (Arnion) is used 29 times in the
book of Revelation.
Because God is love, He gave His life to save us.
Sources:
Holman Bible Dictionary – sheep
https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13526-sheep
The book of Mysteries – Jonathan Cahn
