Lanib is the representative of several Hebrew and Greek words in the A.V., some of which have wide and others distinctive meanings. See Ewe.
1. The most usual term, b^S) I'c'bes (with its trans- posed form 3'4?3, ke'seh, and the feminines >1'U^3, Idb- sali', or (1*^33, kuhsuh', and n3"^2, Jdshdh'), denotes a male lamb from the first to the third year. The former, perhaps, more nearly coincide with the provincial terra hof/ or hoijget, which is applied to a young ram before he is shorn. The corresponding word in Arabic, according to Gesenius, denotes a ram at that period when he has lost his first two teeth and four others make their ap- pearance, wliich hajipens in the second or third year. Young rams of this age i'orraed an important part of al- most every sacrifice. They were offered at the Aailj morning and evening sacrifice (Exod. xxix, 38-41), on the Sabbath day (Numb, xxviii, 9), at the feasts of the new moon (Numb, xxviii, 11), of trumpets (Numb, xxix, 2), of tabernacles (Numb, xxix, 13-40), of Pentecost (Lev. xxiii, 18-20), and of the Passover (Exod. xii, 5). They were brought by the princes of the congregation as burnt-offerings at the dedication of the tabernacle (Numb, vii), and were offered on solemn occasions like the consecration of Aaron (Lev. ix, 3), the coronation of Solomon (1 Chron. xxix, 21), the purification of the Temple under Hezekiah (2 Chron. xxix, 21), and the great Passover held in the reign of Josiah (2 Chron. XXXV, 7). They formed part of the sacrifice offered at the purification of women after childbirtli (Lev. xii, G), and at the cleansing of a leper (Lev. xiv, 10-25). They
accompanied the presentation of first-fruits (Lev. xxiii, 12). When the Nazarites commenced their ])eriod of separation they offered a he-lamb for a trespass-offering (Numb, vi, 12), and at its conclusion a he-lamb was sacrificed as a burnt-offering, and a ewe-lamb as a sin- offering (v, 14). A ewe-lamb was also the offering for the sin of ignorance (Lev. iv, 32). Sec Sacrifice.
2. The corresponding Chaldee term to the above is 153X, immur' (Ezra vi, 9, 17 ; vii, 17). In the Targum it assumes the form N^"2"'>Sl.
3. A special term is n?I3, taleh' (1 Sara, vii, 9 ; Isa. Ixv, 25), a young sucking lamb; originally the young of any animal. The noun from the same root in Arabic signifies " a fawn," in Ethioj)ic " a kid," in Samaritan " a boy," while in Syriac it denotes " a boy," and in the feminine " a girl." Hence " Talitha kumi," " Damsel, arise !" (Mark v, 41). The plural of a cognate form oc- curs C?:^, teW) in Isa. xl, 11.
4. Less exact is '^3, car, a fat ram, or, more probably, " wether," as the word is generally employed in opjiosi- tion to aijil, which strictly denotes a "ram" (Deut. xxxii, 14 ; 2 Kings iii, 4 ; Isa. xxxiv, G). Mcsha, king of Moab, sent tribute to the king of Israel 100,000 fat wethers ; and this circumstance is made use of by R. Joseph Kimchi to explain Isa. xvi, 1, which he regards as an exhortation to the Moabites to renew their trib- ute. The Tyrians obtained their supply from Arabia and Kedar (Ezek. xxvii, 21), and the pastures of Ba- shan were famous as grazing-gromids (Ezek.xxxix, 18). See Ram.
5. Still more general is 'Xb:,^*;}??, rendered "lamb" in Exod. xii, 21, properly a collective term denoting a " tlock" of small cattle, sheep and goats, in distinction from herds of the larger animals (Eccles. ii, 7 ; Ezek. xlv, 15). See Flock.
G. In opposition to this collective term the word tT^, seh, is applied to denote the individuals of a flock, whether sheep or goats ; and hence, though " lamb" is in many passages the rendering of the A. V., the mar- ginal reading gives " kid" (Gen. xxii, 7, 8 ; Exod. xii, 3; xxii, 1, etc.). — Smith, s. v. See Kid.
7. In the N. T. we find apviov (strictly the diminu- tive of api'p', which latter once occurs, Luke x, 1), a lambkin, the almost exclusive word, ajt/vof being only employed iu a few passages, directly referring to Christ, as noticed below.
It appears that originally the paschal victim might be indifferently of the goats or of the sheep (Exod. xii, 3-5). In later times, however, the offspring of sheep appears to have been almost miiformly taken, and in sacrifices generally, with the exception of the sin-offer- ing on the great day of atonement. Sundry peculiar enactments are contained in the same law respecting the qualities of the animal (Exod. xxii, 30; xxxiii, 19; Lev. xxii, 27). See Passover.
In the symbohcal language of Scripture the lamb is the tj-pe of meekness and innocence (Isa. xi, G ; Ixv, 25 ; Luke x, 3 ; John xxi, 15). See Sheep.
The hypocritical assumption of this meekness, and the carrying on of persecution under a show of charity to the souls of men, and bestowing absolutions and in- dulgences on those who conform to its rules, appears to have given rise to the application of this othenvise sa- cred title to Antichrist (Rev. xiii, 11) : "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." This evidently has reference to the ostensibly mild and toler- ant character of the jiagan forms of religion, which nev- ertheless, in the end, were found co-operating with the relentless secular power. It finds a fit counteri)art in the Jesuitical pretensions of Romanism. See Anticiiuist.