lamb

The term that is translated as “lamb” in English is typically translated as “offspring of a sheep” in Ixcatlán Mazatec since there is no specific word for “lamb.” Since this could distract readers with thoughts of God being the sheep when the “lamb” refers to Jesus the translation into Ixcatlán Mazatec chose “little (individual) sheep” for those cases. (Source: Robert Bascom)

In Dëne Súline the native term for “lamb” directly translated as “the young one of an evil little caribou.” To avoid the negative connotation, a loan word from the neighboring South Slavey was used. (Source: NCEM, p. 70)

In Nenets it is translated as xu’ suyu or “young reindeer made of sheep.” Andrei S. Desnitsky explains (in: The Bible Translator 2018, p. 233ff. ): “For Arctic people, the usual sacrificial animal is a reindeer. Their whole life depends on breeding them, so they have many words for reindeer, depending on their age, gender, or function. For the Lamb, the Nenets translators (a Samoyed language spoken in northern Russia) have chosen the word suyu, which typically designates a young male reindeer, the most obvious choice for a sacrifice. Nevertheless, they did not want to break completely with the Russian tradition (Russian being the second if not the first language for most ethnic Nenets). So they added the word xu’, which normally qualifies sheep skin or some other product made from these animals. The expression xu’ suyu ‘young reindeer made of sheep’ looks biologically impossible, but it is quite plausible in the given context, since the first word indicates the exact species and the second one the age and the role of the animal. Thus it could be argued that ‘reindeer’ is not a necessary component of meaning for suyu, at least in this expression where it refers to a young animal suitable for a sacrifice.”

For the Kasua translation, it took a long process to find the right term. Rachel Greco (in The PNG Experience ) tells this story:

“To the Kasua people of Western Province, every four-legged animal is a pig. They call a horse a pig-horse, a cow, a pig-cow, and a sheep, a pig-sheep, because all of these animals have four legs, which is kopolo, or pig, in their language.

“When the translation team would translate the word, ‘sheep’ in the New Testament, they would translate it as ‘pig-sheep’. So when Jesus is referred to as the ‘Lamb,’ (John 1:29; Rev. 12:11; Rev. 17:14), they translated as ‘pig-sheep’ so that in John 1:29 it would read: ‘Behold, the pig-sheep of God.’

“When some members of the translation team attended the Translators Training Course, they had the opportunity to observe and study sheep for the first time. As they watched and learned more about the animals’ behavior, their understanding of these creatures—and God’s Word—rotated on its axis.

“Once during the course, Logan and Konni — the translation team’s helpers — were driving with the team to a Bible dedication when Amos, one of the team members, said passionately, ‘We can’t use the word kopolo in front of the word, ‘sheep’! Pigs know when they’re about to die and squeal and scream.’ The team had often watched villagers tie up pigs so they wouldn’t escape.

“’But,’ Amos said, ‘Jesus didn’t do that.’ The team had learned that sheep are quiet and still when death walks toward them. They had observed, as they translated the New Testament, the words of Isaiah 53 fulfilled: ‘Like a lamb led to the slaughter, he did not open his mouth.’ And now they understood what it meant. For this reason, the team decided not to put pig-sheep in the New Testament for the word ‘sheep,’ but used sheep-animal or, in their language, a:pele sipi.

“The Kasua translation team also chose to discard the word ‘pig’ before sheep because pigs are unclean animals to the Jews. The team knew that Jesus was called the ‘Lamb of God’ in the New Testament to show that he is unblemished and clean. Hopefully the Lord will open up the Kasua villagers’ eyes to these same truths about Jesus as they read of Him in their own language.”

See also The Paschal Lamb, sheep, and sheep / lamb.

complete verse (1 Peter 1:19)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 1:19:

  • Uma: “but something very expensive, that is the blood of Kristus. Kristus was treated like a lamb that had no faults or lacks, that was slaughtered as your bodily substitute [redemption].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But that is what he used to redeem, the most valuable blood of Isa Almasi which was poured out at his death. Isa Almasi is like the offspring of a sheep which has no fault or dirt that is made a sacrifice to make our (incl.) sins go away.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “What He redeemed us with was the blood sacrifice of Christ who was very precious. He is like a young sheep without any defect which is sacrificed.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “but rather the valuable blood of Cristo who is compared to a sheep which has absolutely no lack/fault which is offered/sacrificed to God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “On the contrary the far-from-ordinary blood of Cristo which was shed, that’s what enabled your release. For a likeness of him is a young of sheep which was sacrificed which had nothing at all wrong with his body.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Rather you were redeemed by the holy blood shed by Christ when he died. Christ was killed like a lamb is killed to make a sacrifice and he was without any fault, but was completely good.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Christ, Messiah

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The Greek Christos (Χρηστός) is typically transliterated when it appears together with Iésous (Ἰησοῦς) (Jesus). In English the transliteration is the Anglicized “Christ,” whereas in many other languages it is based on the Greek or Latin as “Kristus,” “Cristo,” or similar.

When used as a descriptive term in the New Testament — as it’s typically done in the gospels (with the possible exceptions of for instance John 1:17 and 17:3) — Christos is seen as the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiaḥ (המשיח‎) (“anointed”). Accordingly, a transliteration of mashiaḥ is used, either as “Messiah” or based on the Greek or Latin as a form of “Messias.”

This transliteration is also used in the two instances where the Greek term Μεσσίας (Messias) is used in John 1:41 and 4:25.

In some languages and some translations, the term “Messiah” is supplemented with an explanation. Such as in the German Gute Nachricht with “the Messiah, the promised savior” (Wir haben den Messias gefunden, den versprochenen Retter) or in Muna with “Messiah, the Saving King” (Mesias, Omputo Fosalamatino) (source: René van den Berg).

In predominantly Muslim areas or for Bible translations for a Muslim target group, Christos is usually transliterated from the Arabic al-Masih (ٱلْمَسِيحِ) — “Messiah.” In most cases, this practice corresponds with languages that also use a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) for Jesus (see Jesus). There are some exceptions, though, including modern translations in Arabic which use Yasua (يَسُوعَ) (coming from the Aramaic Yēšūa’) alongside a transliteration of al-Masih, Hausa which uses Yesu but Almahisu, and some Fula languages (Adamawa Fulfulde, Nigerian Fulfulde, and Central-Eastern Niger Fulfulde) which also use a form of Iésous (Yeesu) but Almasiihu (or Almasiifu) for Christos.

In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on, the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).

Other solutions that are used by a number of languages include these:

  • Dobel: “The important one that God had appointed to come” (source: Jock Hughes)
  • Noongar: Keny Mammarap or “The One Man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Mairasi: “King of not dying for life all mashed out infinitely” (for “mashed out,” see salvation; source: Lloyd Peckham)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “One chosen by God to rule mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Bacama: Ma Pwa a Ngɨltən: “The one God has chosen” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
  • Binumarien: Anutuna: originally a term that was used for a man that was blessed by elders for a task by the laying on of hands (source: Desmond Oatridges, Holzhausen 1991, p. 49f.)
  • Noongar: Keny Boolanga-Yira Waangki-Koorliny: “One God is Sending” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uab Meto: Neno Anan: “Son of heaven” P. Middelkoop explains: “The idea of heavenly power bestowed on a Timorese king is rendered in the title Neno Anan. It is based on the historical fact that chiefs in general came from overseas and they who come thence are believed to have come down from heaven, from the land beyond the sea, that means the sphere of God and the ghosts of the dead. The symbolical act of anointing has been made subservient to the revelation of an eternal truth and when the term Neno Anan is used as a translation thereof, it also is made subservient to a new revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The very fact that Jesus came from heaven makes this translation hit the mark.” (Source: P. Middelkoop in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 183ff. )

In Finnish Sign Language both “Christ” and “Messiah” are translated with a sign signifying “king.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Christ / Messiah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient Greek Septuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew mashiah was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments (click or tap here to read more):

“Another important word in the New Testament that comes from the Septuagint is christos, ‘Christ.’ Christ is not part of the name of the man from Nazareth, as if ‘the Christs’ were written above the door of his family home. Rather, ‘Christ’ is an explicitly messianic title used by the writers of the New Testament who have learned this word from the Septuagint’s translation of the Hebrew mashiach, ‘anointed,’ which itself is often rendered in English as ‘Messiah.’ To be sure, one detects a messianic intent on the part of the Septuagint translator in some places. Amos 4:13 may have been one of these. In the Hebrew Bible, God ‘reveals his thoughts to mortals,’ but the Septuagint has ‘announcing his anointed to humans.’ A fine distinction must be made, however, between theology that was intended by the Septuagint translators and that developed by later Christian writers. In Amos 4:13 it is merely possible we have a messianic reading, but it is unquestionably the case that the New Testament writers exploit the Septuagint’s use of christos, in Amos and elsewhere, to messianic ends.”

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Christ .

sheep / lamb

Before the time of Abraham at least five breeds of sheep had already been developed in Mesopotamia. From mummified remains (that is, preserved dead bodies) and ancient art it is also known that at least two different breeds had reached Egypt by about 2000 B.C. Thus it is likely that the sheep mentioned in the Bible were of more than one breed.

The Hebrew word kar seems to be used of imported foreign sheep and may refer to a special breed but some scholars think it refers to a wether (castrated ram), since this word is never used in the context of sacrifice. This word is also used for a battering ram, that is, a heavy pole suspended on a rope, used in war for breaking down walls. ’Ayil is the word for a ram or adult male sheep, rachel is a breeding ewe or female sheep, and taleh is a very young lamb, probably still unweaned. The remaining Hebrew words refer to sheep in general.

The Greek word probaton is the general word for sheep, or flocks that may include goats. Krios is the Greek word for a ram or male sheep. Pascha is a technical name for the Passover lamb exclusively, and the remaining Greek words all mean lamb. Ovis is the Latin word for sheep.

Click or tap here for the rest of this entry in United Bible Societies’ All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible.

The early Hebrews were nomadic shepherds to whom sheep were the most important domestic animal. While goats eat almost any vegetation, sheep are much more selective about the grasses and plants they eat. This meant that suitable grazing for them was not always easy to find, and shepherds had to keep moving their flocks from place to place. This led to a nomadic lifestyle, with movable tents rather than houses being the normal household shelter. It was not until the occupation of Canaan after the Exodus that the lifestyle of the Israelites changed, and they became settled village-dwelling farmers and fruit growers.

However, even then, most households owned sheep, and some family members would function as shepherds, often living away from home for fairly long periods.

Sheep in the Bible were a source of meat, milk, wool, hides, and horns, and it seems likely that various strains were bred selectively to enhance production of these commodities. Wool is mentioned in the Bible as early as the Mosaic Law, which forbade the weaving of cloth containing both wool and plant fibers. The shearing of sheep is mentioned even earlier, in Genesis 31:19. Wool was in fact the most common and available fiber known to the people of Israel.

There was a very extensive wool trade in biblical times, stretching from Egypt to China. In the Middle East wool was cheaper than cotton or linen, which were the other common fibers. (Silk was known by the time of Solomon, but it was extremely expensive as it was produced in China and handled by numerous traders on its way west.) It would be a mistake to think of all wool at that time as being white, as Genesis 30 indicates quite clearly that there were also dark colored sheep and sheep that had dark and light patches, probably varying combinations of black, white, and brown.

We can be fairly sure that one breed of sheep known to the Israelites was the Fat-tailed Sheep Ovis laticaudata and that its fatty tail is referred to in Exodus 29:22, Leviticus 3:9 et al.

Rams’ horns had a variety of uses. Whole ram horns were used as drinking vessels, jars, and trumpets. But pieces of horn were used as handles for knives and other household implements, and for jewelry such as bracelets and beads. Needles too, and probably also arrow heads, were made from horn, as well as from bone and later from bronze and iron.

Sheep were also very important in Israelite religion. They were a very important element in the sacrificial system and in the traditional religious feasts, especially the Feast of Passover.

Sheep and goats belong to the same general family. They differ in that sheep produce wool, which is a special type of soft hair, among the ordinary hairs on their bodies. A ram’s horns too differ in shape from a goat’s horns, those of a ram curling down in a tight spiral beside its face, with those of a goat curving more gently back towards its shoulders. The sheep of biblical times produced much shorter wool than is common with wool-bearing breeds of today.

The fat-tailed or broad-tailed sheep is a smallish breed usually brown and white with a very broad tail. Like most other breeds of sheep in the Middle East it has large floppy ears.

Sheep are generally fairly timid animals, lacking the self-confidence and adaptability of goats. While goats will spread out in their search for food and then regroup without much difficulty, sheep become very insecure when they are separated from other sheep and tend to stay bunched together. They thus require a lot of shepherding. In the Middle East the method of shepherding involves training the dominant ram to follow the shepherd. The remaining sheep then follow this dominant ram, which often wears a wooden clapper or a bell. As they feed, the sheep usually keep within earshot of this sound. It is likely that this method is centuries old.

In most modern breeds only male sheep have horns, but in most ancient breeds female sheep had short horns too. This made separating sheep from goats in a single flock more difficult than it is today.

Of all animals the sheep was the most important for the Israelite nation. It had great religious, social, and economic importance.

In the Bible sheep are a common metaphor for the people of Israel and perhaps for people in general. Like sheep the people are seen as easily going astray (Psalms 119:176; Isaiah 53:6; Jeremiah 50:6; 1 Peter 2:25), as being in need of guidance and protection (1 Kings 22:17; 2 Chronicles 18:16; Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34), as being very defenseless (Isaiah 52:7), and as being destined to an early death (Psalms 44:22; Jeremiah 12:3; Romans 8:36).

The metaphor of a lamb is used in the New Testament to refer to Christ, with an emphasis on his being a sacrifice for the sin of the world. This is especially the case in John’s gospel and Revelation. In the latter book the metaphor is introduced in a very striking way. In Revelation 5:5 as the writer is mourning the fact that no one can be found to open the scroll, he is comforted by one of the elders who tells him that “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” has triumphed and can thus open the scroll. Then the writer, expecting to see the Lion, sees instead a Lamb that looks as if it has been killed for sacrifice. The remainder of the book is then concerned with describing the triumph of this Lamb over the forces of evil.

In the gospels Jesus also refers to his disciples as “sheep” and “lambs” (Matthew 10:17; John 10:1 et al.).

The metaphor of the shepherd is extended to God himself who is the ultimate “Shepherd of Israel” (Psalms 23:1; 80:1). Then those who are responsible for the nurture, guidance, ruling, and protection of Israel, be it kings, prophets, or priests, are also likened to shepherds (Isaiah 56:11; Jeremiah 23:4; 49:19; Ezekiel 34:2; Zechariah 10:2).

The Messiah is also called a shepherd (Isaiah 40:11), and Jesus refers to himself as “the good shepherd” (John 10:11). In Hebrews 13:20 he is referred to as “the great shepherd of the sheep” and in 1 Peter 2:25 he is called “the Shepherd and Guardian of your lives”.

In languages that have a word for sheep, it is advisable to translate according to the meanings given above. If possible, the feminine forms should be translated as “female lamb” or “female sheep”. In languages in which sheep are not known, a word has usually been coined or borrowed by the time Bible translation begins, and this word should be used. It is not advisable to substitute another locally well-known animal in this case, since doing so negates the ritual and symbolic importance that sheep had for the biblical cultures.

In translating Psalms 23:1 it is extremely important to make sure that the phrase “my shepherd” preserves the relationship intended by the writer and reflects the psalmist’s theme that Yahweh is his benefactor, protector, and guide. There are really two metaphors involved in the opening verse-the caring shepherd (God) and by clear implication, the dependent sheep (the psalmist). In many languages the literal phrase “my shepherd” depicts a wrong relationship, meaning something like “the one who looks after my sheep” or “the one I employ to watch my sheep.” In many African languages unwary translators have produced a rendering that means “The Chief is (nothing more than) my herdsman.” It is often necessary to restructure the whole verse as something like “I am a sheep, and the lord is my shepherd.”

Sheep with lamb, photo by Ray Pritz

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

See also sheep, lamb, and shepherd.

Translation commentary on 1 Peter 1:18 – 1:19

In the Greek, this verse is a continuation of the sentence which begins at verse 17, and gives further reason for the author’s appeal to his readers to honor God. For you know indicates that what follows is common knowledge among the Christians; it is part of what they have already been taught. What was paid to set you free is literally “you were ransomed” (see Revised Standard Version). The Greek verb (lutroō) is used here and in two other places in the New Testament (Titus 2.14; Luke 24.21), although the nominal form appears in five other places. In non-biblical language, lutroō refers to the payment of a certain sum of money in order to secure the freedom of slaves or of prisoners of war. In the Old Testament, the word is used also for the redemption of property (for example, Exo 13.12, 13; Lev 25.26, 48, 49; etc.). In theological usage, the word is used to describe the powerful act of God in setting the Israelites free from slavery in the land of Egypt. This last meaning seems to have been the immediate background of the usage of this word here and in the rest of the New Testament, so that basically it means God’s powerful way of setting people free from the power of sin and evil. This meaning is echoed in many modern translations, for example, New American Bible “delivered”; New English Bible “bought your freedom”; Barclay “liberate you.” The Greek verb is in the passive, and many translations retain it in this form; if, however, an active form is preferred, the actor could either be God (as in Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “God has saved you”) or Christ, but the former is preferable since in the New Testament it is usually God who sets people free. A literal rendering would create the problem of determining who received the ransom payment; the very fact that the New Testament is silent in this regard has led to many theories of the atonement in later stages of Christian history. It is best to avoid this problem therefore by avoiding a literal translation, and simply translating the meaning of the word, for example, “you were set free” or “God has set you free.”

In order to avoid some of the misunderstandings which might arise in rendering literally what was paid, one may translate what was paid to set you free as “what caused you to be free” or “what made it possible for you to be free.” However, there is a serious problem involved in speaking about “being freed from the worthless manner of life…,” since in some way or other it may be important to suggest that this manner of life had in a sense enslaved people. The entire first sentence of verse 18 may therefore be recast in some languages as “the worthless kind of life which you learned from your ancestors had enslaved you, so to speak; you know what set you free from that life.” On the other hand, one may retain the order of concepts in the Good News Translation‘s rendering of verse 18 by translating “for you know what caused you to no longer be enslaved by the kind of worthless life which you had learned from your forefathers.”

What they were set free from is the worthless manner of life handed down by their ancestors, obviously referring to their way of life prior to their becoming Christians. The word translated worthless (Revised Standard Version “futile”) is often used in the Bible to describe idols, and could therefore refer to the fact that they were previously idol-worshipers. The primary meaning, however, is that it was a way of life which was devoid of hope (compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) and meaning (compare New English Bible “empty folly”). Handed down by your ancestors is literally “from your fathers,” and refers to their traditional way of life in the past, a way of life also practiced by their ancestors (compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “such a hopeless life, as did your forefathers”; Moffatt “futile tradition of your past”).

In rendering the second sentence of verse 18 it is important to indicate clearly that the pronoun it refers to “what set you free” and not to the “worthless manner of life.” It may therefore be necessary to begin verse 18b “what set you free was not something that can be destroyed….”

Peter now goes on to describe how they were set free. Negatively, he states that their freedom was not secured by means of something perishable, such as silver and gold. “Perishable” is rendered in various ways: something that can be destroyed (Good News Translation); “which can lose its value” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch); “doomed to decay” (Barclay); “of transient value” (Phillips). Something that can be destroyed creates certain problems in speaking of silver and gold, since in reality one does not destroy such elements. They can become oxidized and lose their value, especially if they are impure, but it seems far better to emphasize the lack of value or the potential worthlessness of such substances, for example, “which can become worthless.”

Positively, their freedom is secured by the costly sacrifice of Christ. Literally this is “the precious blood of Christ.” The background of the expression is the practice of sacrifice among the Jews (see 1.2) during which the blood (or the life) of the sacrificial animal is offered to God, and by this act the people receive forgiveness from God. “The blood of Christ” accordingly refers to his offering of himself to die on the cross, so that through this act people may be made free from their worthless and hopeless lives. The sacrifice is described as costly, since it is only in the giving up of that life that freedom is secured, as contrasted with the mere payment of silver or gold.

The costly sacrifice of Christ may be expressed as “Christ’s sacrificial death, which was so valuable” or “the way Christ died as a sacrifice, which was so valuable.”

Alluding further to the Jewish practice of sacrifice, Christ is now described as “like a faultless and spotless lamb.” The common sacrificial animal of the Jews is a lamb, and it was expected to be perfect in every way (compare Exo 12.5; 29.1; Lev 22.17-25; etc.). Elsewhere in the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God (John 1.29, 36; compare Rev 5.6).

Who was like a lamb without defect or flaw may be expressed as “he was like a lamb which had nothing wrong with it whatsoever.” It may not be possible to find two words, defect and flaw, which refer essentially to the same types of faults. Therefore, one may employ a negative expression with some kind of degree qualifier, for example, “like a lamb which had nothing at all wrong with it.”

In summary, the thought of verses 18-19 is that God has set people free from the power of evil, not by the easy way of simply paying money, but through a costly and difficult way, namely, the giving up of Christ’s own life on the cross.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The First Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 1:19

1:19

In 1:18, Peter told his readers that God had not paid silver or gold to redeem them. Here in this verse, Peter told what price God did pay to redeem them. The payment was the precious blood of Christ.

Since this verse part continues a long sentence, it may be natural to start a new sentence here. For example:

You were set free by Christ’s precious blood, blood like that of a lamb without mark or blemish. (Revised English Bible)

but: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but marks a strong contrast. The contrast is between perishable things such as silver or gold and “the precious blood of Christ.” Show this contrast in your language in a way that is natural. Some other ways to translate this include:

instead
-or-
rather

with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot: There are several ways of understanding what Peter was saying in this verse part:

(1) He was comparing the blood of Christ to the blood of a lamb without blemish or defect. For example:

the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot (Revised Standard Version)

(King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, Revised Standard Version)

(2) He was comparing Christ to a lamb without blemish or spot. For example:

the precious blood of Christ, who was like a pure and perfect lamb (New Century Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New International Version, New Living Translation (2004), Good News Translation, New Century Version)

(3) He was both comparing the blood of Christ to the blood of a lamb and identifying the lamb with Christ. For example:

precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ (NET Bible)

(New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and the majority of commentators.

with the precious blood of Christ: Peter was referring here to the blood that Jesus shed while he was dying on the cross. His blood spilled out as he was giving his life as a sacrifice. In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this explicit. For example:

with the precious lifeblood of Christ (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
with the precious blood that Christ ⌊shed on the cross⌋

precious: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as precious means “valuable, of great worth.” Here is another way to translate this word:

costly (Good News Translation)

a lamb without blemish or spot: In the Old Testament, God told the Israelites that the lambs they were to sacrifice must be without…spot (Leviticus 23:12; Numbers 6:14). The lamb used at Passover Festival also had to be without…spot (Exodus 12:5).

without blemish or spot: The sacrificial lamb had to be physically perfect. Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice in the sense that he was without sin. So if possible, the words that you use to translate without blemish or spot should apply to both physical and spiritual or moral perfection.

The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as without blemish or spot are literally “unblemished and spotless.” These two words are very similar in meaning. Using the two together emphasizes the physical perfection of the lamb.

Some other ways that you may be able to translate this phrase include:

pure and perfect (New Century Version)
-or-
with no flaws
-or-
flawless

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