Though the common Greek word for a young sheep, every New Testament occurrence carries unmistakable sacrificial and messianic weight. John the Baptist twice identifies Jesus as 'the Lamb of God' (John 1:29, 36), echoing both the Passover lamb and Isaiah's suffering servant. Acts 8:32 quotes Isaiah 53:7 directly—'as a lamb before its shearer is silent'—and 1 Peter 1:19 speaks of redemption through 'the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish.' The consistent christological focus sets this term apart from arnion, the diminutive 'lamb' of Revelation.