Reinterpreting the Participle ὁ αἴρων in John 1:29. A Proposal for “who carries”
Jakub M. Pogonowski
University of Warsaw , Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3283-5654
Jan M. Kozłowski
University of Warsaw , Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0760-6120
Abstract
In John 1:29, John the Baptist, upon seeing Jesus, exclaims: ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. Most prominent English translations render the Greek participle ὁ αἴρων in John 1:29 as “who takes away.” However, the authors of this article present evidence that John 1:29 contains an intertextual reference to the figure of the Servant of YHWH from Isa 53:7. In light of this, the proper interpretation of the participle ὁ αἴρων is better understood as “who takes up and bears. “Therefore, the proposed translation of John the Baptist’s words in John 1:29 is: “Behold, the Lamb of God who carries the sin of the world.”
Keywords:
Lamb of God, Jesus, John the Baptist, Gospel of John, Isaiah, the Suffering ServantReferences
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University of Warsaw
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3283-5654
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