Original Word: אִמַּר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: immar
Pronunciation: im-MAR
Phonetic Spelling: (im-mar')
KJV: lamb
NASB: lambs
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) perhaps from H56 (אָבַל - mourn)0 (in the sense of bringing forth)]

1. a lamb

lamb

(Aramaic) perhaps from 'amar (in the sense of bringing forth); a lamb -- lamb.

see HEBREW 'amar

Word Origin
(Aramaic) perhaps from amar
Definition
a lamb
NASB Translation
lambs (3).

[אִמַּר] noun masculine lamb (Assyrian immeru (also = child; immertu, girl; conjectures as to etymology Dl^{Prol. 28} Jen^{ZMG xiiii (1889), 203}; ZA vii. 216 Schw^{Idioticon 114}), ᵑ7 אמריא; Syriac , Punic אמר, Palmyrene plural emphatic אמריא Lzb²²⁰ Cooke^{Inscr. 120. 337}; Arabic (loan-word ? compare Frä¹⁰⁷, but also DHM^{VOJ i. 24})); — plural אִמְּרִין, lambs, as sacrificial victims Ezra 6:9,17; Ezra 7:17.

אִנְבֵהּ see אֵב.

Occurrences in Ezra

The term appears three times in the Aramaic sections of Ezra (Ezra 6:9; Ezra 6:17; Ezra 7:17) and is always rendered “lambs” in English translations. Each occurrence relates to sacrificial animals supplied for worship at the restored temple in Jerusalem during the reigns of Darius and Artaxerxes.

Historical Context: Post-Exilic Worship

After the Babylonian exile, returning Judeans faced the task of rebuilding both temple and community. Persian decrees authorized the provision of animals, grain, wine, oil, and salt (Ezra 6:9) so that “they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the lives of the king and his sons.” The lamb occupied a central place among the offered animals. At the temple dedication (Ezra 6:17) one hundred male lambs were presented alongside bulls, rams, and goats, reflecting the pattern of large-scale communal offerings in Numbers 7 and 2 Chronicles 7. A later royal rescript again mandated the supply of lambs “without negligence” (Ezra 7:17).

Sacrificial Significance

From the first Passover (Exodus 12) to the daily burnt offerings (Exodus 29:38-42), the lamb epitomized substitutionary atonement and continual fellowship with God. In Ezra, the provision of lambs signals a deliberate continuity with Mosaic worship even within an Aramaic-speaking, Persian-governed milieu. The restored community did not invent new rituals; it reclaimed divinely ordained patterns.

Covenantal Resonance

The repeated mention of lambs underscores covenant faithfulness on both divine and human sides. God moved pagan monarchs to underwrite Israel’s liturgy; Israel, in turn, responded with the required offerings. Thus the narrative demonstrates the Lord’s sovereignty over nations (Proverbs 21:1) and His unwavering commitment to the covenant promises foretold by Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Christological Foreshadowing

The New Testament identifies Jesus Christ as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The meticulously supplied lambs in Ezra anticipate the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:10). As Ezra ensured that the daily and festival offerings never lacked a lamb, so God ensured that redemption history would not lack its perfect, sinless Lamb (1 Peter 1:19).

Ministry Application

1. Worship Provision: Church leaders are reminded to provide for ordered, Scripture-guided worship. Just as Persian resources underwrote temple sacrifices, God can move unexpected channels today to supply congregational needs (Philippians 4:19).
2. Sacrificial Priority: The lambs came first among required animals, teaching believers to prioritize the proclamation of Christ’s atoning work in preaching, singing, and ordinances.
3. Intercessory Purpose: Ezra 6:10 links the offerings to prayer “for the lives of the king and his sons.” Worship and intercession remain inseparable; assemblies should pray for governing authorities (1 Timothy 2:1-2) as an outflow of gospel worship.

Canonical Harmony

Ezra’s lambs knit together pre-exilic law, post-exilic practice, and New Covenant fulfillment. The Pentateuch prescribes them, the Historical Books record their use, the Prophets envision their restoration, and the Gospels unveil their embodiment in Christ. This seamless thread testifies to Scripture’s unity and reliability.

Summary

Strong’s Hebrew 563 highlights the humble lamb’s pivotal role in reestablishing temple worship after exile. These offerings validated covenant continuity, anticipated the ultimate Lamb, and modeled principles of provision, priority, and prayer that still shape faithful ministry.

אִמְּרִ֔ין אִמְּרִ֖ין אמרין וְאִמְּרִ֣ין ׀ ואמרין ’im·mə·rîn ’immərîn immeRin veimmeRin wə’immərîn wə·’im·mə·rînInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts