The sin of the world

ἁμαρτίαν means "missed the target."

Why did the 1973 translation have "sin of the world" in the Gloria rather than "sins of the world," as in the "Lamb of God" and the "Behold the Lamb of God" proclamation just before Communion?

Gospel of John

John is the only gospel that calls Jesus "the Lamb of God" (1:29, 1:36):

"The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world'" (Jn 1:29).

Τῇ ἐπαύριον βλέπει τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει· ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοὺ θεοὺ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοὺ κόσμου.

The book of Revelation is the only other scripture that uses "the Lamb" as a title for Jesus (Rev 5:6, 7:17, 14:10, 15:3, 19:9, 21:23, 22:1, 22:3). It does not use the full expression, "Lamb of God," that is found in the the two gospel verses.

The phrase "the sin of the world" is unique to John's gospel. It is the sole source for this expression. It appears only in John 1:29 and nowhere else. There is a close association between 1:29 and 16:8:

"And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation."

In all of the appearances of "Lamb of God" in the Mass--Gloria, Agnus Dei, Ecce Agnus Dei--the Latin uses the plural. The use of the plural in the Latin Mass is not a correct translation of the original verse in John 1:29.

Textual variants

"New Translation: What's Changed and Why."

It also now reads the “sins” of the world, rather than the “sin”: both versions find textual support in John 1:29, since there are differences between manuscripts.

New Translation of the Liturgy

Gloria

Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;

Offertory Rite

Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

This prayer derives from from Psalm 51, the Miserere, David's great psalm of repentance after committing adultery with Bathsheba and arranging for her husband to die in battle--along with many other innocent soldiers! Both the psalm and the prayer speak of iniquity and sin in the singular.

Lamb of God

Latin

The Latin texts for the Mass use the plural of "peccatum":

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

English

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Ecce Agnus Dei

Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

Other Scriptures

Row #	ch:vv
001	“Sin”
002s	Mt 12:31 Mt 12:31	Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
003s	John 01:29 John 1:29	The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."
004s	John 08:21 John 8:21	He said to them again, “I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.”
005s	John 08:34 John 8:34	Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin."
006s	John 08:46 John 8:46	Can any of you charge me with sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me?
007s	John 09:41 John 9:41	Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,' so your sin remains."
008s	John 15:22 John 15:22-24	22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin; but as it is they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me also hates my Father. 24 If I had not done works among them that no one else ever did, they would not have sin; but as it is, they have seen and hated both me and my Father.
009s	John 16:08 John 16:8-9	8 And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: 9 sin, because they do not believe in me;
010s	John 19:11 John 19:11	Jesus answered [him], “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
011s	Acts 07:60 Acts 7:60	Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and when he said this, he fell asleep.
012s	Rom 03:09 Rom 3:9	Well, then, are we better off? Not entirely, for we have already brought the charge against Jews and Greeks alike that they are all under the domination of sin.
013s	Rom 03:20 Rom 3:20	since no human being will be justified in his sight by observing the law; for through the law comes consciousness of sin.
014s	Rom 04:08 Rom 4:8	Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not record.
015s	Rom 05:12 Rom 5:12-13	12 Therefore, just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned — 13 for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law.
016s	Rom 05:20 Rom 5:20-21	20The law entered in so that transgression might increase but, where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
017s	Rom 06:01 Rom 6:1-23	1 What then shall we say? Shall we persist in sin that grace may abound? Of course not! 2 How can we who died to sin yet live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. 5 For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.f 7 For a dead person has been absolved from sin. 8 If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. 10 As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. 11 Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as [being] dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore, sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. 13 And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your nature. For just as you presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness for lawlessness, so now present them as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. 21 But what profit did you get then from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification, and its end is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
018s	Rom 07:07 Rom 7:7-25	7 What then can we say? That the law is sin? Of course not! Yet I did not know sin except through the law, and I did not know what it is to covet except that the law said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, finding an opportunity in the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetousness. Apart from the law sin is dead. 9 I once lived outside the law, but when the commandment came, sin became alive; 10 then I died, and the commandment that was for life turned out to be death for me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through it put me to death. 12 So then the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. 13 Did the good, then, become death for me? Of course not! sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin, worked death in me through the good, so that sin might become sinful beyond measure through the commandment. 14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold into slavery to sin. 15 What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I concur that the law is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. 20 Now if [I] do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is at hand. 22 For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, 23 but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, I myself, with my mind, serve the law of God but, with my flesh, the law of sin.
019s	Rom 08:02 Rom 8:2-3	2 For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.
020s	Rom 08:10 Rom 8:10	But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
021s	Rom 14:23 Rom 14:23	But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because this is not from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
022s	1 Cor 15:56 1 Cor 15:56	The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
023s	2 Cor 05:21 2 Cor 5:21	For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
024s	2 Cor 11:07 2 Cor 11:7	Did I make a mistake [Greek: "sin"] when I humbled myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?
025s	Gal 02:17 Gal 2:17	But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? Of course not!
026s	Gal 03:22 Gal 3:22	But scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.
027s	2 Thess 02:03 2 Thess 2:3	Let no one deceive you in any way. For unless the apostasy comes first and the lawless one [Greek: "the man of sin"] is revealed, the one doomed to perdition,
028s	Heb 03:13 Heb 3:13	Encourage yourselves daily while it is still “today,” so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin.
029s	Heb 04:15 Heb 4:15	For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.
030b	Heb 09:26 Heb 9:26-28	26 if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice. 27 Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, 28 so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.
031s	Heb 10:06 Heb 10:6-8	6 holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in. 7 Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.'” 8 First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law.
032s	Heb 10:18 Heb 10:18	Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.
033s	Heb 11:25 Heb 11:25	[Moses] chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin.
034s	Heb 12:01 Heb 12:1-4	1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us 2 while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. 3 Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
035s	Heb 13:11 Heb 13:11	The bodies of the animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as a sin offering are burned outside the camp.
036s	James 01:15 James 1:15	Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.
037s	James 02:09 James 2:9	But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
038s	James 04:17 James 4:17	So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin.
039s	1 Peter 02:22 1 Peter 2:22	"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
040s	1 Peter 04:01 1 Peter 4:1	Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same attitude (for whoever suffers in the flesh has broken with sin).
041s	2 Peter 02:14 2 Peter 2:14	Their eyes are full of adultery and insatiable for sin. They seduce unstable people, and their hearts are trained in greed. Accursed children!
042s	1 John 01:07 1 John 1:7-8	7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
043b	1 John 03:04 1 John 3:4-5	4 Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
044s	1 John 03:08 1 John 3:8-9	8 Whoever sins [this is a verb form, so it is not a plural noun] belongs to the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning. Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot sin [another verb form, not a singular noun] because he is begotten by God.
045s	1 John 05:16 1 John 5:16-17	16 If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray.l 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.
046	“Sins”
047p	Mt 01:21 Mt 1:21	She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
048p	Mt 03:06 Mt 3:6	... and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.
049p	Mt 09:02 Mt 9:2-6	2 And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” 3 At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? 5 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, ‘Rise and walk'? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
050p	Mt 26:28 Mt 26:28	... for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.
051p	Mark 01:04 Mark 1:4-5	4 John [the] Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.
052p	Mark 02:05 Mark 2:5-11	5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” 8 Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” — 11 he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”
053p	Luke 01:77 Luke 1:77	... to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, ...
054p	Luke 03:03 Luke 3:3	He went throughout [the] whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
055p	Luke 05:20 Luke 5:20-24	20 When he saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.” 21 Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” 22 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, ‘Rise and walk'? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — he said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
056p	Luke 07:47 Luke 7:47-49	47 So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” 48 He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
057p	Luke 11:04 Luke 11:4	And forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.
058p	Luke 24:47 Luke 24:47	... and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
059p	John 08:24 John 8:24	That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”
060p	John 09:34 John 9:34	They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin [Greek: "in sins"!--ἐν ἁμαρτίαις], and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.
061p	John 20:23 John 20:23	Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.
062p	Acts 02:38 Acts 2:38	Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.
063p	Acts 03:19 Acts 3:19	Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.
064p	Acts 05:31 Acts 5:31	God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
065p	Acts 10:43 Acts 10:43	To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.
066p	Acts 13:38 Acts 13:38-39	38 You must know, my brothers, that through him forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you, [and] in regard to everything from which you could not be justified under the law of Moses, 39 in him every believer is justified.
067p	Acts 22:16 Acts 22:16	Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.
068p	Acts 26:18 Acts 26:18	... to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in me.
069p	Rom 04:07 Rom 4:7	"Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered."
070p	Rom 07:05 Rom 7:5	For when we were in the flesh, our sinful passions [τὰ παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν], awakened by the law, worked in our members to bear fruit for death.
071p	Rom 11:27 Rom 11:27	... and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.
072p	1 Cor 15:03 1 Cor 15:3	For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures.
073p	1 Cor 15:17 1 Cor 15:17	and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.
074p	Gal 01:04 Gal 1:4	... who gave himself for our sins that he might rescue us from the present evil age in accord with the will of our God and Father.
075p	Eph 02:01 Eph 2:1-2	1 You were dead in your transgressions and sins 2 in which you once lived following the age of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the disobedient.
076p	Col 01:14 Col 1:14	in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
077p	1 Thess 02:16 1 Thess 2:16	trying to prevent us from speaking to the Gentiles that they may be saved, thus constantly filling up the measure of their sins. But the wrath of God has finally begun to come upon them.
078p	1 Tim 05:22 1 Tim 5:22-24	22 Do not lay hands too readily on anyone, and do not share in another's sins. Keep yourself pure. 23 Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. 24 Some people's sins are public, preceding them to judgment; but other people are followed by their sins.
079p	2 Tim 03:06 2 Tim 3:6	For some of these slip into homes and make captives of women weighed down by sins, led by various desires,
080p	Heb 01:03 Heb 1:3	... who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word. When he had accomplished purification from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
081p	Heb 02:17 Heb 2:17	therefore, he had to become like his brothers in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people.
082b	Heb 05:01 Heb 5:1-3	1 Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness 3 and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people.
083p	Heb 07:27 Heb 7:27	He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself.
084p	Heb 08:12 Heb 8:12	For I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sins no more.
085b	Heb 09:28 Heb 9:28	... so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.
086p	Heb 10:02 Heb 10:2-4	2 Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer have had any consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins, 4 for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins.
087p	Heb 10:11 Heb 10:11-12	11 Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
088p	Heb 10:17 Heb 10:17	he also says: “Their sins and their evildoing I will remember no more.”
089p	Heb 10:26 Heb 10:26	If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins.
090p	James 05:15 James 5:15	... and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
091p	James 05:20 James 5:20	He should know that whoever brings back a sinner [ἁμαρτωλὸν] from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
092p	1 Peter 2:24 1 Peter 2:24	He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
093p	1 Peter 3:18 1 Peter 3:18	For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit.
094p	1 Peter 4:08 1 Peter 4:8	Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins.
095p	2 Peter 01:09 2 Peter 1:9	Anyone who lacks them [i.e., virtues mentioned previously] is blind and shortsighted, forgetful of the cleansing of his past sins.
096p	1 John 01:09 1 John 1:9	If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.
097p	1 John 02:02 1 John 2:2	He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.
098p	1 John 02:12 1 John 2:12	I am writing to you, children, because your sins have been forgiven for his name's sake.
099b	1 John 03:05 1 John 3:5	You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
100p	1 John 04:10 1 John 4:10	In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
101p	Rev 01:05 Rev 1:5	... and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ...
102p	Rev 18:04 Rev 18:4-5	4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Depart from her, my people, so as not to take part in her sins and receive a share in her plagues, 5 for her sins are piled up to the sky, and God remembers her crimes.

Word counts

• 150 verses contain "sin" or "sins" or both.
• The singular, "sin," is used 100 times.
• The plural, "sins," is used 78 times.
• There are five passages (see below) in which "sin" and "sins" alternate with no significant change in meaning:
  • John 8:21-24
  • Heb 9:26-28
  • Heb 10:17-18
  • 1 Peter 2:24
  • 1 John 3:4-5

Frequency in individual books

Book	verses	sin	sins
01Matthew	7	1	5
02Mark	4	0	6
03Luke = Luke vol. 1	9	0	11
04John	13	13	5
05Acts = Luke vol. 2	8	1	7
06Romans	39	44	2
071 Corinthians	3	1	2
082 Corinthians	2	3	0
09Galatians	3	2	1
10Ephesians	1	0	1
11Philippians	0	0	0
12Colossians	1	0	1
131 Thessalonians	1	0	1
142 Thessalonians	1	1	0
151 Timothy	2	0	3
162 Timothy	1	0	1
17Titus	0	0	0
18Philemon	0	0	0
19Hebrews	24	14	14
20James	5	4	2
211 Peter	5	3	3
222 Peter	2	1	1
231 John	10	9	6
242 John	0	0	0
253 John	0	0	0
26Jude	0	0	0
27Revelation	3	0	3

Limitations

This scripture study is concerned with the singular and plural forms of "sin." It does not count:

synonyms for sin: evil, wrongdoing;

particular forms of sin: pride, greed, lust, anger, etc.;

circumlocutions;

other ways of talking about God's saving action through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Interpretations

Edward Pothier.

"Sin (in the singular) would be the state of rebellion against and separation from God while sins (in the plural) would be thoughts, words, or actions resulting from that rebellion and separation. Thankfully, it can be said that the Lamb of God takes away both, but the origin of the plural is curious."

Guesses:

• Sin = "The totality of all sins." A collective reality with many members, like "team" or "nation."
• Sin = The disposition to sin--the root of all sins.
• The plural in Latin has a better sound to it than the singular: "peccata mundi" vs. "peccatum mundi."

The singularity of sin

Gal 3:22 But scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.

The singular and plural are interchangeable

Gospel of John

John 8:21-24

John 8:21 says, "I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin" (ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὑμῶν). But just three verses later, John 8:24 uses the plural twice to make the same point: "That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins" (ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν).

This passage shows that John did not have a solemn commitment to speak about sin in the singular. He uses the singular and plural as absolutely synonymous in these two verses. Translators usually interpret the singular in 8:21 as a plural, changing the literal word "sin" to the synonym "sins" in order to match the plural form in 8:24.

John 20:23

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.

Letter to the Hebrews

Heb 9:26-28

²⁶ if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice.

²⁷ Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment,

²⁸ so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

Heb 10:17-18

¹⁷ he also says: “Their sins and their evildoing I will remember no more.”

¹⁸ Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.

1 Peter

1 Peter 2:24

He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

1 John

1 John 3:4-5

⁴ Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness.

⁵ You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

Lavabo

Although "sins" is now used in all of the rest of the Mass, the prayer for the washing of hands refers to the "sin" of the priest:

Lava me, Dómine, ab iniquitáte mea, et a peccáto meo munda me.

Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

I suppose there may be an echo of Psalm 51 in here somewhere.

Links

• Agnus Dei (liturgy)".
• New translation of the Mass‎.