The sin of the world

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

There is no question that "sin" is in the singular in John's Gospel, from which we derive the title, "Lamb of God."

"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).

Greek

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

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;

Lamb of God

Latin

The Latin texts for the Mass are definitely 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

“Sin” in singular number
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.
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.
John 8:34	Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin."
John 8:46	Can any of you charge me with sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me?
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."
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.
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;
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.”
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.
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.
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.
Rom 4:8	Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not record.
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.
Rom 5:20-21
Rom 6:1-23
Rom 7:7-25
Rom 8:2-3,10
Rom 8:10
Rom 14:23
1 Cor 15:56
2 Cor 5:21
11:7
Gal 2:17
Gal 3:22
2 Thess 2:3
Heb 3:13
Heb 4:15
[http://www.usccb.org/bible/heb/9:26 Heb 9:26-28
Heb 10:6-8,18
Heb 10:18
Heb 11:25
Heb 12:1-4
Heb 13:11
James 1:15
James 2:9
James 4:17
1 Peter 2:22
1 Peter 4:1
2 Peter 2:14
1 John 1:7-8
1 John 3:4-5
1 John 3:8-9
1 John 5:16-17
“Sins” in plural number:
Mt 1:21
3:6
9:2-6
26:28
Mark 1:4,5
2:5-10
Luke 1:77
3:3
5:20-24
7:47-49
11:4
24:47
John 8:21
John 8:24
9:34
20:23
Acts 2:38
3:19
5:31
10:43
13:38
22:16
26:18
Rom 4:7
7:5
11:27
1 Cor 15:3
1 Cor 15:17
Gal 1:4
Eph 2:1
Col 1:14
1 Thess 2:16
1 Tim 5:22-24
2 Tim 3:6
Heb 1:3
2:17
5:1-3
7:27
8:12
9:28
10:2-4,11-12,17,26
10:11-12
10:17
10:26
James 5:15
James 5:20
1 Peter 2:24
3:18
4:8
2 Peter 1:9
1 John 1:9
2:2
2:12
3:5
4:10
Rev 1:5
Rev 18:4-5

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."
• 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."

Links

• Agnus Dei (liturgy)".