Leviticus 16:8
in Leviticus 16After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel.
KJV
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
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This verse in Leviticus 16
Commentary
9 notes on this verseMay I offer, moreover, an interpretation of the two goats which were presented on "the great day of atonement"? Do they not also prefigure the two natures of Christ? They were of like size and very similar in appearance, owing to the Lord's identity of aspect. He is not to come in any other form. He had to be recognized by those by whom he was also wounded and pierced.
This site's exposition
he shall take the two goats
on Leviticus 16:7-8
Both goats stand alive at the door and a lot decides which one dies. The word rendered scapegoat occurs here for the first time in Scripture, and the Hebrew behind it is azazel, which has been read as a goat that goes away, as a place, and as a name. The King James translators chose one of those readings, the alternatives are held by named scholars, and a reader should know the word is argued.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
I will however mention the sacrifice in which two goats were offered, the one being slain and the other let go. In these two goats there is an anticipative image of the two natures of the Savior; in the one let go, of the impassible …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), then go within the veil with some of the blood of his sin-offering, burn incense, and sprinkle the blood before the mercy-seat,
quarantine:debris,scripture (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens; scripture-overlap:83%@v13-15
For the Lord - For the Lord's use by way of sacrifice. Both this and the other goat typified Christ; this in his death and passion for us; that in his resurrection for our deliverance.
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats - The Jews inform us that there were two lots made either of wood, stone, or any kind of metal. On one was written לשם Lashshem, for the Name, i. e., יהוה Jehovah, which the Jews will neither write nor pronounce: on the other was written לעזאזל Laazazel, for the Scape-Goat: then they put the two lots into a vessel which was called קלפי kalpey, the goats standing with their faces towards the west.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
shall take of the congregation . . . two kids of the goats . . . and one ram--The sacrifices were to be offered by the high priest, respectively for himself and the other priests, as well as for the people. The bullock (Le 16:3) and the goats were for sin offerings and the rams for burnt offerings.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The two goats formed a single sin-offering, Lev 16:5. To bring out the meaning of the sacrifice it was necessary that the act of a living being should be performed after death. See Lev 16:22 note. As this could not possibly be visibly set forth with a single victim, two were employed, as in the case of the birds in the rite for the healed leper Lev 14:4-6. For the scapegoat - Rather, for Azazel. The word occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament but in this chapter, and is probably derived from a root in use in Arabic, but not in Hebrew, signifying to “remove”, or “to separate”. Azazel is the pre-Mosaic name of an evil personal being placed in opposition to Yahweh. Each goat, having been presented to Yahweh before the lots were cast, stood in a sacrificial relation to Him. The casting of lots was an appeal to the decision of Yahweh (compare Jos 7:16-17; Jos 14:2; Pro 16:33; Act 1:26, etc.); it was therefore His act to choose one of the goats for His service in the way of ordinary sacrifice, the other for His service in carrying off the sins to Azazel (see the note at Lev 16:22). By this exppressive outward sign the sins were sent back to the author of sin himself, “the entirely separate one,” who was banished from the realm of grace. The goat itself did not lose the sacred character with which it had been endued in being presented before Yahweh. It was, as much as the slain goat, a figure of Him who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, on whom the Lord laid the iniquity of us all Isa 53:4, Isa 53:6, that we might become a sanctified Church to be presented unto Himself, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph 5:26-27.
How the passage was read
On Leviticus 16:1-34On Leviticus 16:1-34
The day Israel still fasts
This chapter founds the Day of Atonement, in Hebrew Yom Kippur, the most solemn day of the Jewish year: the one day the high priest entered the innermost room of the sanctuary with blood for the nation's sins. With no Temple standing since AD 70, the day is kept now as a full fast: roughly 25 hours with no food or drink, most of it spent in synagogue prayer, many wearing white.
The Mishnah (the first code of Jewish oral law, about AD 200) defines the day's five abstentions: eating and drinking, washing, anointing, leather shoes, and marital relations (Yoma 8:1). It also carries a saying worth any reader's time: the day atones for sins between a person and God, “but for sins between a person and his fellow, the Day of Atonement does not atone until he has appeased his fellow” (Yoma 8:9). Reconciliation with people is homework done before the day.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Sources: Mishnah Yoma 8:1 (the five abstentions) · Mishnah Yoma 8:9 (appease your fellow first) · The Day of Atonement (this site's study)
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנָתַ֧ן | venatan | and he will put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֛ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שְׁנֵ֥י | shenei | [the] two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| הַשְּׂעִירִ֖ם | haseirim | the male goats | H8163 → | 59 times |
| גּוֹרָל֑וֹת | goralot | lots | H1486 → | 78 times |
| גּוֹרָ֤ל | goral | a lot | H1486 → | 78 times |
| אֶחָד֙ | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| לַיהוָ֔ה | layahweh | for Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְגוֹרָ֥ל | vegoral | and a lot | H1486 → | 78 times |
| אֶחָ֖ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| לַעֲזָאזֵֽל׃ | laazazel | for [the] escape goat | H5799 → | 4 times |
וְנָתַ֧ןand he will put
venatanH5414 →2011 times
אַהֲרֹ֛ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שְׁנֵ֥י[the] two
sheneiH8147 →768 times
הַשְּׂעִירִ֖םthe male goats
haseirimH8163 →59 times
גּוֹרָל֑וֹתlots
goralotH1486 →78 times
גּוֹרָ֤לa lot
goralH1486 →78 times
אֶחָד֙one
ʾechadH259 →971 times
לַיהוָ֔הfor Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְגוֹרָ֥לand a lot
vegoralH1486 →78 times
אֶחָ֖דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
לַעֲזָאזֵֽל׃for [the] escape goat
laazazelH5799 →4 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 16:33The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:18
Casting the lot ends quarrels and separates strong opponents.
- 1 Samuel 14:41–42
So Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, “Why have You not answered Your servant this day? If the fault is with me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim; but if…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jonah 1:7
“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
- Acts 1:26
Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
- Proverbs 29:26
Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man receives justice from the LORD.
- Proverbs 18:18
Through
Numbers 26:55Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.
it leads to
- Numbers 34:13
So Moses commanded the Israelites, “Apportion this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has commanded that it be given to the nine and a half tribes.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 34:13
Through
Jonah 1:7“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
- Joshua 7:13–18
Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot…
- Proverbs 16:33
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, AGAINST MARCION 3.7.7 and Theodoret of Cyrus, DIALOGUE 3.