Leviticus 16:21
in Leviticus 16Then he is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and rebellious acts of the Israelites in regard to all their sins. He is to put them on the goat’s head and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man appointed for the task.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a man that is in readiness into the wilderness:
KJV
And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
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This verse in Leviticus 16
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This last view is grounded on the idea of both goats forming one and the same sacrifice of atonement, and it is supported by Zec 3:1-10, which presents a striking commentary on this passage.
This site's exposition
When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place
on Leviticus 16:20-22
Over the live goat Aaron confesses "all the iniquities and rebellious acts of the Israelites in regard to all their sins". Hands and words together put the sins on its head, and the goat carries them off to a solitary place.
This site's exposition
lay both hands on the head of the live goat
Matthew Henry notes that hands were laid on a sacrifice with a confession fitted to its kind. This being a sin offering, the confession was of sin. Adam Clarke points to Exodus 29:10 and Leviticus 1:4 for the meaning of the gesture.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
All the iniquities - He mentions iniquities, transgressions, and sins, to note sins of all sorts, and that a free and full confession was to be made, and that the smallest sins needed, and the greatest sins were not excluded from, the benefit of Christ's death here represented.
); and whenever hands were imposed upon the head of any sacrifice it was always done with confession, according as the nature of the sacrifice was; and, this being a sin-offering, it must be a confession of sin.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head, etc. - What this imposition of hands meant see in the notes on Exo 29:10 (note), and Lev 1:4 (note).
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
31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְסָמַ֨ךְ | vesamakh | and he will lean | H5564 → | 48 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֜ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁתֵּ֣י | shetei | [the] two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| יָדָ֗יו | yadov | hands his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| עַ֨ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹ֣אשׁ | rosh | [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הַשָּׂעִיר֮ | hasair | the male goat | H8163 → | 59 times |
| הַחַי֒ | hachai | <the> living | H2416 → | 498 times |
| וְהִתְוַדָּ֣ה | vehitvadah | and he will confess | H3034 → | 114 times |
| עָלָ֗יו | ʾalav | over it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עֲוֹנֹת֙ | ʾavonot | [the] iniquities of | H5771 → | 233 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם | pisheihem | transgressions their | H6588 → | |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חַטֹּאתָ֑ם | chatotam | sins their | H2403 → | 295 times |
| וְנָתַ֤ן | venatan | and he will put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֹתָם֙ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹ֣אשׁ | rosh | [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הַשָּׂעִ֔יר | hasair | the male goat | H8163 → | 59 times |
| וְשִׁלַּ֛ח | veshilach | and he will send [it] away | H7971 → | 845 times |
| בְּיַד־ | beyad- | by [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| עִתִּ֖י | ʾiti | ready | H6261 → | |
| הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃ | hamidbarah | the wilderness towards | H4057 → | 270 times |
וְסָמַ֨ךְand he will lean
vesamakhH5564 →48 times
אַהֲרֹ֜ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁתֵּ֣י[the] two
sheteiH8147 →768 times
יָדָ֗יוhands his
yadovH3027 →1618 times
עַ֨לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
רֹ֣אשׁ[the] head of
roshH7218 →599 times
הַשָּׂעִיר֮the male goat
hasairH8163 →59 times
הַחַי֒<the> living
hachaiH2416 →498 times
וְהִתְוַדָּ֣הand he will confess
vehitvadahH3034 →114 times
עָלָ֗יוover it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
עֲוֹנֹת֙[the] iniquities of
ʾavonotH5771 →233 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖םtransgressions their
pisheihemH6588 →
לְכָל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
חַטֹּאתָ֑םsins their
chatotamH2403 →295 times
וְנָתַ֤ןand he will put
venatanH5414 →2011 times
אֹתָם֙<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹ֣אשׁ[the] head of
roshH7218 →599 times
הַשָּׂעִ֔ירthe male goat
hasairH8163 →59 times
וְשִׁלַּ֛חand he will send [it] away
veshilachH7971 →845 times
בְּיַד־by [the] hand of
beyad-H3027 →1618 times
אִ֥ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
עִתִּ֖יready
ʾitiH6261 →
הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃the wilderness towards
hamidbarahH4057 →270 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
2 Corinthians 5:21God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Peter 2:22–24
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
- Romans 5:19
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
- Galatians 3:13
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:30
It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
- 1 Peter 3:18
Through
Proverbs 28:13He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
it leads to
- 1 John 1:8–10
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- Psalms 32:3–5
When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long.
- 1 John 1:8–10
Through
Isaiah 53:6We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:25
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
- 1 Peter 2:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies18
On this verse
About Leviticus

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Sir Robert Anderson, Types in Hebrews.
