Leviticus 16 10

Leviticus 16:10 kjv

But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

Leviticus 16:10 nkjv

But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

Leviticus 16:10 niv

But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.

Leviticus 16:10 esv

but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.

Leviticus 16:10 nlt

The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the LORD. When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the LORD.

Leviticus 16 verses

Leviticus 16 10 Meaning

Leviticus 16:10 details the role of the second of two goats on the Day of Atonement. After lots are cast, this particular goat, chosen "for Azazel," is presented alive before the Lord. Its purpose is to be used in the atonement process, specifically by having the nation's confessed sins laid upon it and then being sent away alive into the wilderness. This action signifies the complete removal and banishment of the sins from the presence of God and from the community of Israel.

Leviticus 16 10 Context

Leviticus chapter 16 outlines the detailed ritual for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the ancient Israelite calendar. This annual ritual was God's prescribed means for cleansing the tabernacle, the priesthood, and the entire nation of Israel from the collective sins and impurities accumulated throughout the year. The chapter emphasizes the severe holiness of God and the need for comprehensive atonement to maintain a covenant relationship with Him. Verses 7-10 describe the specific selection and initial presentation of two male goats: one chosen by lot "for the LORD" (sacrificed as a sin offering), and the other chosen "for Azazel" (the focus of verse 10), which is designated for a unique expulsion ritual to symbolize the removal of sin.

Leviticus 16 10 Word analysis

• "but the goat": This particular goat is distinguished from the other, sacrificed goat. It is chosen by a divinely ordained method, ensuring its specific role.
• "on which the lot fell": goral (גּוֹרָל), signifying a divine determination, removing human bias or error from the selection process. The outcome was seen as God's choice (Prov 16:33).
• "for Azazel": la-azazel (לַעֲזָאזֵל). This is a uniquely debated term. While some early interpretations suggested a specific demonic entity to which the goat was sent, scholarly consensus today generally leans toward a designation either as "for complete removal" (derived from the root azal - "to go away" or "to separate"), or as a proper noun designating the wilderness/desert where chaos was thought to reside, symbolizing absolute isolation from God's holy camp. It is crucial that the goat is not sacrificed to Azazel, but rather sent to it, symbolizing the carrying away of sins from the community into oblivion, beyond the camp, into a place of desolate waste. The action is done before the Lord.
• "shall be presented alive": ye'amad-chay (יֵעָמַד חַי). This stresses a fundamental difference from the other goat which was to be slaughtered. This goat remains living, embodying the carried sins and visually demonstrating their departure. This active 'bearing away' emphasizes cleansing through expulsion rather than only propitiation through death.
• "before the Lord": lifney Adonai (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה). This phrase is highly significant. Even though the goat is destined for "Azazel," the entire process, including its selection and initial presentation, occurs in the holy presence of God. This indicates that the ritual, including the sending away, is entirely ordained by YHWH and part of His sovereign plan of atonement, not an appeasement or offering to any other power. God alone retains ultimate authority over sin and its removal.
• "to make atonement over it": l'chapper alayv (לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו). The Hebrew verb kappar refers to covering, appeasing, or expiating. Here, it signifies that the act of sending this goat away is part of the complete atonement (reconciliation and cleansing) for the people. The goat's removal does not propitiate God's wrath in the way the blood sacrifice does, but rather purifies the community by physically removing its confessed sins. This emphasizes the cleansing and purifying aspect of atonement alongside propitiation.
• "to send it away": l'shallach oto (לְשַׁלַּח אוֹתוֹ). Literally, "to dispatch it." It describes the final, decisive action of releasing the goat into the wilderness, symbolizing a complete, irreversible severance of the people's sins from God's holy presence and their community.
• "into the wilderness": el ha-midbar (אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּר). This uninhabited, desolate, and dangerous place serves as the perfect symbolic destination for sin—a place of utter desolation, oblivion, and removal from human society and God's order. It suggests permanent banishment and that the sins are rendered non-existent as far as the community's relationship with God is concerned.
• "to Azazel": Repetition from earlier, underscoring that the wilderness is the realm to which Azazel represents the full and utter dismissal of these sins. The goat takes the sins into absolute removal.

Leviticus 16 10 Bonus section

• The dual goat ritual highlights two aspects of atonement: propitiation (the sacrifice for the LORD) and expiation/removal (the goat for Azazel). Both were essential for a complete covering of sin for the Israelites.
• The wilderness (midbar) was culturally understood as a place of chaos and a realm of spiritual uncleanness, making it a fitting symbolic destination for banished sin, utterly removed from the order and purity of God's tabernacle.
• The act is not an idolatrous sacrifice to "Azazel." The entire ritual is under the express command and authority of YHWH, performed by His high priest before His presence. It showcases God's absolute sovereignty over all forces, including any associated with desolation or evil; even these are instruments for His redemptive purposes.
• The ritual demonstrates that human attempts to hide or deal with sin are insufficient. Sin must be actively transferred and completely expelled by divine means.

Leviticus 16 10 Commentary

Leviticus 16:10 encapsulates a unique and pivotal element of the Day of Atonement. While the first goat's blood ritually propitiated God's justice, covering the people's sin with sacrifice, this second goat's purpose was to visually remove the guilt and defilement away from the camp. The laying on of hands and confession of sins (v. 21) transferred the nation's iniquity to this living animal, which then carried these sins into a state of irreversible expulsion in the uninhabited wilderness. This dramatic action assured the Israelites that their confessed sins were indeed taken away and banished into oblivion, out of God's sight and their community, making them ceremonially clean. It points powerfully to the ultimate work of Christ, who, by His one sacrifice, not only atoned for sins through His shed blood (propitiation) but also bore them away completely (removal), thus perfectly cleansing His people from all iniquity and giving them access to God's presence. The "Azazel" goat beautifully foreshadows the complete, final, and eternal removal of sin accomplished through Jesus Christ, our ultimate sin-bearer who suffered outside the camp (Heb 13:12) and made full purification for sins (Heb 1:3).