Biblical Understanding of Scapegoat Rituals in Leviticus
The scapegoat ritual, detailed in Leviticus 16, was a central component of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) in ancient Israelite worship [3, 4]. This annual ceremony involved two goats, both presented before the Lord [7, 9]. One goat was designated by lot as a sin offering, while the other was chosen to be the "scapegoat" or "goat for Azazel" [4, 7, 9].
The high priest performed a series of actions on the Day of Atonement. After offering a bullock as a sin-offering for himself and his household, he would then take the goat designated for the sin offering for the people, kill it, and sprinkle its blood in the most holy place [9, 12]. This act was for the expiation of the sins of the nation [12].
Following this, the live goat, the scapegoat, was brought forward [10]. The high priest would lay both of his hands upon its head and confess over it "all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins" [10]. This act symbolically transferred the sins of the people onto the goat, making it their substitute [10]. The scapegoat was then led away by a designated person into a solitary, desert place, bearing "upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited" [4, 10]. The person who led the goat away was required to wash his clothes and bathe before re-entering the camp, indicating a purification ritual associated with handling the goat [1].
The term "scapegoat" itself is a translation of the Hebrew "Azazel" [4]. While the exact meaning of "Azazel" has been debated, the ritual's purpose was clear: to remove the sins of the community [4]. The act of sending the goat into the wilderness symbolized the complete removal and forgetting of the people's transgressions [4, 10]. This ritual was distinct from other sacrifices, as the scapegoat's blood was not sprinkled on the altar, nor was its flesh consumed [8].
The Book of Leviticus, which details these rituals, is the third book of the Pentateuch and focuses primarily on the Levitical service, including laws regarding sacrifices, priestly duties, and purification [2, 6]. The elaborate ritual described in Leviticus is understood by some to have a deeper spiritual meaning, serving as a prophecy or "shadow whereof the substance was Christ and his kingdom" [6]. The concept of purification, central to many Levitical laws, involved ritual observances to absolve an Israelite from uncleanness, often involving water and, in more serious cases, sacrifices with an expiatory character [5, 11]. The scapegoat ritual, with its emphasis on the removal of sin, aligns with this broader theme of purification and atonement found throughout Leviticus [5].
Sources
- Leviticus ““He who lets the goat go for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp. -- Leviticus 16:26”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Leviticus — The third book of the Pentateuch; so called in the Vulgate, after the LXX., because it treats chiefly of the Levitical service. In the first section of the book (1-17), which exhibits the worship itself, there is, (1.) A series of laws (1-7) regarding sacrifices, burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and thank-offerings (1-3), sin-offerings and trespass-offerings (4; 5), followed by the law of the priestly duties in connection with the offering of sacrifices (6; 7). (2.) An historical section (8-10), giving an account of the consecration of Aaron and his sons ”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Scapegoat — [[1049]Atonement, The Day Of, [1050]Day OF]”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Scapegoat — Lev. 16:8-26; R.V., "the goat for Azazel" (q.v.), the name given to the goat which was taken away into the wilderness on the day of Atonement (16:20-22). The priest made atonement over the scapegoat, laying Israel's guilt upon it, and then sent it away, the goat bearing "upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited." At a later period an evasion or modification of the law of Moses was introduced by the Jews. "The goat was conducted to a mountain named Tzuk, situated at a distance of ten Sabbath days' journey, or about six and a half English mil”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Purification — in its legal and technical sense, is applied to the ritual observances whereby an Israelite was formally absolved from the taint of uncleanness. The essence of purification, in all eases, consisted in the use of water, whether by way of ablution or aspersion; but in the majora delicta of legal uncleanness, sacrifices of various kinds were added and the ceremonies throughout bore an expiatory character. Ablution of the person and of the clothes was required in the cases mentioned in (Leviticus 15:18; 11:25,40; 15:18,17) In cases of childbirth the sacrifi”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Leviticus — The third book in the Pentateuch is called Leviticus because it relates principally to the Levites and priests and their services. The book is generally held to have been written by Moses. Those critics even who hold a different opinion as to the other books of the Pentateuch assign this book in the main to him. One of the most notable features of the book is what may be called its spiritual meaning. That so elaborate a ritual looked beyond itself we cannot doubt. It was a prophecy of things to come; a shadow whereof the substance was Christ and his kingdo”
- Leviticus “But the goat, on which the lot fell for the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement for him, to send him away for the scapegoat into the wilderness. -- Leviticus 16:10”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 1:4: AND HE SHALL LAY HIS HAND. It would appear from the plain meaning of the text that the celebrant lays one hand 48 For Scripture reads yado (his hand). on the animal about to be sacrificed, for the manner of the scapegoat 49 Literally, the goat which is sent, the scapegoat which is sent into the wilderness on Yom Kippur. Scripture explicitly tells us that two hands are to be laid on the scapegoat. See Lev. 16:21. is unlike all sacrifices. 50 The scapegoat is not treated as all other sacrifices. Its blood is not sprinkled on the altar, and none of its flesh is ”
- Leviticus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Leviticus 16 (introduction): The solemn yearly expiation for the high priest, who must not come at all times into the holy place, Lev 16:1, Lev 16:2. He must take a bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering, bathe himself, and be dressed in his sacerdotal robes, Lev 16:3, Lev 16:4. He shall take two goats, one of which is to be determined by lot to be a sacrifice; the other to be a scapegoat, Lev 16:5-10. He shall offer a bullock for himself and for his family, Lev 16:11-14. And shall kill the goat as a sin-offering for the people, and sprinkle its blood upon th”
- Leviticus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Leviticus 16:20: he shall bring the live goat--Having already been presented before the Lord (Lev 16:10), it was now brought forward to the high priest, who, placing his hands upon its head, and "having confessed over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins," transferred them by this act to the goat as their substitute. It was then delivered into the hands of a person, who was appointed to lead him away into a distant, solitary, and desert place, where in early times he was let go, to escape for his life; but in”
- Leviticus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Leviticus 22:4: wash his flesh with water--Any Israelite who had contracted a defilement of such a nature as debarred him from the enjoyment of his wonted privileges, and had been legally cleansed from the disqualifying impurity, was bound to indicate his state of recovery by the immersion of his whole person in water. Although all ceremonial impurity formed a ground of exclusion, there were degrees of impurity which entailed a longer or shorter period of excommunication, and for the removal of which different rites required to be observed according to the trivial ”
- Leviticus (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Leviticus 16:15: After this he was to slay the he-goat as a sin-offering for the nation, for which purpose, of course, he must necessarily come back to the court again, and then take the blood of the goat into the most holy place, and do just the same with it as he had already done with that of the ox. A double sprinkling took place in both cases, first upon or against the capporeth, and then seven times in front of the capporeth. The first sprinkling, which was performed once only, was for the expiation of the sins, first of the high priest and his house, and then of the c”