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Modern Descriptors For The Goats In Matthew 25

In Matthew 25:33, Jesus describes a future judgment where "He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left" [1]. This imagery draws upon the common practice of shepherds separating sheep from goats, a distinction that carries significant symbolic weight in biblical tradition. The "goats" in this parable represent those who will be condemned, standing in contrast to the "sheep" who are saved [8].

The term "goat" (Hebrew: ez or attud) is a generic name for the domesticated animal in the Old Testament [2]. Goats were a common part of ancient Israelite life, providing milk, meat, and hair [4, 6, 12, 13]. They were considered clean animals and fit for food [6]. The male goat (attud) was often preferred for sacrifice [2, 6]. For instance, Numbers 29:25 mentions "one male goat for a sin offering," and Numbers 28:30 refers to "one male goat, to make atonement for you" [3, 5]. Abraham Ibn Ezra notes that sei'r izzim (he-goat) refers to a young goat, while atud refers to a mature goat [11].

Beyond their practical uses, goats held significant symbolic meaning, particularly in the sacrificial system. On the Day of Atonement, two goats were presented: one was sacrificed as a sin offering, and the other was designated as the "scapegoat" [9, 15]. The high priest would confess the sins of Israel over the scapegoat, symbolically transferring them to the animal, which was then sent into the wilderness [7, 10]. This ritual, described in Leviticus 16, was understood as a type of Christ, who bore the sins of humanity [7]. Early Christian writers, such as Justin Martyr, saw the two goats as symbolic of Christ's two advents [14].

In the context of Matthew 25, the "goats" are distinguished from the "sheep" based on their actions, or lack thereof, towards "the least of these" (Matthew 25:40, 45). While the sheep are commended for feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and ministering to those in prison, the goats are condemned for failing to do these things [1]. John Gill, a Baptist commentator, identifies the "sheep" as the elect of God and true believers, those who have received God's grace and follow Christ [8]. By contrast, the "goats" represent those who have not demonstrated genuine faith through acts of compassion and service.

The separation of sheep and goats is a vivid metaphor for the final judgment. The imagery of the shepherd separating his flock would have been immediately understandable to Jesus's audience. Goats, while valuable, were distinct from sheep and often grazed separately or were kept in different parts of the flock [1]. The distinction in Matthew 25 is not merely about animal species but about the ultimate destiny of humanity, determined by their response to Christ's call to love and service. The passage emphasizes that true faith is evidenced by practical love for others, particularly those in need.

Sources

  1. Matthew “He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. -- Matthew 25:33”
  2. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Goat — (1.) Heb. ez, the she-goat (Gen. 15:9; 30:35; 31:38). This Hebrew word is also used for the he-goat (Ex. 12:5; Lev. 4:23; Num. 28:15), and to denote a kid (Gen. 38:17, 20). Hence it may be regarded as the generic name of the animal as domesticated. It literally means "strength," and points to the superior strength of the goat as compared with the sheep. (2.) Heb. attud, only in plural; rendered "rams" (Gen. 31:10, 12); he-goats (Num. 7:17-88; Isa. 1:11); goats (Deut. 32:14; Ps. 50:13). They were used in sacrifice (Ps. 66:15). This word is used metaphorically f”
  3. Numbers “and one male goat for a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its drink offering. -- Numbers 29:25”
  4. Proverbs “The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field. -- Proverbs 27:26”
  5. Numbers “one male goat, to make atonement for you. -- Numbers 28:30”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Goat, The — Clean and fit for food -- De 14:4,5. Offered in sacrifice -- Ge 15:9; Le 16:5,7. The male, best for sacrifice -- Le 22:19; Ps 50:9. First-born of, not redeemed -- Nu 18:17. Jews had large flocks of -- Ge 32:14; 1Sa 25:2. Most profitable to the owner -- Pr 27:26. Milk of, used as food -- Pr 27:27. The young of Called kids. -- Ge 37:31. Kept in small flocks. -- 1Ki 20:27. Fed near the shepherds' tents. -- Song 1:8. Not to be seethed in milk of mother. -- Ex 23:19. Offered in sacrifice. -- Le 4:23; 5:6. Offered at the passover. -- Ex 12:5; 2Ch 35:7. Consider”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Scape Goat, The — Part of the sin offering on the day of atonement -- Le 16:5,7. Chosen by lot -- Le 16:8. The high priest transferred the sins of Israel to, by confessing them with both hands upon its head -- Le 16:21. Sent into the wilderness by the hands of a fit person -- Le 16:21,22. Communicated uncleanness to The high priest. -- Le 16:24. The man who lead him away. -- Le 16:26. Typical of Christ -- Isa 53:6,11,12.”
  8. Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 25:33: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand,.... That is, the elect of God, and true believers, such as have the grace of God truly implanted in them; the sheep the Father gave unto Christ, and made his care and charge, whom he, as the good shepherd, laid down his life for; and who know his voice in effectual calling, and follow him in the way of his ordinances and appointments; and are comparable to sheep for their meekness and innocence, their simplicity and usefulness, and their harmless and inoffensive lives, and conversations: these Christ will set on his righ”
  9. Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 9:12: Neither--"Nor yet." by--"through"; as the means of His approach. goats . . . calves--not a bullock, such as the Levitical high priest offered for himself, and a goat for the people, on the day of atonement (Lev 16:6, Lev 16:15), year by year, whence the plural is used, goats . . . calves. Besides the goat offered for the people the blood of which was sprinkled before the mercy seat, the high priest led forth a second goat, namely, the scapegoat; over it he confessed the people's sins, putting them on the head of the goat, which was sent as the sin”
  10. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 103: their nature demands; which the Scriptures themselves assign to them; and which they must have either to account for the effects which the sin offering produced, or to make out the correspondence between the type and the antitype which the New Testament declares was intended. These symbolical acts admit of no other explanation without doing violence to the text, and forcing on antiquity the ideas of modern times, which is to substitute our speculations for the authoritative teachings of the Scriptures. The imposition of the hands of the ”
  11. Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Numbers 15:25: AND THEIR SIN-OFFERING. The reference is to the he-goat. 40 An offering made by fire unto the Lord refers to the bullock, and their sin-offering before the Lord refers to the he-goat. A sei’r izzim (he-goat) refers to a young goat because the word se’ir (he-goat) is connected to izzim (goats). The reverse is the case with the term atud (he-goat). 41 So Vat. Ebr . 38. An atud is a mature goat. Some texts read atid (the future) in place of atud (he-goat). However, the latter is practically impossible to explain. See Filwarg.”
  12. Exodus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Exodus 25:4: goats' hair--or leather of goats' skin.”
  13. Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 25:4: AND GOATS’ HAIR. Izzim is to be rendered as goats’ hair. 35 Izzim literally means goats. Hence I.E.’s comment.”
  14. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 1: Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus — CHAP. CXI.--THE TWO ADVENTS WERE SIGNIFIED BY THE TWO GOATS. OTHER FIGURES OF THE FIRST ADVENT, IN WHICH THE GENTILES ARE FREED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. (part 1): "And that it was declared by symbol, even in the time of Moses, that there would be two advents of this Christ, as I have mentioned previously, [is manifest] from the symbol of the goats presented for sacrifice during the fast. And again, by what Moses and Joshua did, the same thing was symbolically announced and told beforehand. For the one of them, s”
  15. Leviticus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Leviticus 16:7: And he shall take the two goats,.... The sin offering for the people, a proper emblem of Christ, this creature being clean and fit for food, denoting the purity of Christ, and his being suitable and wholesome food, as his flesh is to the faith of his people; and because comely in its going, as Christ was in his going from everlasting, and in his coming, into this world, travelling in the greatness of his strength; and even by reason of its having something in it unsavoury and offensive, and which made it the fitter emblem of Christ, as a surety of his people; for t”
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