The man who released the goat as the scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may reenter the camp.
Parallel translations
- WEB “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.
- KJV And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.
- NKJV And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.
- NASB The one who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water; then afterward he shall come into the camp.
- NLT “The man chosen to drive the scapegoat into the wilderness of Azazel must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. Then he may return to the camp.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The man who released the scapegoat must wash before re-entering the camp. Even handling the sin-laden goat conveyed uncleanness.
Overview
The one who led the scapegoat away must wash his clothes and bathe before returning to the camp, having contacted the sin-bearing animal. This shows how real and defiling sin is, even when symbolically borne by another. It magnifies the wonder of Christ, who bore our sins without being defiled, and cleanses all who come to Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Heb 7:19(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
- Lev 16:10But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement by sending it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.
- Num 19:7–8Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may enter the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean until evening.
- Lev 14:8The one being cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. Afterward, he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside his tent for seven days.
- Lev 15:27Anyone who touches these things will be unclean; he must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening.
- Lev 16:21–22Then 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.
- Num 19:21This is a permanent statute for the people: The one who sprinkles the water of purification must wash his clothes, and whoever touches the water of purification will be unclean until evening.
- Lev 11:25and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.
- Lev 16:28The one who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and afterward he may reenter the camp.
- Lev 15:5–11Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening.
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 16:26 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.