After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat,
Parallel translations
- WEB Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats; one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
- KJV And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
- NKJV Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.
- NASB Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.
- NLT He is to cast sacred lots to determine which goat will be reserved as an offering to the Lord and which will carry the sins of the people to the wilderness of Azazel.
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
Aaron casts lots over the two goats, one for Yahweh and one as the scapegoat. God's choice, not man's, assigns each goat its role.
Overview
By lot, one goat is designated for the LORD as a sin offering and the other as the "scapegoat" (Azazel, variously understood). Casting lots placed the decision in God's hands. The two goats together portray a single atonement: one bears the penalty of sin in death, the other carries sin away, both fulfilled in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Acts 1:23–26So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.
- Prov 16:33The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
- Jonah 1:7“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
- Josh 18:10–11And Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the LORD at Shiloh, where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.
- Ezek 48:29This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions,” declares the Lord GOD.
- 1 Sam 14:41–42So Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, “Why have You not answered Your servant this day? If the fault is with me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim; but if the fault is with the men of Israel, respond with Thummim.” And Jonathan and Saul were selected, but the people were cleared of the charge.
- Num 33:54And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.
- Num 26:55Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.
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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 16:8 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
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