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.
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.
- BSB After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one for the LORD and the other 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.
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 1:23–26They put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias.
- Prov 16:33The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from Yahweh.
- Jonah 1:7They all said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
- Josh 18:10–11Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before Yahweh. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.
- Ezek 48:29This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their several portions, says the Lord Yahweh.
- 1 Sam 14:41–42Therefore Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Show the right.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen, but the people escaped.
- Num 33:54You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
- Num 26:55Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
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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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