Leviticus 16:8

"He shall take the two goats, and set them before the LORD at the door of the Tent of Meeting."

Key Reflection

Aaron is tasked with presenting the two goats—each symbolizing a different fate—to the Lord at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, marking a pivotal moment in the Day of Atonement ritual. This act would have been significant for the original audience, as it visually represented the separation between the sin-bearing goat and the one that was to be sacrificed, setting the stage for the complex process of purification and atonement that followed.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

The two goats formed a single sin-offering,Leviticus 16:5. To bring out the meaning of the sacrifice it was necessary that the act of a living being should be performed after death. SeeLeviticus 16:22note. As this could not possibly be visibly set forth with a single victim, two were employed, as in the case of the birds in the rite for the healed leperLeviticus 14:4-6. For the scapegoat -Rather, for Azazel. The word occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament but in this chapter, and is probably derived from a root in use in Arabic, but not in Hebrew, signifying to “remove”, or “to separate”. Azazel is the pre-Mosaic name of an evil personal being placed in opposition to Yahweh.

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