Leviticus 16:8

Leviticus 16:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
• New International Version (NIV)He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.

Context of Leviticus 16:8

6“Aaron must sacrifice the bull as his own offering for sin. By doing this, he will make peace with the Lord for himself and his family. 7He must take the two male goats and bring them into the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron must throw lots for the two goats. One lot will be for the Lord and the other for Azazel. 9Aaron must sacrifice the goat chosen by lot for the Lord as an offering for sin. 10But he must bring the goat chosen by lot for Azazel into the Lord’s presence. He will release it in the desert to Azazel in order to make peace with the Lord for himself and his family.

Leviticus 16:8 word by word

וְנָתַ֧ן אַהֲרֹ֛ן עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י הַשְּׂעִירִ֖ם גּוֹרָל֑וֹת גּוֹרָ֤ל אֶחָד֙ לַיהוָ֔ה וְגוֹרָ֥ל אֶחָ֖ד לַעֲזָאזֵֽל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
• shall castנָתַןnâthan · to give: throwH5414
• lotsגּוֹרָלgôrâl gôrâl · allottedH1486
• upon the twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• goatsשָׂעִירώâ‛îyr ώâ‛ir · he-goatH8163
• oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• for the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• for the scapegoatעֲזָאזֵל‛ăzâ'zêl · AzazelH5799

Cross-references for Leviticus 16:8

• Numbers 26:55But the land must be divided by drawing lots. The tribes will receive their land based on the names of their ancestors.
• Numbers 33:54Divide the land among your families by drawing lots. Give more land to larger families and less land to smaller ones. The land must be given to each family by drawing lots. Divide it among your ancestors’ tribes.
• Joshua 18:10So Joshua drew lots for them in the presence of the Lord in Shiloh. There Joshua divided the land among the tribes of Israel.
• 1 Samuel 14:41Then Saul said to the Lord, “O God of Israel, why didn’t you answer me today? If this sin is mine or my son Jonathan’s, Lord God of Israel, ⌞let the priest⌟ draw Urim. But if it is in your people Israel, ⌞let him⌟ draw Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen, and the people were freed ⌞from guilt⌟.
• Proverbs 16:33The dice are thrown, but the Lord determines every outcome.
• Ezekiel 48:29This is the land you will divide as your inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their areas, declares the Almighty Lord.
• Jonah 1:7Then the sailors said to each other, “Let’s throw dice to find out who is responsible for bringing this disaster on us.” So they threw dice, and the dice indicated that Jonah was responsible.
• Acts 1:23The disciples determined that two men were qualified. These men were Joseph (who was called Barsabbas and was also known as Justus) and Matthias.

Commentaries on Leviticus 16:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats - The Jews inform us that there were two lots made either of wood, stone, or any kind of metal. On one was written לשם Lashshem, for the Name, i. e., יהוה Jehovah, which the Jews will neither write nor pronounce: on the other was written לעזאזל Laazazel, for the Scape-Goat: then they put the two lots into a vessel which was called קלפי kalpey, the goats standing with their faces towards the west. Then the priest…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The 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. See Leviticus 16:22 note. 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 leper Leviticus 14:4-6. For the scapegoat - Rather, for Azazel. The word occurs nowhere else in the Old…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8scapegoat: The Hebrew term 'aza'zel (Azazel) appears only in Leviticus 16:8, 10, 26. The word has four general interpretations: a term meaning "the goat of going away"; a demon that lived in the wilderness; a stronger form of the Hebrew word for "go, leave," meaning "complete loss"; and a rocky cliff over which someone pushed the goat. Since this goat represented the removal of Israel's sins from the camp, the first interpretation is probably the simplest…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-105-10. shall take of the congregation ... two kids of the goats ... and one ram--The sacrifices were to be offered by the high priest, respectively for himself and the other priests, as well as for the people. The bullock (Le 16:3) and the goats were for sin offerings and the rams for burnt offerings. The goats, though used in different ways, constituted only one offering. They were both presented before the Lord, and the disposal of them determined by…Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 16:8

• Atonement
• Azazel
• Church
• Lot, the
• Offerings
• Scapegoat

In the dictionaries

• Aaron
• Lot
• Atonement, Day of
• Attire
• Azazel
• Burnt offering
• Coat
• Divination
• Goat
• High priest

Commentaries on Leviticus 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings