Leviticus 16:8

New Living Translation

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

Hebrew Names Version
Aharon shall cast lots for the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.

King James Version
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord , and the other lot for the scapegoat.

Lexham English Bible
Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for Yahweh and one for Azazel.

New Century Version
He will throw lots for the two goats—one will be for the Lord and the other for the goat that removes sin.

New English Translation
and Aaron is to cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and one lot for Azazel.

Amplified Bible
"Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the LORD, the other lot for the scapegoat.

New American Standard Bible
"Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Aaron shal cast lots ouer the two hee goates: one lot for the Lord, and the other for the Scape goate.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for Yahweh and the other lot for the scapegoat.

Contemporary English Version
where I will show you which goat will be sacrificed to me and which one will be sent into the desert to the demon Azazel.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then Aharon is to cast lots for the two goats, one lot for Adonai and the other for ‘Az'azel.

Darby Translation
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats: one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel.

Easy-to-Read Version
Aaron will throw lots for the two goats. One lot will be for the Lord . The other lot will be for Azazel.

English Standard Version
And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel.

George Lamsa Translation
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazael.

Good News Translation
There he shall draw lots, using two stones, one marked "for the Lord " and the other "for Azazel."

Christian Standard Bible®
After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other for an uninhabitable place,

Literal Translation
And Aaron shall give lots over the two he-goats, one lot for Jehovah, and one lot for a complete removal.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and shall cast lottes ouer the two goates: the lot of the one goate for the LORDE, and the other for the fre goate.

American Standard Version
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel.

Bible in Basic English
And Aaron will make selection from the two goats by the decision of the Lord, one goat for the Lord and one for Azazel.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Aaron shall cast lottes ouer the two goates: one lot shalbe for the Lord, and the other for the scape goate.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats: one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for Azazel.

King James Version (1611)
And Aaron shall cast lottes vpon the two Goates: one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the Scape goat.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the Lord, and the other for the scape-goat.

English Revised Version
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for Azazel.

Berean Standard Bible
After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he schal sende `on euer eithir, o lot to the Lord, and another lot to the goot that schal be sent out.

Young's Literal Translation
`And Aaron hath given lots over the two goats, one lot for Jehovah, and one lot for a goat of departure;

Update Bible Version
And Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats; one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for Azazel.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scape-goat.

World English Bible
Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats; one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for Azazel.

New King James Version
Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat.

New Life Bible
Aaron will draw names for the two goats, choosing one for the Lord and the other to be sent away.

New Revised Standard
and Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, - one lot for Yahweh, and one lot for Azazel.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And casting lots upon them both, one to be offered to the Lord, and the other to be the emissary goat:

Revised Standard Version
and Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Aza'zel.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat.

Contextual Overview

⁵ Aaron must take from the community of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. ⁶ "Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the Lord . ⁷ Then he must take the two male goats and present them to the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle. ⁸ 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. ⁹ Aaron will then present as a sin offering the goat chosen by lot for the Lord . ¹⁰ The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the Lord . When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the Lord . ¹¹ "Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the Lord . After he has slaughtered the bull as a sin offering, ¹² he will fill an incense burner with burning coals from the altar that stands before the Lord . Then he will take two handfuls of fragrant powdered incense and will carry the burner and the incense behind the inner curtain. ¹³ There in the Lord 's presence he will put the incense on the burning coals so that a cloud of incense will rise over the Ark's cover—the place of atonement—that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. If he follows these instructions, he will not die. ¹⁴ Then he must take some of the blood of the bull, dip his finger in it, and sprinkle it on the east side of the atonement cover. He must sprinkle blood seven times with his finger in front of the atonement cover.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cast lots: Numbers 26:55, Numbers 33:54, Joshua 18:10, Joshua 18:11, 1 Samuel 14:41, 1 Samuel 14:42, Proverbs 16:33, Ezekiel 48:29, Jonah 1:7, Acts 1:23-26

scape goats: Heb. Azazel, that is, the goat-gone-away, The Hebrew עזאזל has been supposed by some to be the name of a place, either a mountain or cliff, to which the goat was led. But no place of that name has ever been pointed out, except a mountain near Sinai, which was too distant for the goat to be conducted there from Jerusalem. Other learned men think it was the name of the devil, who was worshipped by the heathen in the form of a goat. But Bp. Patrick justly objects to this opinion; for it is difficult to conceive, that when the other goat was offered to God, this should be sent among demons. The more probable opinion seems to be, that it was name given to the goat itself, on account of his being let go; from aiz, a goat, and azal, to depart. So LXX בנןנןלנביןע, and Vulgate emissarius, sent away; Aquila and Symmachus פסבדןע בנוסקןלוםןע, or בנןכוכץלוםןע: the goat going away, or dismissed.

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 25:8 - cast lots Acts 1:26 - they

Cross-References

Genesis 3:9
Then the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?"

Genesis 4:10
But the Lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground!

Genesis 16:1
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.

Genesis 16:2
So Sarai said to Abram, "The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed with Sarai's proposal.

Genesis 16:4
So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt.

Genesis 16:5
Then Sarai said to Abram, "This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she's pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who's wrong—you or me!"

Genesis 16:8
The angel said to her, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I'm running away from my mistress, Sarai," she replied.

1 Samuel 26:19
But now let my lord the king listen to his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, then let him accept my offering. But if this is simply a human scheme, then may those involved be cursed by the Lord . For they have driven me from my home, so I can no longer live among the Lord 's people, and they have said, ‘Go, worship pagan gods.'

Ecclesiastes 10:4
If your boss is angry at you, don't quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats,.... Which should be slain, and which should be kept alive, and let go: the manner of casting lots, according to the Misnah a, was this; the high priest went to the east of the court, to the north of the altar, the Sagan (or deputy priest) at his right hand, and Rosh Beth Ab (or the chief of the house of the fathers) on his left hand, and the two goats were there; and there was a vessel (box or urn, called Calphi), and in it were two lots of box tree: the high priest shook the Calphi (or urn) and took out the two lots; one, on which was written, "for the Lord", and the other, on which was written, "for Azazel"; if that came up on the right hand, the Sagan said to him, my lord high priest, lift up thy right hand on high; and if that on the left hand came up, Rosh Beth Ab said to him, my lord high priest, lift up thy left hand on high: he put them upon the two goats and said, a sin offering for the Lord; and they answered after him, blessed be the Lord, may the glory of his kingdom be for ever and ever: now these lots, as Ben Gersom observes, were alike, not one greater than another; and they were of the same matter, for if one had been of stone and the other of wood, they might, have been known by feeling, and so the lots would not have been legal: and the same is observed by Maimonides b, that though they might be of any matter, of wood, or stone, or metal, yet one might not be great, and the other small, and the one of silver, and the other of gold, but both alike, for the reason before given:

one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat: one had written upon it, as in the above account, "for the Lord"; and the other had written upon it, "for Azazel"; directing that the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell was to be slain and offered up for a sin offering to him; and the other, on which the lot for Azazel fell, was to be kept alive and let go: now, however casual and contingent the casting of a lot may seem to men, it is certain to God, the disposal of it is of him, and according to his determination, Proverbs 16:33; and this, in the mystical sense, here denotes, that the sufferings and death of Christ were according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, and so were foretold in the Scriptures, and came to pass according to his appointment, will, and command, as was also his resurrection from the dead, John 10:18; see Acts 1:23; and likewise his conflict with Satan, John 14:30.

a Misn. Yoma, c. 3. sect. 9. & c. 4. sect. 1. b Hilchot Yom Hacippurim, c. 3. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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. 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 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. Each goat, having been presented to Yahweh before the lots were cast, stood in a sacrificial relation to Him. The casting of lots was an appeal to the decision of Yahweh (compare Joshua 7:16-17; Joshua 14:2; Proverbs 16:33; Acts 1:26, etc.); it was therefore His act to choose one of the goats for His service in the way of ordinary sacrifice, the other for His service in carrying off the sins to Azazel (see the note at Leviticus 16:22). By this exppressive outward sign the sins were sent back to the author of sin himself, “the entirely separate one,” who was banished from the realm of grace.

The goat itself did not lose the sacred character with which it had been endued in being presented before Yahweh. It was, as much as the slain goat, a figure of Him who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, on whom the Lord laid the iniquity of us all Isaiah 53:4, Isaiah 53:6, that we might become a sanctified Church to be presented unto Himself, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing Ephesians 5:26-27.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Leviticus 16:8. Aaron 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 came, and the goats stood before him, one on the right hand and the other on the left; the kalpey was then shaken, and the priest put in both his hands and brought out a lot in each: that which was in his right hand he laid on the goat that was on his right, and that in his left hand he laid on the goat that was on his left; and according to what was written on the lots, the scape-goat and the goat for sacrifice were ascertained. See the Mishna, in Tract. Yoma.

The determining this solemn business by lot, the disposal of which is with the Lord, Proverbs 16:33, shows that God alone was to select and point out the person by whom this great atonement was to be made; hence he says: Behold I lay in Zion a stone, elect (that is, chosen by himself) and precious - of infinite value.