But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
But the goat chosen by lot to be the scapegoat must be brought alive before the LORD to make atonement, and then it will be sent away as a scapegoat into the wilderness.
This verse describes how one goat was chosen to symbolically carry away the people's sins by being sent into the wilderness on the Day of Atonement.
📚 Historical Context
In the Old Testament, Leviticus 16 describes the rituals for the Day of Atonement, a sacred annual event in ancient Israel where the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of the people. Two goats were chosen by lot; one was sacrificed as a sin offering, while the other, called the scapegoat, had the nation's sins confessed over it and was sent into the wilderness to symbolize the removal of those sins. This practice reflected the Israelite understanding of God's holiness and the need for purification through substitutionary means in their covenant relationship with Him.
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