And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.
The person who leads the scapegoat away must wash his clothes and bathe his whole body in water, and only then can he return to the camp.
The writer is explaining that even those who help carry out God's purification rituals must be cleansed themselves before rejoining the community.
📚 Historical Context
In the ancient Israelite community, Leviticus 16 outlines the rituals for the Day of Atonement, a sacred annual event where the high priest atoned for the sins of the people through sacrifices and the scapegoat ceremony. The scapegoat was a live goat upon which the nation's sins were symbolically placed and then released into the wilderness, representing the removal of guilt. The person who handled and released the scapegoat was required to wash his clothes and bathe to maintain ritual purity, as contact with sin's representation made him ceremonially unclean.
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