Leviticus 16: The Day of Atonement and the goat for Azazel

In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons, who died when they came near to Yahweh.

Good to know: Aaron's two sons were Nadab and Abihu. Leviticus 10:1 and 2 tell how they offered "strange fire" before Yahweh and died.

In plain English: Yahweh said to Moses, "Tell your brother Aaron that he must not come at just any time into the Most Holy Place, behind the curtain, in front of the mercy seat (or: atonement cover) on the ark, or he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.

Good to know: The mercy seat is the gold lid on top of the ark, described in Exodus 25:17 to 22. There Yahweh said he would meet with Moses from above it.

In plain English: This is how Aaron is to come into the holy place: with a young bull for a sin offering (or: purification offering) and a ram for a burnt offering.

The Hebrew word: "Sin offering" is chattath, the same word as "sin". Many readers translate it "purification offering", because the blood cleanses the holy place and the altar (verse 16, verse 19).

How it is translated: In Leviticus this Bible says "sin offering" in 51 of the 66 verses that use the word. In this chapter the same word is "sins" in verses 16, 21, 30 and 34.

What changes: Read as "purification offering", the stress falls on cleansing the holy place and the altar, not only on the sins of a person.

In plain English: He is to put on the holy linen tunic, with linen underwear on his body, a linen sash, and a linen turban. These are the holy clothes. He is to wash his body in water and then put them on.

In plain English: From the community of Israel he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.

In plain English: Aaron is to offer the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his household.

The Hebrew word: "Make atonement" is kaphar. The dictionary gives it as "to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel". It is in 13 of the 34 verses of this chapter.

How it is translated: This Bible says "atonement" or "atoning" in all 44 verses of Leviticus that use the word.

What changes: Some readers take the picture to be covering over sin. Others take it to be wiping clean or purging, as when the blood cleanses the altar in verse 19. The text uses the word for people and for things: the holy place, the Tent and the altar (verse 33).

In plain English: He is to take the two goats and stand them before Yahweh at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

In plain English: Aaron is to cast lots over the two goats: one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for Azazel (this Bible says: the scapegoat).

The Hebrew word: "Scapegoat" is azazel. It is in only 3 verses of the Bible, all in this chapter: here, verse 10 and verse 26. The dictionary gives it as "goat of departure; the scapegoat". The text does not explain the word.

How it is translated: This Bible says "scapegoat" in all 3 verses. Some other Bibles keep the Hebrew word as a name, "Azazel".

What changes: Readers take azazel in three ways: the goat itself, "the goat that goes away" (the older "scapegoat"); a rough, remote place in the wilderness; or the name of a being in the wilderness, because the verse sets "for Yahweh" beside "for Azazel".

Church tradition: Jewish and Christian readers have explained Azazel in different ways, including the three above. Many Christian readers also see the goat that carries the sins away as a picture of Christ. Leviticus 16 does not say which reading is meant.

In plain English: Aaron is to bring the goat whose lot fell for Yahweh and offer it as a sin offering.

In plain English: But the goat whose lot fell for Azazel is to be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement over it (or: for it), to send it away into the wilderness for Azazel (this Bible: as the scapegoat).

Good to know: On "scapegoat" (Hebrew azazel), see the note on verse 8.

In plain English: Aaron is to bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his household. He is to kill the bull of the sin offering that is for himself.

In plain English: He is to take a censer (a fire pan) full of burning coals from the altar before Yahweh, and two handfuls of fine, sweet incense, and bring it inside the curtain.

In plain English: He is to put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, so that the cloud of incense covers the mercy seat that is on the covenant (literally: the testimony), so that he will not die.

In plain English: He is to take some of the bull's blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat, on the east side. In front of the mercy seat he is to sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

In plain English: Then he is to kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, bring its blood inside the curtain, and do with it as he did with the bull's blood: sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of it.

In plain English: He is to make atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the Israelites and their wrongdoings, all their sins. He is to do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which stays with them in the middle of their uncleanness.

In plain English: No one is to be in the Tent of Meeting from the time he goes in to make atonement in the holy place until he comes out, when he has made atonement for himself, for his household, and for the whole assembly of Israel.

In plain English: He is to go out to the altar that is before Yahweh and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on the horns of the altar, all around.

In plain English: He is to sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times. So he cleanses it and makes it holy from the uncleanness of the Israelites.

In plain English: When he has finished making atonement for the holy place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he is to bring forward the live goat.

In plain English: Aaron is to lay both his hands on the live goat's head and confess over it all the wrongs of the Israelites and all their wrongdoings, all their sins. He is to put them on the goat's head and send it away into the wilderness with a man who is ready (literally: timely).

The Hebrew word: "Ready" is itti, which the dictionary gives as "timely". It is in only this one verse of the Bible.

In plain English: The goat will carry all their wrongs on itself to a land cut off (a lonely place). He is to let the goat go in the wilderness.

In plain English: Aaron is to go into the Tent of Meeting and take off the linen clothes he put on when he went into the holy place, and leave them there.

In plain English: He is to wash his body with water in a holy place and put on his own clothes. Then he is to come out and offer his burnt offering and the people's burnt offering, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

In plain English: He is to burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

In plain English: The man who let the goat go for Azazel is to wash his clothes and wash his body in water. After that he may come into the camp.

In plain English: The bull and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought into the holy place to make atonement, are to be carried outside the camp. Their skins, their meat, and their dung are to be burned with fire.

In plain English: The one who burns them is to wash his clothes and wash his body in water. After that he may come into the camp.

In plain English: This is to be a rule for you forever. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you are to afflict yourselves (or: humble yourselves; literally: afflict your souls) and do no work at all, both the people born in the land and the foreigners living among you.

The Hebrew words: "Afflict your souls" is anah, which the dictionary gives as "to depress", with nephesh, soul or self (as in Genesis 2:7).

How it is translated: In Leviticus the verb is in 5 verses, all about this day. This Bible says "afflict" in 3 and "deny" in 2, as in Leviticus 23:32: "you shall deny yourselves".

Church tradition: Jewish readers keep this day as Yom Kippur, with a fast. Acts 27:9 speaks of "the Fast", which many readers take to be this day. Leviticus 16 says "afflict your souls" and does not say how.

In plain English: For on this day atonement will be made for you, to make you clean. You will be clean from all your sins before Yahweh.

In plain English: It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you are to afflict yourselves. It is a rule forever.

In plain English: The priest who is anointed and ordained (literally: whose hand is filled) to serve as priest in his father's place is to make the atonement. He is to put on the linen clothes, the holy clothes.

In plain English: He is to make atonement for the holy sanctuary, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the assembly.

In plain English: "This is to be a rule for you forever: to make atonement for the Israelites once a year for all their sins." And it was done as Yahweh commanded Moses.

Church tradition: Hebrews 9:7 speaks of the high priest going in "once in the year, not without blood", and Hebrews 9:11 and 12 say that Christ entered the Holy Place "through his own blood". Many churches read this chapter in that light. Jewish readers keep the day each year. Leviticus 16 gives the rule for the priest and the people.