Leviticus 16:20 Meaning: The Two Goats of Atonement
“When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat.
And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
And when he hath made an end of atoning for the holy place, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat:
`And he hath ceased from making atonement for the sanctuary, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, and hath brought near the living goat;
And when he hath ended making atonement for the sanctuary, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, he shall present the living goat;
Meaning in one sentence
Leviticus 16:20 explains the ritual of the live goat after atonement for the sanctuary, what it means and how it points to complete forgiveness.
Context
Leviticus 16 is the heart of Israel's worship. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest enters the Holy of Holies with blood to cleanse the sanctuary from the people's sins. First he offers a bull for himself and a goat whose blood is sprinkled inside the veil. Then comes this verse: after finishing that work, for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he brings forward the second goat, still alive. The ceremony that follows will confess every sin of Israel onto its head and send it away into the wilderness. The two goats together form a single picture of atonement: one dies, the other carries sin out of sight.
Key Words
Three Hebrew verbs carry the action here. Kalah (translated “he has finished”) means to complete or bring to an end. It is the same word used for finishing creation in Genesis 2:1. The priest does not rush or leave work undone, the atonement for the sanctuary is fully accomplished before he turns to the next step.
Kafar (“atoning”) is the word at the core of this chapter. It means to cover, to make reconciliation. The blood of the first goat covers the sins that have defiled God's dwelling place. The covering is real and complete.
Finally hikriv (“he shall present”) comes from qarav, to bring near, to offer. This is the same verb used for bringing a sacrifice to the altar. The live goat is led forward as an offering. Though it will not be killed, it is presented to God as part of the sin offering (Leviticus 16:5). The two goats are one ceremony: one blood covers, the other carries.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen the two goats as a unified picture of atonement. Many read the slain goat as pointing to Christ's death that covers sin, and the live goat (the scapegoat) as his resurrection and ascension that carries sin away forever, echoing Isaiah 53:6 and Psalm 103:12. Others, including some Reformed commentators, see the live goat as representing the removal of sin's guilt and curse, with both goats together portraying Christ's complete work. Jewish tradition understands the goat sent to Azazel as a ritual carried out for national purification, with the wilderness representing a place of separation from God. The precise identity of Azazel, a place, a being, or simply “the goat that departs”, has been debated for centuries. What all readers share is the conviction that this ceremony speaks of a real, decisive removal of sin.
A common misunderstanding
Some think the live goat was simply an afterthought, a symbolic “escape goat” that had nothing to do with real atonement. In fact, the text tells us both goats are presented together as a sin offering (Leviticus 16:5). The live goat was brought before the Lord (verse 10) and had sins confessed over it. It was as much a part of the atonement as the slain goat. One died to cover; the other carried the confessed sins away. Neither can be understood without the other.
Living This Out
This verse invites you to hold onto both sides of forgiveness. The first goat covers your sin, God sees it no more within the sanctuary. But the second goat removes it completely, carrying it into a land not inhabited. This week, when guilt whispers that your sin might still be lurking somewhere, remember the live goat. God does not just hide what you have done; he takes it away. The distance between you and your sin is as far as east from west. You do not need to work for that removal, it is finished, carried off by the One who was led outside the camp.
Main takeaway: After fully atoning for every sin, God sends the live goat into the wilderness to carry those sins away forever.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
On the Day of Atonement, the priest used two goats. He killed one to cover the people's sins. Then he put his hands on the other goat and told it all the wrong things the people had done. That goat ran away into the desert, taking the sins far away. God was teaching his people that he forgives completely.
For ages 9, 12
Think about why two goats were needed. One goat died, and its blood was taken into the holiest room of the tabernacle. That showed that sin costs something serious. But God also wanted his people to know that sin is not just covered, it is removed. So the priest confessed every sin onto the second goat, and it was led into the wilderness, never to return. Together, these two goats picture what Jesus did for us: he died to pay for sin and he rose again to take it away forever. That is why the apostle Paul could say, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
Questions People Ask
Why does the priest finish atoning for the sanctuary before bringing the live goat?
The order matters. The sanctuary, God's dwelling place, had been defiled by the people's sin. First the priest cleanses it with blood, so God's presence can stay among them. Only then can the sins be loaded onto the live goat and carried away. The two acts are connected: covering comes before removing.
What does the word 'Azazel' mean in relation to the live goat?
Azazel appears in Leviticus 16 with several interpretations. The Septuagint and many translations render it 'scapegoat' or 'goat of removal.' Some Jewish and Christian commentators see it as a personal name, possibly referring to a fallen angel or a desert demon. Others understand it as a place, a rugged, barren cliff. The text itself does not define Azazel; it focuses on the action: the goat is sent away into the wilderness, carrying sin out of the camp.
Does the live goat represent Jesus or Satan?
Christians have seen both goats as typological pictures of Christ. The slain goat represents his death that covers sin. The live goat represents his resurrection and ascension, carrying sin away forever. A minority view in church history has connected the scapegoat with Satan bearing the curse, but this is not the dominant reading. Most Jewish tradition does not assign a personal identity to the goat; it is simply a vehicle for removing the people's transgressions.
How does Leviticus 16:20 connect to the New Testament?
The author of Hebrews draws heavily on the Day of Atonement to explain Christ's work (Hebrews 9, 10). Jesus is the high priest who enters the heavenly sanctuary with his own blood. Some Christians also see the live goat in John the Baptist's words: 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29). The New Testament focuses on both the once-for-all sacrifice and the complete removal of sin.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study