Leviticus 16:1-10 Meaning: Approaching God After Tragedy
1Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they came near before Yahweh, and died;
2and Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.
3“Aaron shall come into the sanctuary with a young bull for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
4He shall put on the holy linen tunic. He shall have the linen trousers on his body, and shall put on the linen sash, and he shall be clothed with the linen turban. They are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and put them on.
5He shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6“Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.
7He shall take the two goats, and set them before Yahweh at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
8Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for Yahweh, and offer him for a sin offering.
10But the goat on which the lot fell for the scapegoat shall be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement for him, to send him away as the scapegoat into the wilderness.
1And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died;
2And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
3Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
4He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.
5And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.
7And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
8And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
10But 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.
1And Jehovah spake unto Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before Jehovah, and died;
2and Jehovah said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the mercy-seat which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat.
3Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering.
4He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with the linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: they are the holy garments; and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and put them on.
5And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two he-goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering.
6And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his house.
7And he shall take the two goats, and set them before Jehovah at the door of the tent of meeting.
8And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel.
9And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer him for a sin-offering.
10But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness.
1And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, in their drawing near before Jehovah, and they die;
2yea, Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Speak unto Aaron thy brother, and he cometh not in at all times unto the sanctuary within the vail, unto the front of the mercy-seat, which is upon the ark, and he dieth not, for in a cloud I am seen upon the mercy-seat.
3`With this doth Aaron come in unto the sanctuary; with a bullock, a son of the herd, for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering;
4a holy linen coat he putteth on, and linen trousers are on his flesh, and with a linen girdle he girdeth himself, and with a linen mitre he wrappeth himself up; they are holy garments; and he hath bathed with water his flesh, and hath put them on.
5`And from the company of the sons of Israel he taketh two kids of the goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering;
6and Aaron hath brought near the bullock of the sin-offering which is his own, and hath made atonement for himself, and for his house;
7and he hath taken the two goats, and hath caused them to stand before Jehovah, at the opening of the tent of meeting.
8`And Aaron hath given lots over the two goats, one lot for Jehovah, and one lot for a goat of departure;
9and Aaron hath brought near the goat on which the lot for Jehovah hath gone up, and hath made it a sin-offering.
10`And the goat on which the lot for a goat of departure hath gone up is caused to stand living before Jehovah to make atonement by it, to send it away for a goat of departure into the wilderness.
1And Jehovah spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they came near before Jehovah and died;
2and Jehovah said to Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the sanctuary inside the veil before the mercy-seat which is upon the ark, that he die not; for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat.
3In this manner shall Aaron come into the sanctuary: with a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering.
4A holy linen vest shall he put on, and linen trousers shall be upon his flesh, and he shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and put them on.
5And of the assembly of the children of Israel shall he take two bucks of the goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering.
6And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his house.
7And he shall take the two goats, and set them before Jehovah, before the entrance of the tent of meeting.
8And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats: one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel.
9And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer it [as] a sin-offering.
10And the goat upon which the lot fell for Azazel shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement with it, to send it away as Azazel into the wilderness.
Meaning in one sentence
The Day of Atonement begins with death. This passage shows why God gave careful instructions for approaching His presence and how He removes sin.
Context
Leviticus 16 sits at the heart of the book. It describes the Day of Atonement, the one day each year when the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place behind the veil. But the chapter does not open with ritual. It opens with a funeral. God speaks to Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons, Nadab and Abihu, who had offered unauthorized fire before the Lord and died (Leviticus 10). That tragedy hangs over everything that follows. It teaches that God's holiness is not something to treat lightly. The instructions that come next, the washing, the garments, the sacrifices, the two goats, are not arbitrary. They are God's gift, a way for a sinful people to draw near without being consumed.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words help us feel the weight of this passage. First, God warns Aaron not to enter the sanctuary at just any time (בְּכָל־עֵת, bekhol et). The word for time can mean a specific occasion or a habitual moment. The restriction was not to keep people away but to protect them. Coming before a holy God on our own schedule is dangerous. The way must be His way.
Second, the place behind the veil is called the mercy seat (כַּפֹּרֶת, kapporet). It is the gold cover on the ark where the Lord appeared in a cloud. The word comes from a root meaning 'to cover' or 'to atone.' This is where blood was sprinkled. It is not a throne of judgment but a meeting place for mercy.
Third, the goat sent away is called Azazel (עֲזָאזֵל, aza'zel). The meaning may be 'goat of departure' or a place of removal. This goat carried the people's sins into the wilderness. Both goats together form one offering: the slain goat pays for sin, the living goat removes it. God does not just cover sin; He takes it away.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers across traditions have long seen this ceremony as a portrait of Christ's work. The slain goat points to Jesus dying for our sins. The scapegoat sent away pictures the complete removal of sin, as the writer of Hebrews explains. Some early interpreters have understood Azazel as a name for a desert demon or fallen angel, but most traditions focus on the action: sin is both atoned for and carried off. The two goats together are a single offering, and both belong to God's provision. Across traditions, this passage stirs gratitude for the thoroughness of God's forgiveness, a shadow that finds its reality in Jesus.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think the scapegoat represents Satan or a demon, based on the name Azazel. In fact, the text never identifies Azazel as a personal being. The Hebrew is best understood as 'the goat that departs.' The two goats together are a single sin offering. The slain goat provides the blood for atonement; the live goat carries the sin away. Both actions belong to God's provision, not to any evil power. The point is that sin is fully removed, not that a demon is appeased.
Living This Out
This passage asks you to take sin seriously. Not to live in fear, but to recognize that the God who designed the Day of Atonement also provided the final sacrifice in Jesus. You can approach Him confidently, because Christ has entered the Most Holy Place for you. But that confidence is not casual. It is born from knowing what it cost. This week, when you think about your failures, remember that God does not just cover sin; He removes it as far as the east is from the west. That is the kind of forgiveness the Day of Atonement pictured, and that Jesus made real.
Main takeaway: God provides a way for sin to be both paid for and carried away, pointing to Jesus who does both fully.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told Aaron he could only come into His special room once a year, and only with a gift. That's because God is holy and we are not. But God made a way for Aaron to come close safely.
For ages 9, 12
The Day of Atonement was the most important day of the year. The high priest offered a bull for his own sins and two goats for the people's sins. One goat was killed, and the other was sent far into the wilderness, carrying the people's sins away forever. This showed that God not only forgives sin but removes it completely. It points forward to Jesus, who died for our sins and takes them away forever.
Questions People Ask
What is the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16?
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was the one day each year when the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place to offer sacrifices for his own sins and the sins of the people. It was a day of solemn fasting and repentance, and it foreshadowed the final atonement brought by Jesus Christ.
Why does Leviticus 16 start with the death of Aaron's sons?
The deaths of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10) were a recent tragedy. God uses it to warn Aaron that He must not come into His presence carelessly or at just any time. The opening reminds readers that God's holiness is real and that the instructions for atonement are a gift meant to protect, not to exclude.
What is the meaning of Azazel / scapegoat?
The Hebrew word Azazel likely means 'goat of departure' or refers to a place of removal. The goat sent away carried the sins of the people into the wilderness. It was not a demon or an evil being; it was part of the single sin offering, symbolizing that God completely removes sin from His people.
Why were there two goats on the Day of Atonement?
The two goats together formed one sin offering. One was sacrificed, and its blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement. The other was sent alive into the wilderness, carrying the sins away. This double picture shows that God both pays for sin and removes it entirely.
How does the Day of Atonement point to Jesus?
Christians see the Day of Atonement as a foreshadowing of Jesus' sacrifice. The high priest represented Christ, who entered heaven itself with His own blood. The slain goat pictures Jesus dying for our sins. The scapegoat pictures the complete removal of sin through His resurrection and intercession.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study