Hebrew Word Study – The Scapegoat – Azazel  עזאזל Ayin Zayin Aleph Zayin Lamed

Leviticus 16:9-10: “And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him [for] a sin offering. (10) 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.”

I was reading something interesting in the Jewish Talmud in Rosh Hashanah 16b.  The scapegoat never made it out alive. During Yom Kippur in ancient days, two goats were brought before the High Priest. Both were as identical as possible.  Lots were then drawn. One bore the words “To the Lord” and the other “To Azazel.”  

The word Azazel is an interesting word as there is much debate as to what its meaning really is.  Many translations just translate it as Azazel in reference to a geological location.  Some of the earlier translations use the word scapegoat. As to whether Azazel meant scapegoat to the ancient Hebrews is highly questionable. In 1530 William Tyndale broke the law of the land by translating the Bible into English.  This was an act for which he was put to death.  Azazel was the name of a demon and even a common name among Jews used for Satan.  It sure didn’t sound right to say the other lot fell to Satan who was allowed to escape so Tyndale considered the word Azazel to be a compound word, as for goat ez and azal for sending away, hence scapegoat.  However, if we stay with the original understanding of Azazel as a demon or even Satan himself, we are open to a deeper and more relevant understanding of this rather puzzling ritual.

It is fairly obvious that the goat who received the lot “To the Lord” was representative of the Messiah as we identify to be Jesus.  This Messiah gave his life and shed his blood for the sins of all mankind. But what was the reason for the Azazel and sending the goat into the wilderness?

It was not uncommon for Jews to amend their rituals and expand on statutes that were given by God. This was acceptable and Jesus Himself ratified this idea in Matthew 18:18-19: “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (19) Again, I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”  Now I am fully aware that many of you use these verses in a different context but having read similar words in the Talmud and studying the ancient Jewish concept of binding things on earth and having them bound in heaven, I believe there is a different context to consider.

Let me explain this in my own words, perhaps not the way it played in ancient times, but I think it is very close to it. The sages had no problem with one goat being slaughter and shedding its blood as a sign of God’s forgiveness of sin, but they also realized just having your sins forgiven was not enough. It was great on Yom Kippur to have all your sins forgiven, ready to start the New Year with a clean slate, but what about the consequences of those past sins?  Primarily the consequence of guilt. For example, how many children take advantage of their parents, never realizing the sacrifice they are making. It is not until they are older and maybe parents themselves that they begin to realize the love and sacrifice their parents made for them. They long to show that love and thankfulness, but their parents have passed on and now there is no way to thank them. They know they have broken God’s commandment by not honoring them but now that their parents are gone they cannot fulfill that commandment. They pray and repent and God forgives, washes that sin away like the goat shedding its blood for their sin. Yet, they live with the guilt that they never thanked their parents, repaid them with the honor and respect they deserved.  They feel they must carry that guilt and feel guilty if they don’t carry that guilt.  The sages saw that Azazel a demon or the enemy himself is constantly whispering in your ear: “Do you honestly think you should expect your children to honor you when you never honored your parents? Get real, you have to pay for that lack of respect.”  The only weapon the enemy has after God has forgiven you and cleansed you are his lies. 

The sages agreed that the Azazel or the scapegoat also represented the guilt of the sin. God forgave the sin but many still live with the guilt. The word wilderness is medabarah which could also be translated as words from the heart.  So, the picture they saw of the scapegoat was the words that the Azazel puts into your heart, words of condemnation and guilt are to be sent away far from the tabernacle or tent. Not only did God forgive our sins, He also removed the guilt. The only guilt we feel is just the lies of the Azazel or the enemy.

Ok, so what is the amendment to this law of Acharei Mot or the scapegoat? According to the Talmud, they did two extra things not mentioned in the Torah. First, they tied a red wool thread around the horn of the scapegoat and cut off a piece of that red wool thread.  Then when they sent the goat away a couple of priests followed it and when the goat got near a cliff, well, the priest made sure the poor fellow suffered the same fate as his buddy.  Hence the lies of Azazel were put to death.  

That little extra was added later when the sages all agreed and bound it on earth and since if at least two agree on earth as touching anything in heaven, that is the law of the Acharei Mot, would be done or bound in heaven as well.  

What is the evidence that heaven also agreed to this amendment?  Tradition teaches that when that scapegoat with the red thread tied around its horn was tossed off the cliff, the piece of wool thread that the High Priest cut from the red wool thread on the horn turned white as proof that God not only forgave the sins of the nation but took away the guilt as well. Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

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