Leviticus 16:21
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The profound depth here is in the careful wording: "all the iniquities... and all their transgressions, all their sins." This isn't just a casual listing; it's a comprehensive catalog meant to cover every possible angle of sin, emphasizing that nothing is too small or too great to be transferred away from the people. It highlights the immense burden of sin and the completeness of God's provision for its removal.
And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse describes a pivotal moment in the Day of Atonement ritual, where the high priest symbolically transfers the sins of all Israel onto a live goat. This act follows the sacrifices for the high priest and the community, and precedes the goat's being sent away into the wilderness to carry those sins far off. The detailed instructions highlight the comprehensive nature of atonement and the profound removal of sin from God's sight.
Imagine confessing every single wrong thing you've ever done, not just to a friend, but to God. This ceremony demands it, using three powerful words for sin.
The ritual here isn't just a quick apology. Aaron lays both hands on the live goat, a symbolic act showing the complete transfer of guilt.
All Kinds of Wrong
The text uses three distinct Hebrew words to capture the totality of sin:
By confessing all three, the people were reminded that every aspect of their sin, from the smallest oversight to the most rebellious act, was being accounted for and transferred.
What happens to the sins after they're confessed? They're not just forgotten; they're actively carried away to a place where they won't be found.
The live goat, burdened with the confessed sins, is sent into the wilderness. This isn't just random wandering; it's a deliberate act of removal.
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Far From God's Sight
The wilderness represents a place of separation and desolation. By sending the goat away, the people were given a powerful, visual reminder:
Understand the original words
avon · Hebrew Noun
Acts of moral failure, wickedness, or perversity that represent a departure from God's standards and a twisting of His moral order.
pesha · Hebrew Noun
An act of rebellion against authority, specifically a breach of the covenant between God and His people; a willful violation of known commands.
chatta'ah · Hebrew Noun
Missing the mark of God's holiness; an offense against God's law that results in separation from Him and guilt.
midbar · Hebrew Noun
A place removed from the inhabited community, often symbolic of desolation, death, or the domain of God's judgment, away from the presence of the people.
This passage directly parallels the concept of sins being laid upon an innocent substitute, pointing forward to Christ who bore the iniquities of us all.
1 Peter 2:24This New Testament passage explicitly connects the Old Testament sacrificial system, including the bearing of sins, to Jesus Christ who 'bore our sins in his body on the tree'.
Hebrews 9:24-26The author of Hebrews uses the Day of Atonement ritual, including the sending away of the goat, as a powerful type pointing to Christ's single, perfect sacrifice for sin that put an end to the need for repeated offerings.
Matthew 1:21This verse highlights Jesus's name meaning 'the Lord saves,' directly connecting to the purpose of these sacrifices – the salvation and cleansing from sin that He would ultimately accomplish.
John 1:29John the Baptist's declaration of Jesus as the 'Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world' echoes the function of the scapegoat, signifying the complete removal of sin through Christ.
bensonLeviticus 16:21: "And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:"
Leviticus 16:21 . All the iniquities — He mentions iniquities, transgressions, and sins, to denote sins of all sorts, and that a free and full confession was to be made, and that the small…
gillLeviticus 16:21: "And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:"
And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat,.... In this order as the Targum of Jonathan says, his right hand upon his left hand on the head of the live goat; this was…
The profound depth here is in the careful wording: "all the iniquities... and all their transgressions, all their sins." This isn't just a casual listing; it's a comprehensive catalog meant to cover every possible angle of sin, emphasizing that nothing is too small or too great to be transferred away from the people. It highlights the immense burden of sin and the completeness of God's provision for its removal.
This verse describes a pivotal moment in the Day of Atonement ritual, where the high priest symbolically transfers the sins of all Israel onto a live goat. This act follows the sacrifices for the high priest and the community, and precedes the goat's being sent away into the wilderness to carry those sins far off. The detailed instructions highlight the comprehensive nature of atonement and the profound removal of sin from God's sight.
This verse describes a pivotal moment in the Day of Atonement ritual, where the high priest symbolically transfers the sins of all Israel onto a live goat. This act follows the sacrifices for the high priest and the community, and precedes the goat's being sent away into the wilderness to carry those sins far off. The detailed instructions highlight the comprehensive nature of atonement and the profound removal of sin from God's sight.
"And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away i…" — The profound depth here is in the careful wording: "all the iniquities... and all their transgressions, all their sins." This isn't just a casual listing; it's a comprehensive catalog meant to cover…
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Last reviewed October 2026
