Azazel (The Scapegoat)

The word “Azazel” (עֲזָאזֵל) is a combination of two Hebrew words: ez (עֵז), meaning “goat,” and azal (אָזַל), meaning “to go away” or “to remove.” The original Hebrew meaning is “to completely remove.” It is sometimes transliterated as “Azazel” and other times translated as “scapegoat.” The Bible uses this term to signify the “removal of the people’s sins.”

In ancient Israel, during the time of atonement, two flawless goats would be brought to the entrance of the tabernacle. Two lots were cast for them, one marked “for the LORD” and the other marked “for Azazel.” The goat selected “for the LORD” was killed as a sin offering to Jehovah. The goat selected “for Azazel” was presented alive to the LORD. After the ritual, this goat was sent into the wilderness to die, symbolizing that it carried the sins of the people away, completely removing their iniquities (Leviticus 16:7-22).

When Jesus began His ministry, John the Baptist confirmed that Jesus was “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” prophesying that Jesus would die on the cross and “himself bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).

Edited and compiled based on the Chinese Union Version Bible and Comprehensive Biblical Interpretation.