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Lesson 18 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 5

YEHOVAH God (the LORD), and the other lot “goat,” and the second part, ‘azel, meaning “to
for the “SCAPEGOAT.” The King James go away.” With recent evidence from the
version of the Bible renders it “scapegoat” -- but Ugaritic (the language of ancient Canaan from
many, if not MOST, of the newer translations which Hebrew is derived), compound names
leave it untranslated as “AZAZEL.” such as this one are turning up more frequently
If we hold to the spelling in the Hebrew than what we had expected based on evidence
Masoretic text, “aza’.zel” seems to be a from the Hebrew alone. This is how the
combination of TWO root words meaning a rendering “scape goat” came to be. Today,
“goat” and “disappear.” Thus the meaning “Goat however, we would need to call it the
That Disappears.” The Greek expression used in “escape-goat,) for by “scape goat” we mean the
the Septuagint version of the Old Testament one who always gets blamed or gets stuck with a
means “the one CARRYING AWAY (averting) task that is distasteful. Originally, however, the
evil.” While most lexicons indicate the meaning King James translators meant “THE GOAT
as “dubious,” they have the word defined both as THAT WAS LED AWAY” (Hard Sayings of
“Azazel” and as “ENTIRE REMOVAL.” the Bible, pp. 159-160).
Green’s Literal Translation renders the “The word Azazel,” concludes Alfred
last part of Leviticus 16:8 as: “and one lot for a Edersheim, “which only occurs in Lev. Xvi, is
COMPLETE REMOVAL.” Young’s Literal by UNIVERSAL CONSENT derived from a
Translation is similar. It reads, “and one lot for a root which means ‘wholly to put aside,’ or
GOAT OF DEPARTURE.” The Amplified ‘wholly to go away.’ Whether, therefore, we
Bible, a paraphrase, says: “the other lot FOR render ‘la-Azazel’ by ‘for him who is wholly put
AZAZEL OR REMOVAL.” aside,’ that is, THE SIN-BEARING CHRIST, or
In Pentateuch and Haftorahs, by Dr. ‘for being wholly separated,’ or ‘put wholly
J.H. Hertz (late Chief Rabbi of the British aside or away,’ the truth is still the same, as
Empire), we read: “The Heb. Azazel, however, pointing through temporary and provisional
is NOT A PROPER NAME, but a rare Hebrew removal of sin by the goat ‘let go’ in ‘the land not
noun...meaning, “dismissal” or “entire removal” inhabited,’ to the final, real, and COMPLETE
(RV Margin, Gesenius, Hoffmann, and the REMOVAL OF SIN BY THE LORD JESUS
Oxford Hebrew Dictionary). It is the ANCIENT CHRIST, as we read it in Isa. Liii.6: ‘Jehovah
TECHNICAL TERM FOR THE ENTIRE hath made the iniquities of us all to meet on
REMOVAL OF SIN AND GUILT OF THE him’” (The Temple, pp. 323-324).
COMMUNITY, that was symbolized by the 5. How was it determined which goat
sending away of the goat into the wilderness” was to be accepted and which was to be rejected?
(Soncino Press, 1990, p. 481). Leviticus 16:8.
Another source states: “The word lz)z( is COMMENT: A LOT is a solemn appeal
a contraction of lzlz( and means “ENTIRE to YEHOVAH God to decide a doubtful matter.
REMOVAL,” derived from the Aramaic root lz( It is a sacred religious ceremony. It includes a
“to remove,” intensified by the reduplication lz. supernatural act of YEHOVAH God. See also
According to this interpretation, “for Azazel” Proverbs 16:33.
signifies “FOR THE ENTIRE REMOVAL OF 6. Whom did the other goat typify -- the
GUILT” (BDB, 481; D. Hoffman, Das Buch one which was accepted? Verse 15. Then this
Leviticus 1-11, Berlin 1905/1906, 444). goat which was sacrificed for a sin offering and
Explains Kaiser, Davids, Bruce and whose blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat for
Brauch: “The most adequate explanation is to an atonement for all Israel represented Yeshua
view the term ‘aza’zel as being composed of the Messiah, didn’t it? We will see this more
TWO WORDS: the first part, ‘ez, meaning clearly in a moment.

Day of Atonement -- AT-ONE-MENT with YEHOVAH God!