Leviticus 16:20 - “When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat.
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What does "Leviticus 16:20" mean?
Leviticus 16 describes the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the most solemn day in the Jewish year, when the High Priest atoned for the sins of the entire nation. Verse 16:20, "“When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat," fits into a larger, complex ritual. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
"When he has finished atoning..." This is crucial. Before dealing with the live goat, the High Priest had already performed a series of critical atonement rituals. These included:
Sacrificing a bull for his own sins and the sins of his household. (Leviticus 16:6, 11-14)
Burning incense in the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies) before the Ark of the Covenant. (Leviticus 16:12-13)
Sprinkling the blood of the bull and a goat (sacrificed for the sins of the people) onto the Ark of the Covenant (Mercy Seat) and in front of it. (Leviticus 16:14-15)
Sprinkling the blood of the bull and the goat on the altar of incense in the Holy Place. (Leviticus 16:18-19)
These actions were all necessary to cleanse the Holy Place (Most Holy Place), the Tent of Meeting (outer sanctuary), and the altar from the defilement caused by the sins of the Israelites throughout the year. Sins were seen as a corrupting influence that polluted the sacred space.
"...the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar..." These are the key locations within the Tabernacle/Temple that were directly affected by the sins of the people. By cleansing these places with blood, symbolic purification was achieved.
"...he shall present the live goat." This is where the verse connects to the next stage of the ritual, involving two goats: one sacrificed as a sin offering and the other, the "live goat," often called the scapegoat. This presentation involves bringing the live goat forward after the places of worship have been cleansed. It marks the transition to the next phase, where the sins are symbolically transferred to the goat and removed from the community.
In summary, this verse signals the completion of the initial stages of atonement, focused on cleansing the sacred spaces, and the beginning of the process of removing the sins from the people and the land. It is a transitional statement that sets the stage for the ritual involving the scapegoat, which is a distinct but related aspect of the Day of Atonement.
Leviticus 16:20 - “When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat.
What does "Leviticus 16:20" mean?
Leviticus 16 describes the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the most solemn day in the Jewish year, when the High Priest atoned for the sins of the entire nation. Verse 16:20, "“When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat," fits into a larger, complex ritual. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
"When he has finished atoning..." This is crucial. Before dealing with the live goat, the High Priest had already performed a series of critical atonement rituals. These included:
Sacrificing a bull for his own sins and the sins of his household. (Leviticus 16:6, 11-14)
Burning incense in the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies) before the Ark of the Covenant. (Leviticus 16:12-13)
Sprinkling the blood of the bull and a goat (sacrificed for the sins of the people) onto the Ark of the Covenant (Mercy Seat) and in front of it. (Leviticus 16:14-15)
Sprinkling the blood of the bull and the goat on the altar of incense in the Holy Place. (Leviticus 16:18-19)
These actions were all necessary to cleanse the Holy Place (Most Holy Place), the Tent of Meeting (outer sanctuary), and the altar from the defilement caused by the sins of the Israelites throughout the year. Sins were seen as a corrupting influence that polluted the sacred space.
"...the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar..." These are the key locations within the Tabernacle/Temple that were directly affected by the sins of the people. By cleansing these places with blood, symbolic purification was achieved.
"...he shall present the live goat." This is where the verse connects to the next stage of the ritual, involving two goats: one sacrificed as a sin offering and the other, the "live goat," often called the scapegoat. This presentation involves bringing the live goat forward after the places of worship have been cleansed. It marks the transition to the next phase, where the sins are symbolically transferred to the goat and removed from the community.
In summary, this verse signals the completion of the initial stages of atonement, focused on cleansing the sacred spaces, and the beginning of the process of removing the sins from the people and the land. It is a transitional statement that sets the stage for the ritual involving the scapegoat, which is a distinct but related aspect of the Day of Atonement.