John Calvin Commentary Leviticus 16:7

"And he shall take the two goats, and set them before Jehovah at the door of the tent of meeting." — Leviticus 16:7 (ASV)

And he shall take the two goats. A twofold mode of expiation is presented to us here. One of the two goats was offered in sacrifice according to the provisions of the Law; the other was sent away to be an outcast, or offscouring (κάθαρμα vel περίψημα²⁴²).

The fulfillment of both figures, however, was manifested in Christ. He was both the Lamb of God, whose offering blotted out the sins of the world, and, so that He might be as an offscouring (κάθαρμα,), His comeliness was destroyed, and He was rejected by men.

A more subtle speculation might indeed be advanced, namely, that after the goat was presented, its sending away was a type of Christ’s resurrection. This view suggests that the slaying of the one goat testified that satisfaction for sins was to be sought in the death of Christ, while the preservation and dismissal of the other showed that after Christ had been offered for sin and had borne the curse of men, He still remained alive.

However, I embrace what is more simple and certain, and am satisfied with that; i.e., that the goat which departed alive and free was an atonement,²⁴³ so that by its departure and flight the people might be assured that their sins were put away and had vanished.

This was the only expiatory sacrifice in the Law without blood. Nor does this contradict the statement of the Apostle, for since two goats were offered together, it was enough that the death of one should take place and that its blood should be shed for expiation. The lot was not cast until both goats had been brought to the door of the tabernacle. Thus, although the priest presented one of them alive to make an atonement with him, as Moses expressly says, God was not propitiated without blood, since the efficacy of the expiation depended on the sacrifice of the other goat.

Regarding the word Azazel,²⁴⁴ although commentators differ, I have no doubt that it designates the place to which the scapegoat was driven. It is certainly a compound word, equivalent to “the departure of the goat,” which the Greeks have translated (whether properly or not, I cannot say) as ἀποπομπαῖον.

I fear that the interpretation some interpreters give—namely, that the goat was so called as “the repeller of evils,” just as the Gentiles²⁴⁵ invented certain gods, called ἀλεξικάκους—is decidedly too subtle.

What I have said agrees best with the idea of the goat’s departure. However, I differ from the Jews, who believe that this place was near Mount Sinai, as if the lot for Azazel were not cast every year when the people were very far away from Mount Sinai.

Let it suffice, then, that some solitary and most uninhabitable spot was chosen to which the goat would be driven, so that the curse of God would not rest upon the people.

²⁴² The two Greek words here used are the same as those employed in 1 Corinthians 4:13ως περικαθάρματα (or, with others, (or, with others, ὡσπερεὶ καθάρματα) ) τῦ κόσμυ ἐγενήθημεν, πάντων περίψημα ἕως ἄρτι· which our A. V. translates, “we are made as the filth of the world, and are the of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.” Commentators seem to be agreed that they are citative by St. Paul of the Hebrew words in Lamentations 3:45, which , which A.V. translates “offscouring and refuse.” translates “offscouring and refuse.” C. ((Comment. on Cor., on Cor., vol. 1, p. 1650 says that says that κάθαρμα “denotes a man who, by public “denotes a man who, by public execrations is devoted, with the view to the cleansing of a city, etc."is devoted, with the view to the cleansing of a city, etc."

²⁴³ “Piaculum.” — .” — Lat. “ “Une beste maudite.” — .” — Fr..

²⁴⁴ C. adopts the opinion of . adopts the opinion of S. M. in regarding Azazel as the name of a place. Most lexicographers agree that, in regarding Azazel as the name of a place. Most lexicographers agree that, עזאזל cannot well mean anything else than what is its necessary translation, if divided thus cannot well mean anything else than what is its necessary translation, if divided thus עז אזל, viz., the goat departing. — , viz., the goat departing. — W

²⁴⁵ Thus Jupiter is addressed: —