Bible Strands
Leviticus 16:22
The goat will carry on itself all their iniquities into a solitary place, and the man will release it into the wilderness.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The priest completes the Day of Atonement ritual by transferring the confessed sins of the Israelites onto a live goat and handing it to an appointed man for removal from the camp.
The words — נָשָׂא (naśa') means it will bear, and עֲוֹנֹתָם ('ăwōnôtām) means their iniquities. These terms specify the exact transfer of guilt from the people to the animal.
The thread — The removal of iniquities into a remote location echoes the prophetic and New Testament themes of sin bearing and removal found in Isaiah 53:11, John 1:29, and Psalm 103:10.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that sin requires physical separation from the community and cannot remain among the people. It establishes a pattern where guilt is transferred and removed rather than merely forgiven in place.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 53:11 After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.
- John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
- Psalms 103:10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.
- Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
- Micah 7:19 He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea.
- Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
- Hebrews 9:28 so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
- 1 Peter 2:24 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
- Ezekiel 18:22 None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. Because of the righteousness he has practiced, he will live.