Bible Verses About the Scapegoat: 12

"But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat."

— Leviticus 16:10 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about the scapegoat want Scripture on azazel — the live goat that bears iniquity away on the Day of Atonement — not only the atonement covering hub alone, the mercy seat cover alone, the passover feast alone, or the propitiation hilastērion list alone. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about atonement, Bible verses about mercy seat, Bible verses about propitiation, Bible verses about passover, Bible verses about high priest, Bible verses about hope, Bible verses about faith, Bible verses about worship, Bible verses about salvation, Bible verses about Jesus, Bible verses about Christ, and Bible verse of the day. Scapegoat here means the live goat sent away — distinct from atonement covering and mercy-seat cover inventories alone.

Word study (lead theme). In Hebrew, עֲזָאזֵל azazel (Strong's H5799; Bible Hub H5799) — scapegoat / “goat of departure” / Azazel; in Leviticus 16 the lot for the live goat presented before the Lord and sent into the wilderness. This list tracks that live-goat / bearing-away speech — not the broader kaphar / hilasmos atonement twelve alone.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Leviticus 16 presses the two goats — one slain, one sent away — as the people's sins confessed and carried off (Bible Hub MHC Leviticus 16; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Leviticus 16). (Atonement and mercy-seat hubs live on those pages; this list centers the scapegoat.)

12 Bible verses about the scapegoat

1. Leviticus 16:10. "But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat." The classic live-goat / azazel lot. See Bible verses about atonement.

2. Leviticus 16:8. "He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat." Two lots — one for the Lord, one for the scapegoat. See Bible verses about worship.

3. Leviticus 16:9. "Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering." The companion goat for the Lord — the pair that makes the scapegoat clear. See Bible verses about high priest.

4. Leviticus 16:20. "When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat." Bring forward the live goat after the Most Holy Place work. See Bible verses about mercy seat.

5. Leviticus 16:21. "He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task." Hands on the head — sins put on the goat. See Bible verses about faith.

6. Leviticus 16:22. "The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness." The goat carries sins away. See Bible verses about salvation.

7. Leviticus 16:26. "The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp." The sender washed before return. See Bible verses about holiness.

8. Isaiah 53:6. "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Iniquity laid on him — bearing speech beyond the goat. See Bible verses about Jesus.

9. Isaiah 53:11. "After he has suffered, 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." He will bear their iniquities. See Bible verses about Christ.

10. Isaiah 53:12. "Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." He bore the sin of many. See Bible verses about salvation.

11. Hebrews 13:11-12. "The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood." Outside the camp — bearing away fulfilled. See Bible verses about high priest.

12. 1 Peter 2:24. "'He himself bore our sins' in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; 'by his wounds you have been healed.'" He himself bore our sins. See Bible verses about hope.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse when you need the scapegoat — not twelve as a grind. If you need the lot itself, start at Leviticus 16:10. If you need confession on the goat's head, open Leviticus 16:21. If you need Christ bearing sin, open Isaiah 53:6 or 1 Peter 2:24. For the broader covering work, open Bible verses about atonement. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse about the scapegoat?

Leviticus 16:10 is the clear starting place; Leviticus 16:21–22 press the confession and the carrying away.

How do Bible verses about the scapegoat differ from atonement alone?

Atonement pages gather kaphar / hilasmos covering. This list centers the live goat azazel — sins confessed and sent away.

What Hebrew word sits under scapegoat?

Azazel (H5799) — scapegoat / Azazel; in Leviticus 16 the lot for the live goat.

Why isn't Leviticus 17:11 or 1 John 2:2 on this page?

Those exclusive atonement / hilasmos leads stay on that hub so the lists stay distinct (this page owns the scapegoat inventory above).

Where should I start if I only read one page?

Start here for the scapegoat; open atonement for covering; open mercy seat for the cover.