TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Leviticus 16:20–28.
The high priest having presented unto the Lord the expiatory sacrifices, by the sprinkling of their blood, the remainder of which, it is probable, he poured out at the foot of the brazen altar, 1. He is next to confess the sins of Israel, with both his hands upon the head of the scape-goat (Lev 16:20, Lev 16:21); and whenever hands were imposed upon the head of any sacrifice it was always done with confession, according as the nature of the sacrifice was; and, this being a sin-offering, it must be a confession of sin. In the latter and more degenerate ages of the Jewish church they had a set form of confession prepared for the high priest, but God here prescribed none; for it might be supposed that the high priest was so well acquainted with the state of the people, and had such a tender concern for them, that he needed not any form. The confession must be as particular as he could make it, not only of all the iniquities of the children of Israel, but all their transgressions in all their sins. In one sin there may be many transgressions, from the several aggravating circumstances of it; and in our confessions we should take notice of them, and not only say, I have sinned, but, with Achan, "Thus and thus have I done." By this confession he must put the sins of Israel upon the head of the goat; that is, exercising faith upon the divine appointment which constituted such a translation, he must transfer the punishment incurred from the sinners to the sacrifice, which would have been but a jest, nay, an affront to God, if he himself had not ordained it. 2. The goat was then to be sent away immediately by the hand of a fit person pitched upon for the purpose, into a wilderness, a land not inhabited; and God allowed them to make this construction of it, that the sending away of the goat was the sending away of their sins, by a free and full remission: He shall bear upon him all their iniquities, Lev 16:22. The losing of the goat was a sign to them that the sins of Israel should be sought for, and not found, Jer 50:20. The later Jews had a custom to tie one shred of scarlet cloth to the horns of the goat and another to the gate of the temple, or to the top of the rock where the goat was lost, and they concluded that if it turned white, as they say it usually did, the sins of Israel were forgiven, as it is written, Though your sins have been as scarlet, they shall be as wool: and they add that for forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans the scarlet cloth never changed colour at all, which is a fair confession that, having rejected the substance, the shadow stood them in no stead. 3. The high priest must then put off his linen garments in the tabernacle, and leave them there, the Jews say never to be worn again by himself or any other, for they made new ones every year; and he must bathe himself in water, put on his rich clothes, and then offer both his own and the people's burnt-offerings, Lev 16:23, Lev 16:24. When we have the comfort of our pardon God must have the glory of it. If we have the benefit of the sacrifice of atonement, we must not grudge the sacrifices of acknowledgment. And, it should seem, the burning of the fat of the sin-offering was deferred till now (Lev 16:25), that it might be consumed with the burnt-offerings. 4. The flesh of both those sin-offerings whose blood was taken within the veil was to be all burnt, not upon the altar, but at a distance without the camp, to signify both our putting away sin by true repentance, and the spirit of burning, and God's putting it away by a full remission, so that it shall never rise up in judgment against us. 5. He that took the scape-goat into the wilderness, and those that burned the sin-offering, were to be looked upon as ceremonially unclean, and must not come into the camp till they had washed their clothes and bathed their flesh in water, which signified the defiling nature of sin; even the sacrifice which was but made sin was defiling: also the imperfection of the legal sacrifices; they were so far from taking away sin that even they left some stain upon those that touched them. 6. When all this was done, the high priest went again into the most holy place to fetch his censer, and so returned to his own house with joy, because he had done his duty, and died not.
Continue studying Leviticus 16:22 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
Leviticus 16:22 vividly depicts the culmination of the Day of Atonement ritual, where the high priest symbolically transfers the accumulated sins of the Israelite community onto a designated goat. This goat is then led away into a desolate, uninhabited land, signifying the complete removal and banishment of the nation's iniquities from God's holy presence and from the people themselves, thereby ensuring their purification and renewed fellowship with the Almighty for the coming year.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is an indispensable part of the meticulous instructions for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, as detailed in Leviticus 16. The chapter prescribes the high priest Aaron's solemn duties for this most sacred day of the Israelite calendar, which was the only day he was permitted to enter the Most Holy Place. The ritual involves two goats: one sacrificed "for the Lord" as a sin offering, its blood used to make atonement within the sanctuary, and the other, the "scapegoat" (often associated with "Azazel"), presented alive before the Lord. After the high priest completes atonement for the sanctuary, the tabernacle, and the altar, he performs the crucial act described in Leviticus 16:21, laying his hands on the live goat's head and confessing all the iniquities of the people of Israel over it. Our verse, Leviticus 16:22, then describes the final, decisive action of this symbolic transfer and removal of sin, bringing the ritual to its climactic conclusion.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was uniquely significant as the sole occasion when the high priest entered the Most Holy Place, emphasizing its profound importance for national atonement and purification. While other ancient Near Eastern cultures practiced rituals involving the symbolic transfer of evil or impurity onto animals or objects, Israel's ritual was distinct in its divine mandate and its singular focus on the one true God's provision for sin. The concept of "bearing" sin was understood as taking on the guilt, defilement, and consequences of transgression. The "land not inhabited" or "wilderness" (Hebrew: midbar) was not merely an empty space but a place of desolation, separation, and often, danger—a fitting, uninhabitable destination for sins that were to be utterly removed and forgotten, never to return to the community or God's holy sight. This annual ritual served as a powerful, tangible reminder to the Israelites of the gravity of sin and the gracious, yet costly, provision God made for their cleansing and continued covenant relationship.
Key Themes
Leviticus 16, and particularly the ritual described in this verse, contributes significantly to several major theological and narrative themes within the book of Leviticus. Foremost among these is the theme of Holiness and Purity, emphasizing God's absolute holiness and the necessity for His people to be purified from sin to dwell in His presence. The ritual underscores Atonement and Forgiveness, demonstrating God's gracious provision for reconciling a sinful people to Himself through substitutionary sacrifice. The concept of Substitution is central, as the goat bears the iniquities in place of the people. Furthermore, the complete removal of sin highlights the theme of Divine Forgiveness and Cleansing, portraying sin as a burden that God desires to utterly banish. The detailed instructions also reinforce the theme of Covenant Maintenance, as these annual rites were crucial for Israel to remain in a right relationship with Yahweh, allowing His presence to continue among them in the tabernacle, as seen throughout Leviticus.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb (H5375) signifies "to lift," "to carry," or "to bear away." In the context of Leviticus 16:22, it powerfully conveys the transfer of a heavy burden—the collective guilt, defilement, and consequences of the nation's sins—from the people onto the goat. This act implies a complete assumption of responsibility for the iniquities by the goat, making it a substitute carrier, effectively taking the sins upon itself.
The term (H5771) refers to "perversity, i.e. (moral) evil; fault, iniquity, mischief, punishment (of iniquity), sin." It encompasses not merely individual acts of transgression but the accumulated moral crookedness, guilt, and culpability of the entire community. The declaration that the goat bears "all their iniquities" underscores the comprehensive nature of the atonement provided through this ritual, addressing the full scope of the nation's sinfulness.
This term (H1509), used in conjunction with "land" (H776), describes a "desert (as separated); not inhabited." It emphasizes the desolate, remote, and isolated nature of the destination. This "land cut off" is a place from which there is no return, signifying the complete, irreversible, and permanent removal of the sins, ensuring they are utterly separated from the community and God's holy presence.
Verse Breakdown
"And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities"
This initial clause encapsulates the core symbolic action of the scapegoat. Following the high priest's confession and laying on of hands, the goat is divinely appointed as the designated carrier of the nation's cumulative guilt and defilement. The phrase "all their iniquities" emphasizes the comprehensive scope of the sin transfer, encompassing every known and unknown transgression committed by the community throughout the year. This act is profoundly substitutionary, with the goat taking upon itself the spiritual burden that rightfully belonged to the people.
"unto a land not inhabited"
This specifies the crucial destination for the goat and, by extension, the sins it carries. The "land not inhabited" (Hebrew: eretz gᵉzêrâh, "a land cut off" or "a land of cutting off") refers to a desolate, uninhabitable, and remote region. This imagery powerfully conveys the idea of complete removal, banishment, and oblivion. The sins are not merely covered or forgiven; they are taken to a place from which they cannot return, ensuring they are utterly separated from the people and from the sight of God's holy presence.
"and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness."
This final action, performed by a designated man (not the high priest, to further emphasize the separation of the sins from the holy sanctuary), completes the ritual. The release of the goat into the midbâr (H4057, wilderness)—a place of desolation and wildness—symbolizes the finality and irrevocability of the sin removal. The goat, laden with the nation's sins, disappears into the desolate expanse, never to be seen again, thus signifying that the sins are gone, forgotten, and no longer held against the people by God.
Literary Devices
Leviticus 16:22 is exceptionally rich in Symbolism. The goat itself serves as a potent symbol of a substitute, designated to bear the weighty burden of the nation's sin. Its journey "unto a land not inhabited" is a symbolic journey, representing the nation's sins being carried away to a place of oblivion and non-existence, never to return or be remembered. The very act of "letting go" the goat is a powerful symbolic release from the spiritual bondage, guilt, and defilement of sin. The entire ritual, particularly the scapegoat's role, functions as a profound Metaphor for divine forgiveness and cleansing, illustrating in a tangible way how God deals with human transgression. Furthermore, the detailed instructions for the Day of Atonement, and specifically the role of the scapegoat, act as significant Foreshadowing of a greater, ultimate atonement to come, pointing forward to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Leviticus 16:22 profoundly illustrates God's gracious and comprehensive provision for dealing with sin, highlighting the foundational theological themes of substitutionary atonement, the complete removal of guilt, and divine forgiveness. The ritual of the scapegoat was a divinely ordained object lesson, teaching Israel that sin incurs a heavy burden and demands a radical, divinely provided solution. The symbolic transfer of iniquities onto the goat and its subsequent banishment into the wilderness underscored God's fervent desire for a truly clean and purified people, free from the defilement of their transgressions. This annual cleansing was absolutely essential for maintaining the covenant relationship between a holy God and an often-unholy people, demonstrating that God Himself provides the means for reconciliation and the complete obliteration of sin's record.
Reflection and Application
For believers today, Leviticus 16:22 offers immense comfort, profound assurance, and a deep revelation of God's boundless grace and the completeness of His forgiveness. While the Old Testament ritual was a shadow, a temporary object lesson, its core message—that sin can be utterly removed and its guilt banished from God's sight—remains eternally true through the finished work of Jesus Christ. This verse invites us to fully embrace the glorious freedom that comes from knowing our sins have been carried away, not merely covered or temporarily appeased, but truly and permanently removed from God's memory and our spiritual record. It calls us to live in the liberating reality of our cleansed state, no longer burdened by the crushing weight of past transgressions, but empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in newness of life, unhindered by guilt or shame. Our appropriate response to such profound, costly, and comprehensive grace should be one of humble gratitude, joyful obedience, and a renewed, passionate commitment to holiness, reflecting the purity and righteousness we have received in Christ.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the "land not inhabited" in this verse?
The "land not inhabited" (Hebrew: eretz gᵉzêrâh, "a land cut off" or "a land of cutting off") is a profoundly significant symbolic element in Leviticus 16:22. It represents a desolate, remote, and uninhabitable wilderness from which there is no return. The purpose of sending the goat, laden with the nation's sins, to such a place was to convey the absolute, irreversible, and permanent removal of those sins. It was not enough for the sins to be merely covered or temporarily atoned for; they had to be taken far away, out of sight and out of mind, ensuring they would no longer defile the community or stand before God as a barrier to fellowship. This dramatic act underscored the complete separation of Israel's transgressions from them, highlighting the thoroughness and finality of God's provision for atonement on the Day of Atonement. It symbolized a spiritual cleansing so profound that the sins were effectively banished into oblivion.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Leviticus 16:22 stands as a profound and vivid foreshadowing of the ultimate, once-for-all atonement accomplished by Jesus Christ. The scapegoat, symbolically bearing the sins of Israel into the desolate wilderness, perfectly illustrates Christ's redemptive work as the true and final "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). Just as the goat carried the iniquities of the people, Jesus, our great High Priest, "himself bore our sins in his body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24), becoming sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). He carried the full weight of humanity's transgressions, not merely to a "land not inhabited," but to the cross, where He utterly defeated sin, death, and the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:14-15). Unlike the annual, repetitive ritual of the Day of Atonement, Christ's sacrifice was a "once for all" event (Hebrews 10:10), securing eternal redemption. Through His finished work, our sins are not just temporarily removed but are truly "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12), remembered no more by God (Hebrews 8:12). In Christ, the symbolic removal of sin finds its perfect, eternal, and all-sufficient fulfillment, offering complete and lasting reconciliation with a holy God.