Goats
Goats were permitted to eat especially the young goats. Goat’s hair was used as an offering to the LORD. Goats were used as a sin offering. The references associated with the goat in the Bible can be both positive and negative.
Goats in General
Goats are clean animals and permitted to eat. (Deuteronomy 14:4). Goats were eaten less frequently than sheep because the meat of mature goats is less desirable. Rebekah spoke to Jacob to bring two good kids from the flock to feed Isaac. (Genesis 27:9). Gideon prepared a kid for the angel of God. (Judges 6:19). Samson took a young goat to his wife in the time of wheat harvest. (Judges 15:1). There were rules for eating goat like do not boil a kid in its mother’s milk (Exodus 34:26). Goats will provide the price of a field. And you shall have goats’ milk enough for our food, for the food of your household, and for the maintenance for your maidens. (Proverbs 27:26-27). The average goat could produce twice the amount of milk when compared with the average sheep. Goat’s milk that was also higher in nutritional value supplying more protein and fat. The parable of the prodigal son shares that when the youngest came home the father gave a young goat to celebrate his return. (Luke 15:29).
Goat’s hair was used as an offering to the LORD. (Exodus 25:4; 35:6; 35:23). Curtains of the tabernacle were made of goats’ hair. (Exodus 26:7; 36:14). Women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goat’s hair. (Exodus 35:26).
Goats Used For Sacrificing Goats
Two goats for a sin offering (Leviticus 16:5). Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORDíS lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. (Leviticus 16:9). If his offering is a goat then he shall offer it before the LORD. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about. (Leviticus 3:12-13). If his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a male without blemish and he shall lay his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it at the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD. It is a sin offering. (Leviticus 4:23-24). Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering. (Leviticus 4:28-29). If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish. Sins of the offerer transferred to, by imposition of hands. (Leviticus 4:32). Unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering; (Leviticus 9:3). You shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. (Leviticus 23:19).
Numbers tell how to handle the goat and the kid of goats for a sin offering. And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering. (Numbers 7:16-17, 22-23, 28-29, 34-35, 40, 46, 52, 58, 70, 76, 82, 87). And one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the LORD shall be offered, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering. (Numbers 28:15). One kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you. (Numbers 28:30). And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you. (Number 29:5). One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings. (Number 29:11, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 38).
And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering. (Ezekiel 45:23). Then they brought out the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them. (2 Chronicles 29:23).
Like goats Used Symbolically
The goat represents the essential to life in Bible times. Symbolically the goat represents both positive and negative.
There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turns not away for any; A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. (Proverbs 30:29-31).
The young woman in the Song of Solomon speaks of her hair is like ìa flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. (Song of Solomon 4:1)
Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle. (Zechariah 10:3).
The Israelites were like two little flocks of goats. And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country. (1 Kings. 20:27).
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. (Isaiah 11:6).
Jeremiah encourages the Israelites who are leaving Babylon to leave their captivity like the goats that lead the flock be like male goats before the flock. Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks. (Jeremiah 50:8).
Daniel lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. Daniel saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. While Daniel was considering an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which Daniel had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. Daniel saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered. Then Daniel heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spoke, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto Daniel, unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. (Daniel 8:3-14).
Jesus makes it clear: When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. (Matthew 25:31-33).
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MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Goats:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Feb 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2322,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, February) “Goats:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2322,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Goats:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (February), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2322, (accessed).
