Goats are commonly mentioned in the Bible and hold significant meanings across various passages. They represent different symbols depending on the context, such as sin, punishment, sacrifice, and provision. Understanding these references can enrich our knowledge of Biblical teachings and provide deeper insights into the moral and spiritual lessons the Bible seeks to impart.
What Role do Goats Play in Biblical Teachings?
Goats appear in several biblical teachings as symbols with varying connotations. They are used as illustrative vehicles to convey important religious messages and moral lessons. The most recurring use of goats in the Bible is their portrayal as offerings for sin. Goats were often provided as burnt offerings, symbolizing atonement for wrongdoings.
Furthermore, goats play a significant role in the symbolism of judgment. During the judgment of nations, goats represent the wicked who are separated from the righteous, signifying spiritual separation and imparting the teaching of divine judgment.
Why are Goats Associated with Sin in the Bible?
The association of goats with sin in the Bible stems from their use in the rites of the Day of Atonement. In these rites, a special ceremony called the scapegoat ritual was carried out. Two goats were selected: one to be sacrificed and the other to be released into the wilderness after the high priest had symbolically transferred the sins of the people onto it.
The scapegoat, thus carrying the burden of the sins, was sent out into the wilderness, signifying the removal of transgressions from the community. This strong imagery marks goats as carriers of sin in certain biblical contexts.
When do Goats Symbolize Sacrifice in the Bible?
Goats symbolize sacrifice when they are used as burnt offerings in the Bible. Following specific guidelines, the people of the Bible would offer goats on the altar as a way of seeking forgiveness for their transgressions. The act of offering a goat represents a plea for atonement from sin. Other times, they were offered up as a form of worship, gratitude, or pledge to God. By doing so, goats became an enduring symbol of sacrifice and atonement.
Where are Goats Used as Metaphors in the Bible?
Goats are used as metaphors in various parts of the Bible. Beyond the vivid ceremonies of atonement, goats serve as important metaphors in biblical teachings. They are metaphors for nations in the prophecy of Daniel, symbolizing the Macedonian Empire, which would rise to global dominance.
In the New Testament, during the illustration of the “Judgment of the Nations,” Jesus uses goats as a metaphor to signify those who will face divine retribution for failing to demonstrate love and charity to those in need.
Who Uses Goats as Symbols in the Bible?
Goats as symbols are used by various personas in the Bible. Prophets such as Daniel use goats to deliver messages about impending worldly events. High priests, by performing atonement rites involving goats, use the image of goats to guide people in understanding the path of forgiveness and the removal of sin.
Perhaps, most powerfully, Jesus himself uses goats to symbolize those who have strayed from righteousness during the Judgment of Nations. The symbolism associated with goats in these instances underscores the important role these animals play in the moral and spiritual teachings of the Bible.
Below is our full list of bible verses on goats (King James Version – KJV) provided in ranked order.
Most Popular Bible Verses About Goats
Matthew 25:31-46
“31 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:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
Related Themes: Strangers Homelessness Benevolence Serving The Poor Armageddon
Proverbs 27:27
“27 And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.”
Matthew 25:32
“32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:”
Related Themes: Homelessness
Matthew 25:41
“41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”
Related Themes: Hell Afterlife Homelessness Suffering Satan
Ezekiel 34:17
“17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.”
Proverbs 30:31
“31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.”
Matthew 25:40
“40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Related Themes: Strangers Homelessness Benevolence Serving Others
1 Samuel 25:2
“2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.”
Matthew 25:45
“45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.”
Related Themes: Homelessness
Proverbs 27:26
“26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.”
Job 39:1
“1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?”
Leviticus 1:10
“10 And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.”
Leviticus 9:3
“3 And 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;”
Isaiah 1:11
“11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.”
Related Themes: Hypocrisy
Leviticus 16:5
“5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.”
Matthew 19:28
“28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Related Themes: Sovereignty Glorification
Psalm 104:18
“18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.”
Leviticus 5:6
“6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.”
Related Themes: Trespassing
Jeremiah 50:8
“8 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.”
