And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.

LEVITICUS 16:26KJV
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Leviticus 16:26 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 16:26 mean?

Leviticus 16:26 says that the person who releases the goat as the scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water before returning to the camp. This rule is about making sure the person is ritually clean after handling the scapegoat.

In this verse, God is giving Moses instructions for the Day of Atonement, a special day for Israel. The person who took the goat (meant to symbolically carry away the people's sins) had to follow these cleansing steps before coming back among the people. This shows how seriously the community treated ritual purity and the handling of anything connected to sin.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 16:26

  • The word for "scapegoat" is עֲזָאזֵל (azazel), which refers to the goat that is sent away, symbolically carrying the sins of the people. This word is unique and only appears in this ritual.
  • The verb "wash" is כָּבַס (kavas), which means to thoroughly wash or launder, especially clothing. This highlights that both the person and his garments needed to be cleansed.
  • "Bathe" is רָחַץ (rachats), meaning to wash the body with water. This emphasizes the full ritual cleansing required after contact with the scapegoat.
  • "Camp" is מַחֲנֶה (machaneh), meaning the entire community area. The cleansing had to be complete before rejoining everyone else.

Why Leviticus 16:26 matters

  • This verse clarifies that even the person performing a sacred duty—releasing the scapegoat—became ritually unclean and needed to be purified, showing the seriousness of the sin-bearing ritual.
  • It connects to the larger Day of Atonement passage, where every step is carefully regulated to maintain the holiness of the community.
  • The verse helps explain the careful boundaries between what was considered clean and unclean in ancient Israel, especially when dealing with rituals meant to remove sin.

Where else these words appear

“scapegoat” Hebrew H5799 · used in 3 verses

  • Leviticus 16:8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
  • Leviticus 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

“wash” Hebrew H3526 · used in 48 verses

  • Genesis 49:11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
  • Leviticus 14:47 And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.
  • Numbers 8:21 And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.

“goat” Hebrew H8163 · used in 57 verses

  • Genesis 27:11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:
  • Leviticus 16:27 And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.
  • Numbers 28:30 And one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you.

“bathe” Hebrew H7364 · used in 71 verses

  • Genesis 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
  • Leviticus 15:5 And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
  • Judges 19:21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.