Language Studies

Hebrew Thoughts

‘azâ’zêl - עֲזָאזֵל (Strong's #5799)
Azazel, scapegoat

"Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats: one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for Azazel." (Leviticus 16:8, JPS)

The notoriously difficult to decipher עֲזָאזֵל ‘azâ’zêl (Strong's #5799, x4) occurs just 4 times in the Hebrew Bible all within the same passage of Leviticus 16:8. Each use is translated by a variation in the Greek Septuagint LXX version. In the Hebrew instances, all 4 times it is directly preceded by לַ la "to".

"But the goat (שָׂעִיר sâ‘îyr) on which the lot for the scapegoat (עֲזָאזֵל ‘azâ’zêl), shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement (כָּפַר kâphar, Strong's #3722) upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat (עֲזָאזֵל ‘azâ’zêl). (Leviticus 16:10, NAS)

Numerous theories exist as the origin of the Hebrew word, let alone any apparent proper name and any myths surrounding that.

עֵז 'êz (Strong's #5795, x74) - "female goat, kid", allegedly from עָזַז 'âzaz below

עָזַב 'âzabh (Strong's #5800, x215) - "to forsake, leave, abandon, let go of"

עָזַז 'âzaz (Strong's #5810, x12) - "to be strong, prevail"

עָזַל 'âzal (unused root) - "to remove, take away", supposed by Gesenius and cognate with:

אָזַז ’âzal (Strong's #235, x6) - "roll, spin, go away, depart"

Many Hebrew roots and words beginning עז ‘z relate to strength, emphasised with the repeated ז z in עזז ‘zz. Whereas those that add a ב b relate to being forsaken and abandoned.

Many lexicons, therefore, see עֲזָאזֵל ‘azâ’zêl as a combination of עֵז ‘êz and עָזַל ’âzal, the vowels are less relevant than the consonant, this leaves the meaning as "the goat that departs".

Other theories have included Azazel being a word for "desert places", an actual place (Aramaic Targum) or high place from which the goat may have been "cast down/out" (Leviticus 16:22), a proper name, including angelic/demonic names as used in the Book of Enoch (8:1; 10:4) and Arabic/Islamic traditions, and the Devil himself (Origen, the early Christian writer). The Jewish Encyclopedia says "After Satan, for whom he was in some degree a preparation, Azazel enjoys the distinction of being the most mysterious extrahuman character in sacred literature."

11th and 12th century Rabbis Ibn Ezra and Nachmanides viewed Azazel as a Sa’ir goat-deity, a demonic djinn roaming the desert, as per Islamic traditions. Read John Gill's commentary for more on early Jewish and Christian interpretations.

שָׂעִיר sâ‘îyr (Strong's #8163, x59) - "goat, kid, satyr, demon, hairy, rough"

2 Chronicles 11:15 describes Rehoboam, son of King Solomon, setting up "priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs...", using the word for goat above, as per Leviticus 16. Here various versions translate as goats (ASV, Darby, ERV), satyrs (JPS, NAS, ISV), devils (KJV, DRV, Webster's), demons (NKJ), goat idol (NIV, NLT, ESV, NET), goat demons (HCS).

Isaiah 34:14 also refers to שָׂעִיר sâ‘îyr in a way that could imply a wild animal or something darker. It is highly unlikely, however, that the intention of Leviticus 16 was to reference an idolatrous deity/demon. There is a similarity with Leviticus 14:4-7 in which, as a pronouncement of the cleansing/curing of a leper, a bird was sacrificed and another released, symbolically carrying away the leprosy "into the wide open spaces (שָׂדֶה sâdeh, Strong's #7704, x333)".

The word "scapegoat" has come down into English usage from this and other ancient usage. William Tyndale in one of the earliest English bibles once translated it as the (e)scapegoat, for it escaped with its life and with Israel's sins.

The desert was fabled to be home to mythological-demonic goat-like supernatural creatures, known as jinn or djinn, minor false deities that early Israelites may have sacrificed to. In Islam, Azazel is regarded as Iblis or Shaytan, the Devil's first name, and the Quran states he is a jinn. This compares with rabbinic references and the Book of Enoch which tie Azazel in with either 'a' or 'the' fallen angel or Nephilim.

In modern culture Azazel has turned up in Marvel Comic's X-Men as the father of Nightcrawler with the powers of teleportation and shapeshifting. Much of his backstory is derived from Jewish traditional references, as such he is described as the immortal leader of the Neyaphem, a variation on the Nephilim, who were a demonic mutant horde defeated by the Cheyarafim - a conflation of the biblical Cherubim and Seraphim.

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