The Goat

Illustration of The Goat

Goats were everywhere in biblical life, providing milk, meat, hair for tent cloth and kids for sacrifice. Rebekah used two kids of the goats to help Jacob deceive Isaac, and Joseph's brothers dipped his coat in a goat's blood to deceive their father. On the Day of Atonement one goat was sacrificed as a sin offering while another, the scapegoat, carried Israel's sins away. Daniel saw a he goat with a great horn that stood for the king of Grecia, and Jesus pictured the final judgment as a shepherd dividing 'his sheep from the goats.'

0:00
Strongest connections in Scripture
Matthew 25 Daniel 8

Key Passages

The Sheep and the Goats

Matthew 25:31-33

Jesus describes the final judgment as a shepherd separating his flock, setting the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.

W31hen 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.

Daniel's He Goat

Daniel 8:5-8

A swift he goat with a great horn shatters the ram, a picture of the rise of the Greek empire.

A5nd as I was considering, behold, 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.

6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 7 And I 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. 8 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.

Explore Related

Characters 6

Jacob Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, played a pivotal role in the biblical narrative as one of… Rebekah Rebekah became the wife of Isaac after Abraham's servant identified her through a divine sign at a well in… Joseph Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, aroused such jealousy in his brothers that they sold him into slavery in… Aaron Aaron, the brother of Moses, played a pivotal role in the Exodus narrative as Moses' spokesman before… Daniel Daniel was a young Israelite taken captive to Babylon in the sixth century BC, where he rose to prominence… Jesus Jesus is portrayed in the Bible as the Son of God and the long-awaited Messiah whose coming fulfilled Old…

Themes 2

Justice The God of the Bible is passionately just - defending the widow, the orphan, and the oppressed while… Redemption To redeem means to buy back. From Boaz purchasing Ruth's inheritance to Christ purchasing his people with…

Symbols 1

Blood The life is in the blood. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. From the first animal skin…

Did You Know?

1

Curtains of goats' hair covered the tabernacle.

2

Jacob wore the skins of young goats to pass himself off as Esau.

3

On the Day of Atonement two goats were chosen - one sacrificed, one sent away as the scapegoat.

4

Hebrews says 'the blood of bulls and of goats' could never take away sins.