Topical Bible: Goat by Gideon

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In the biblical context, goats hold significant symbolic and practical roles throughout the Scriptures. They are mentioned frequently in both the Old and New Testaments, serving as symbols, sacrificial animals, and sources of sustenance.

Symbolism and Sacrificial Use

Goats are often associated with sin and atonement in the Bible. In Leviticus 16, during the Day of Atonement, two goats are used in a ritual to atone for the sins of the Israelites. One goat is sacrificed as a sin offering, while the other, known as the "scapegoat," is sent into the wilderness, symbolically carrying away the sins of the people. Leviticus 16:10 states, "But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat."

Goats are also used in various other offerings and sacrifices. In Numbers 15:27 , it is written, "Also, if one person sins unintentionally, he is to present a year-old female goat as a sin offering." This highlights the role of goats in the sacrificial system established by God for the Israelites.

Practical Uses

Beyond their symbolic and sacrificial roles, goats were valuable livestock in ancient Israel. They provided milk, meat, and hides, contributing to the sustenance and economy of the people. Proverbs 27:26-27 notes the practical benefits of goats: "The lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field. You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed you, your household, and your maidservants."

Goats in Parables and Teachings

In the New Testament, goats are used in parables to convey spiritual truths. In Matthew 25:31-33 , Jesus uses the imagery of sheep and goats to describe the final judgment: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left." In this parable, goats represent those who have not followed Christ's teachings and are separated from the righteous.

Cultural and Historical Context

In the cultural and historical context of the Bible, goats were common in the agrarian society of the Israelites. They were hardy animals, well-suited to the rugged terrain of the region. Their presence in biblical narratives reflects their importance in daily life and religious practices.

Conclusion

Throughout the Bible, goats serve as important symbols and practical resources. They are integral to the sacrificial system, represent sin and atonement, and are used in teachings to illustrate spiritual truths. Their multifaceted roles underscore their significance in the biblical narrative and the life of the ancient Israelites.

Nave's Topical Index

Judges 6:19
And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

A Willing People.
... But it was the gift of her heart. They had to have goat's hair as well as
gold. ... Gideon's army had one great qualification at the start. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on service/a willing people.htm

A Cloud of Witnesses.
... Individuals "through faith subdued kingdoms."[300] Gideon dispersed the
Midianites;[301] Barak ... to place clad in a garment of hair, the skin of sheep or goat. ...
/.../the expositors bible the epistle to the hebrews/chapter xiii a cloud of.htm

Footnotes:
... for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson ... were slain
with the sword: they wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins; being ...
//christianbookshelf.org/groves/christian devotedness/footnotes .htm

Immanuel
... Thus He gave Gideon a complete victory, not by providing him an army equal to that ...
He pleased, to forgive the sinner who should offer a bull or a goat, or even ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon v immanuel.htm

Chapter xv
... We find Gideon's prayer analogous (Jud 6:17 ff.), or the question of the Virgin
Mary ... him: Take me a three year old heifer, a three year old she-goat, a three ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xv.htm

The Baptist's Inquiry and Jesus' Discourse Suggested Thereby.
... It took two miracles to persuade Gideon; Moses harbored distrust (Exodus 3. iv.),
and ... Sackcloth was a coarse fabric woven of goat's or camel's hair, and was ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xlv the baptists inquiry and.htm

The Flight into Egypt and St. John the Baptist in the Desert
... Abimelech, the son of Gideon, was hailed here as king by the people of Shechem. ... in
the cave at the prayer of the Blessed Virgin, while a wild she-goat came to ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xvi the flight into egypt.htm

Subject Index
... Gideon, a type, [940]445. Gifts, the, of the Holy Spirit, [941]533. Gnostics, the
hypocrisy and pride of, [942]439. Goat, the, sent away, [943]141. Goats, [944] ...
/.../irenaeus/fragments from the lost writings of irenaeus/subject index.htm

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
... We are naturally apt with that good man Gideon, to be threshing out our ... the
sword,"were tempted;"they wandered about in sheep-skins, and goat-skins, being ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/seasonable counsel or advice to.htm

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
... No, no; grace many times, even in a man, is acted by him, unawares unto him. Did
Gideon, think you, believe that he was so strong in grace as he was? ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm