In biblical times, the she-goat held significant importance both in daily life and religious practices. The she-goat, or female goat, is frequently mentioned in the Bible, symbolizing various aspects of life and spirituality.

Symbolism and Use in Sacrifices

The she-goat was often used in sacrificial offerings, as prescribed in the Mosaic Law. In Leviticus 4:28, the she-goat is mentioned as an acceptable sin offering: "If someone sins and unintentionally does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, when he realizes his guilt, he must bring as his offering a female goat without blemish for the sin he has committed." This highlights the she-goat's role in atonement and purification rituals, emphasizing the importance of offering something valuable and unblemished to God.

Economic and Domestic Importance

She-goats were also vital to the agrarian economy of ancient Israel. They provided milk, which was a staple in the diet, and their hair was used for making garments and tents. Proverbs 27:26-27 underscores their economic value: "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 family, and your servant girls." This passage illustrates the she-goat's role in sustaining households and contributing to the community's welfare.

Symbol of Fertility and Abundance

In a broader symbolic sense, the she-goat is associated with fertility and abundance. The prolific nature of goats made them a symbol of prosperity and blessing. This is reflected in the blessings pronounced upon the patriarchs, where livestock, including goats, is often mentioned as a sign of divine favor and prosperity.

Metaphorical Usage

The she-goat is also used metaphorically in Scripture. In Song of Solomon 4:1, the beauty of the beloved is compared to a flock of goats: "How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead." Here, the imagery of goats descending a mountain conveys grace and beauty, illustrating the poetic use of the she-goat in biblical literature.

Moral and Spiritual Lessons

The she-goat is sometimes used to convey moral and spiritual lessons. In Matthew 25:32-33, during the parable of the sheep and the goats, goats are used to represent those who are separated from the righteous: "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." This passage uses the distinction between sheep and goats to illustrate the final judgment, where the righteous are separated from the unrighteous.

In summary, the she-goat in the Bible serves as a multifaceted symbol, representing sacrifice, economic stability, beauty, and moral lessons. Its presence in Scripture reflects the integral role it played in the daily and spiritual lives of the people of ancient Israel.5795. ez -- female goat
... she goat, kid. From azaz; a she-goat (as strong), but masculine in plural (which
also is used ellipt. For goat's hair) -- (she) goat, kid. see HEBREW azaz. ...
/hebrew/5795.htm - 6k

8166. seirah -- female goat
... Word Origin fem. of sair Definition female goat NASB Word Usage goat (1), goat*
(1). kid. Feminine of sa'iyr; a she-goat -- kid. see HEBREW sa'iyr. 8165, 8166 ...
/hebrew/8166.htm - 6k

Of the Meaning of the Sacrifice Abraham was Commanded to Offer ...
... 910] And when Abram asked whereby he might know that he should inherit it, God said
to him, "Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 24 of the meaning of.htm

Allegorical Interpretation.
... This storm, therefore, which in Greek is called kataigis, they called ??gis"that
is, a she-goat; and the fire which ascended to the upper regions they called ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xxxii allegorical interpretation.htm

Appendix.
... [1106] "rattling their arms; sucks a she-goat's dugs; flays her; clothes himself
in her hide; and (thus) uses his own nurse's hide, after killing her, to be ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/ad nationes/appendix.htm

Abraham's Sacrifice of a Heifer Three Years Old, of a Goat, and of ...
... Therefore also God commands Abraham, [2638] "Take Me an heifer of three years old,
and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a ...
/.../chapter ii abrahams sacrifice of a.htm

How Abram Fought with the Assyrians, and Overcame Them, and Saved ...
... The manner of the sacrifice was this:"He took an heifer of three years old, and
a she-goat of three years old, and a ram in like manner of three years old ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 10 how abram fought.htm

Argument: Octavius Attests the Fact that Men were Adopted as Gods ...
... His nurse is a she-goat, and as an infant he is taken away from his greedy father,
lest he should be devoured; and clanging uproar [1786] is dashed out of the ...
/.../the octavius of minucius felix/chapter xxi argument octavius attests the.htm

Their Destinies.
... forth upon the waters. The third, who survived by the artifice of his mother
Rhea, she put upon a she-goat and sent into heaven. ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xix their destinies.htm

Virgins are Called to the Imitation of the Church in the ...
... "Lion in front, but dragon all behind,. And in the midst a she-goat breathing forth.
Profuse the violence of flaming fire. Her slew Bellerophon in truth. ...
/.../chapter xii virgins are called to.htm

Whether the Effect of Christ's Priesthood is the Expiation of Sins ...
... Objection 3: Further, in the sin-offerings of the Old Law, a he-goat was mostly
offered for the sin of a prince, a she-goat for the sin of some private ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the effect of christs.htm

Palestine Eighteen Centuries Ago
... the ripe fruit overhead, bursting for richness, dropped its luscious juice on the
ground, while at a little distance the distended udder of a she-goat was no ...
/.../sketches of jewish social life/chapter 1 palestine eighteen centuries.htm

She-goat (2 Occurrences)
She-goat. Sheets, She-goat. She-goats . Multi-Version Concordance
She-goat (2 Occurrences). Genesis 15:9 And he said ...
/s/she-goat.htm - 6k

Goat (92 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary. (1.) Hebrews `ez, the she-goat (Genesis 15:9;
30:35; 31:38). This Hebrew word is also used for the he-goat ...
/g/goat.htm - 48k

Year-old (6 Occurrences)
... Numbers 15:27 And if one person sin through error, then he shall offer a
she-goat of the first year for a sin-offering. (See NIV). ...
/y/year-old.htm - 8k

Jaala (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A wild she-goat, one of the Nethinim, whose descendants
returned from the Captivity (Nehemiah 7:58). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ...
/j/jaala.htm - 7k

Goats'
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia GOATS' HAIR. ('ez): The word for she-goat is used
elliptically to mean goats' hair, which was used in the tabernacle ...
/g/goats'.htm - 7k

Inadvertence (13 Occurrences)
... (DBY). Numbers 15:27 And if one soul sin through inadvertence, then he shall
present a yearling she-goat for a sin-offering. (DBY). ...
/i/inadvertence.htm - 11k

Turtle-dove (5 Occurrences)
... Genesis 15:9 And he said unto him, Take me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat
three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young ...
/t/turtle-dove.htm - 9k

Roe (21 Occurrences)
... The Hebrew word (`ayyalah) in Proverbs 5:19 thus rendered (RV, "doe"), is
properly the "wild she-goat," the mountain goat, the ibex. ...
/r/roe.htm - 15k

Ewe (8 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 6:7, 10 occurs paroth `aloth, "milch kine." Seh, in Leviticus 22:28, while
translated "ewe," might from the context be "ewe" or "shegoat" and indeed ...
/e/ewe.htm - 10k

Pigeon (3 Occurrences)
... The dove is first mentioned in Genesis 15:9: "And he said unto him, Take me a heifer
three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old ...
/p/pigeon.htm - 13k

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