Encyclopedia entry

Goat

Disambiguation

The source enumerates 8 distinct subjects under Goat. Jump to one below, or read in order.

1.Heb.
2.Heb.
3.Heb.
4.Heb.
5.Heb.
6.Heb.
7.Heb.
8.There are two Hebrew words used to denote the undomesticated goat:, *Yael*, only in…

Goat (1)
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Heb. ‘ez, the she-goat (Gen. 15:9; 30:35; 31:38). This Hebrew word is also used for the he-goat (Ex. 12:5; Lev. 4:23; Num. 28:15), and to denote a kid (Gen. 38:17, 20). Hence it may be regarded as the generic name of the animal as domesticated. It literally means “strength,” and points to the superior strength of the goat as compared with the sheep.
Goat (2)
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Heb. ‘attud, only in plural; rendered “rams” (Gen. 31:10, 12); he-goats (Num. 7:17-88; Isa. 1:11); goats (Deut. 32:14; Ps. 50:13). They were used in sacrifice (Ps. 66:15). This word is used metaphorically for princes or chiefs in Isa. 14:9, and in Zech. 10:3 as leaders. (Comp. Jer. 50:8.)
Goat (3)
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Heb. gedi, properly a kid. Its flesh was a delicacy among the Hebrews (Gen. 27:9, 14, 17; Judg. 6:19).
Goat (4)
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Heb. sa’ir, meaning the “shaggy,” a hairy goat, a he-goat (2 Chr. 29:23); “a goat” (Lev. 4:24); “satyr” (Isa. 13:21); “devils” (Lev. 17:7). It is the goat of the sin-offering (Lev. 9:3, 15; 10:16).
Goat (5)
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Heb. tsaphir, a he-goat of the goats (2 Chr. 29:21). In Dan. 8:5, 8 it is used as a symbol of the Macedonian empire.
Goat (6)
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Heb. tayish, a “striker” or “butter,” rendered “he-goat” (Gen. 30:35; 32:14).
Goat (7)
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Heb. ‘azazel (q.v.), the “scapegoat” (Lev. 16:8, 10, 26).
Goat (8)
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There are two Hebrew words used to denote the undomesticated goat:, Yael, only in plural mountain goats (1 Sam. 24:2; Job 39:1; Ps. 104:18). It is derived from a word meaning “to climb.” It is the ibex, which abounded in the mountainous parts of Moab. And ’akko, only in Deut. 14:5, the wild goat.
Goats are mentioned in the New Testament in Matt. 25:32, 33; Heb. 9:12, 13, 19; 10:4. They represent oppressors and wicked men (Ezek. 34:17; 39:18; Matt. 25:33).
Several varieties of the goat were familiar to the Hebrews. They had an important place in their rural economy on account of the milk they afforded and the excellency of the flesh of the kid. They formed an important part of pastoral wealth (Gen. 31:10, 12;32:14; 1 Sam. 25:2).

Also from Smith's (1884) +

There appear to be two or three varieties of the common goat, Hircus agagrus, at present bred in Palestine and Syria, but whether they are identical with those which were reared by the ancient Hebrews it is not possible to say. The most marked varieties are the Syrian goat(Capra mammorica, Linn.) and the Angora goat (Capra angorensis, Linn.), with fine long hair. As to the “wild goats,” (1 Samuel 24:2; Job 39:1; Psalms 104:18) it is not at all improbable that some species of ibex is denoted.

In the Bible

Verses where Goat is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).

1 Samuel 16:20
And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David.
1 Samuel 19:13
Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.
1 Samuel 19:16
And when the messengers entered, there was the idol in the bed with the goat hair on its head.
2 Chronicles 11:15
And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made.
Daniel 8:5
As I was contemplating all this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came out of the west, crossing the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground.
Daniel 8:7
I saw him approach the ram in a rage against him, and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him, and the goat threw him to the ground and trampled him, and no one could deliver the ram from his power.

+84 more verses naming Goat.

Entries that reference Goat

Goat references

See all 8 +

Voices on Goat

Surfaced by name match — accuracy varies by title clarity.

Refuse Scapegoating Violence - Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon