עֲזָאזֵל
a.za.zel
Azazel
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word עֲזָאזֵל (a.za.zel, Strong's H5799) is a proper name representing a person. Its occurrence throughout the Bible is limited to just 4 instances. This scarcity suggests that the name may not be particularly significant in broader Jewish or biblical contexts, and instead possibly holds specific significance within its immediate usage. Given that Azazel is a personal name and not a common noun, it's reasonable to infer that it has a particular association, possibly tied to a family, clan, or individual. Without more information, it's difficult to say what this person's identity or significance might be, and how the name might have been originally intended or used. The limited occurrences and personal nature of this name also raise the possibility that Azazel was a significant or well-known figure in a localized or regional context, though this may not be the case on a broader historical or cultural scale.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences across the text
But the goat on which the lot fell for the scapegoat shall be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement for him, to send him away as the scapegoat into the wilderness.
Leviticus 16:10But the goat on which the lot fell for the scapegoat shall be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement for him, to send him away as the scapegoat into the wilderness.
Leviticus 16:8Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Leviticus 16:26“He who lets the goat go as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.