H5799 H5799
Azazel; either a place-name (complete removal) or a spirit/demon of the wilderness in Levitical atonement ritual
Azazel appears exclusively in Leviticus 16 in connection with the Day of Atonement ritual. One goat is sacrificed to YHWH, while another is sent "to Azazel" into the wilderness, bearing Israel's sins away. Interpretations divide between viewing Azazel as an abstract concept (complete removal, from עזל = remove) or as a personal name for a wilderness spirit or demon (reflected in later Jewish angelology as a fallen angel). The ritual effects the total removal of sin and impurity from the sanctuary and community.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A term of uncertain meaning central to the scapegoat ritual in Leviticus 16:8, 10 (twice), 26. Scholarly interpretations range from an abstract noun meaning "complete removal" (reduplicative intensive from עזל, remove) to a proper name of a wilderness demon or spirit. Later Jewish tradition (pseudepigrapha, rabbinic literature) develops Azazel as a fallen angel. Multilingual glosses transliterate uniformly: Azazel. The context is cultic: one goat "for YHWH," one "for Azazel," with the latter bearing away communal sin into the desert, effecting purgation and atonement. 4×
AR["لِ-عَزَازِيل"]·ben["আজাজেলের-জন্য"]·DE["fuer-Azazel", "zu-Azazel"]·EN["for-Azazel", "to-Azazel"]·FR["pour-Azazel", "à-Azazel"]·heb["ל-עזאזל"]·HI["अजाजेल के लिए"]·ID["bagi-Azazel", "bagi-Azazel."]·IT["a-Azazel", "per-Azazel"]·jav["kanggé-Azazèl"]·KO["아사셀-에게", "아사셀-을-위해"]·PT["para-'Aza'zel"]·RU["для-Азазеля", "к-Азазелю"]·ES["a-Azazel", "para-Azazel"]·SW["kwa-Azazeli"]·TR["Azazel-için"]·urd["عزازیل-کے-لیے"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† עֲזָאזֵל n.[m.] entire removal (redupl. intens. (Ges§ 30 n. Sta§ 124 a), abstr., √ [עזל] = Arabic عزل remove, v. BährSymb. ii. 668 Win ii. 659 ff. Me in SchenkelBL. i. 256; > most, n.pr. of spirit haunting desert, Thes Di Dr Hastings, DB [a fallen angel, Lv 16:8 ff. being late, according to CheZAW xv (1895), 153 ff., Ency. Bib., who der. from עזז־אל; cf. BenzEncy. Bib.], as in Jewish…