He is to cast lots for the two goats — one lot for the Lord and one for the scapegoat. The lot-casting that determines the fate of the two goats: one lot for the Lord (the goat that will be sacrificed) and one lot for Azazel — the scapegoat. The Hebrew Azazel is variously interpreted as a place name (the desolate wilderness), a description (the goat that goes away), or possibly a supernatural entity to whom the sins are sent. Whatever the precise meaning, the lot-casting communicates the divine determination of which goat goes to which purpose. The human cannot choose which goat goes to God and which goes away; the lot communicates the divine selection.

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