Misinterpretations of Leviticus 16:10 often include the idea that the scapegoat is offered to a demonic entity called Azazel, stemming from mistranslations or pagan influences on the Hebrew term, whereas the passage emphasizes it is presented before the Lord for Israel's atonement, not any external power; others dismiss it as mere superstition without recognizing its profound typology of sin's banishment, or apply it legalistically today ignoring its fulfillment in Christ's sacrificial work.
Leviticus 16:10
King James Version (1769)
10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
Leviticus 16:10 describes part of the Day of Atonement ritual where, after casting lots over two goats, the one designated as the scapegoat is presented alive before the Lord to make atonement and then released into the wilderness; this symbolizes the transfer of Israel's sins onto the goat via the high priest's confession, representing God's complete removal of sin from His people and provision for forgiveness and reconciliation.