Scapegoat origin. Leavened patriotism - what does this expression mean

The Scapegoat in the Bible

The scapegoat in Christianity

In Christian theology, the Scapegoat is sometimes interpreted as a type of the self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ, although some Christians see Satan in this figure, see Lev. 16: 8: " And Aaron will cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat"(In some versions of the translation -" ... and another lot for Azazel "). It is believed that all the sins of mankind were laid precisely on the Scapegoat, that is, on Satan, but not because he can bring redemption, which was done by Christ, but because he must be punished as the original source of sin.

Metaphor

The expression "scapegoat" is used as a metaphor (figurative expression) and refers to a person or group of people who have been held responsible for the misfortune or for the actions of a larger group of people.

Politics and Sociology

Scapegoating can be an important piece of propaganda. Thus, in Nazi Germany, Jews were accused of the country's economic and political problems.

Usually dissent are made scapegoats. Sometimes this tactic is used against a small group of dissidents. In the modern world, the persecution of minorities is contrary to social norms (see political correctness) and is usually punishable by law.

Literature

J.J. Fraser. The Scapegoat // James George Fraser. Golden bough. M., 1983, p. 526-549

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Synonyms:

See what the "Scapegoat" is in other dictionaries:

Chelyuskinets, steam engine, daddy carlo, extreme, cosmonaut, whipping boy Dictionary of Russian synonyms. scapegoat whipping boy Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M .: Russian language. Z.E. Aleksandrova. 2011 ... Synonym dictionary

From the Bible. Mentioned in the Old Testament (Leviticus, ch. 16, v. 21 22). The ancient Jews had a custom: on the day of absolution, the high priest laid his hands on the head of a living goat as a sign of the laying on of all the sins of the Jewish people. Then the animal ... Dictionary of winged words and expressions

Scapegoat- wings. sl. Scapegoat (atonement) Biblical expression (Leviticus, 16, 21 22), which arose from the description of the special rite of the imposition of the sins of the whole people on a living goat, which existed among the ancient Jews; on the day of forgiveness, the high priest laid ... ... Universal Additional Practical Explanatory Dictionary of I. Mostitsky

It personifies the transfer of guilt, avoiding the consequences of sin, cleansing from sins, breaking with the past and its consequences through taking on the sins of others or the community as a whole. In the context of the sacrifice of the king (see sacrifice) the scapegoat with ... Dictionary of Symbols

SCAPEGOAT- The goat is an animal on which, in ancient Jewish practice, the accumulated sins of people were transferred on the day of Atonement. The goat, symbolically loaded in this way, was then sent into the forest. Therefore, finding a scapegoat is an act of accusation ... ... Explanatory Dictionary of Psychology

- (footnote) the person who gets for the sins of others Cf. Yes, sir, it's easy for you to say, the assistant prosecutor objected irritably, but wouldn't you like to get into our skin ... when at the present time the judicial department serves as a scapegoat for all the outrageous ... ... Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary

SCAPEGOAT- (scapegoat) a person or group unjustifiably turned into the culprits of the problems and failures of others. The term comes from the biblical Jewish custom of the ritual transfer of human sins to a goat and the subsequent sending (expulsion) of the goat into the wild ... ... Comprehensive explanatory sociological dictionary

scapegoat- more often disapproved. about a person who is constantly blamed for the mistakes, misdeeds, sins of others. According to the Hebrew rite, on the day of absolution, the high priest, placing his hands on the head of the goat, thereby laid on him the sins of everything ... ... Phraseology reference

Scapegoat- ♦ (ENG scapegoat) a goat, on which the sins of the people of Israel were symbolically laid down and then driven out into the wilderness in order to carry away sins on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:10) ... Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms

Goat let go (inosk.) A person who gets for someone else's sin. Wed Yes, it's easy for you to say, the assistant prosecutor objected irritably, but wouldn't you like to crawl into our skin ... when at the present time the court house serves as a goat ... ... Michelson's Big Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

The image of the mythical scapegoat has long become a phraseological unit - a catch phrase that has partially lost its original meaning. Briefly, this idiom denotes a person (society, a group of people) who, for some reason, was made responsible and blamed for the actions of others, hiding the real culprit and the true reasons for what happened. Why a goat? Where did this expression come from and what does it mean?

Purification ritual in Judaism

The history of the origin of the scapegoat phraseological unit originates in Judaism. Chapter 16 of the book of Leviticus of the Old Testament contains instructions on the rite of cleansing from sins for the people of Israel and its priesthood. In accordance with Divine revelation, every year, on the 10th day of the seventh month, the Jews celebrate a holiday called the Day of Atonement or the Day of Atonement for Sins (Judas Yom Kippur). Every Jew on this day should put aside all his earthly care and deal exclusively with one thing - the analysis of his life and the evil deeds and thoughts committed in it. On this holiday, four sacrificial animals were brought to the temple courtyard, which were assigned an important role in the self-purification procedure. They were young lamb and bull, as well as two goats of the same color of the same age. The priest threw lots, which fell on one of them - he was taken to the side.

The three remaining animals were sacrificed. The tabernacle was consecrated with sacrificial blood, and the carcasses were burned in the courtyard of the temple. The surviving goat was destined for a much more unenviable fate. He was taken to the high priest, who, laying both hands on his unfortunate head, performed the rite of confession of the sins of the entire Israeli people. It was believed that the Israelites became clean before God, and all their guilt passed on to an innocent goat. An easy and free indulgence! Then a specially appointed person (messenger) took the "receptacle of sins" by the rope and took him away into the lifeless and waterless desert, where the animal was doomed to a painful death by starvation.

There is another version, according to which he was delivered from long torment and was simply thrown from the Azazel cliff, which was notorious as the abode of Satan.

A sacrifice to God or a gift to the Devil?

The peoples neighboring Israel, who did not understand the ritual intricacies of the Jewish religion, considered the absolution goat (full name) to be a sacrifice to the Devil. This misconception gave rise to some religious divisions. Sometimes the place of the goat among the early Jews was taken by a bright red cow (the personification of greed and love of money, the golden calf), which was also declared a repository of vices and all bad deeds and thoughts and was taken out of the city to perish.

It is also interesting that the Jewish people wanted to know whether the Lord accepted their sacrifice and whether their sinful deeds were forgiven. To do this, a red cloth or a clump of blood-dyed wool was tied on the horns of a goat or cow, which was tied to the gate with the other end, and then cut. Part of it was carried away by the animal, and part of it remained at the gate. It was believed that at the hour of the death of the victim and the onset of national deliverance, the red matter (wool) should turn white.

Rethinking the ritual

Modern Jews still celebrate Yom Kippur by transferring the action after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple to synagogues, but the ritual with the absolution has undergone an inevitable interpretation. The place of ritual sacrifice with animals was taken by prayer. However, some Islamic peoples who honor the Old Testament Law, in addition to prayer, still perform the ritual of purification, however, no longer burdening the scapegoat with their own actions. They go to a special place, a valley, where, according to their beliefs, Satan dwells, and they stone him, invisible, with stones.

The atoning sacrifice in Christianity

While preserving the very idea of the atoning sacrifice, Christianity interprets its image differently. Instead of a powerless and unconscious goat, who is burdened with sins against his own will, there is an immaculately conceived God-man, Jesus Christ, who already voluntarily goes to self-sacrifice and taking on redemptive guilt for all of humanity, including its original sin. It is voluntariness that becomes the main distinguishing feature of this atoning sacrifice. And if the Devil is attributed to some goat signs (horns, tail, hooves and even the outward resemblance of the face), then the scripture calls Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, since a young lamb, unlike a goat, was considered a clean animal and throughout the Old Testament was brought as a temple sacrifice ...

What does the expression "scapegoat" mean in our time?

This phraseological unit is usually used in relation to a person who is either once or constantly accused and punished for other people's acts. This is a special role in the team, its unenviable niche, once in which it is extremely difficult for a person to get out of it back. Often times, the distribution of roles takes place at school. The reason that one person becomes a “lightning rod” for the negative emotions of others may be somewhat - low self-esteem, disrespect for other people, inability to stand up for oneself, high sensitivity, which perfectly feeds the emotional shortages of colleagues or classmates.

Scapegoat A person who is blamed for the blame of another is forced to answer for other people's mistakes or actions. With noun with meaning persons: worker, engineer, person, duty ... scapegoat; to be, to become, to be ... the scapegoat; seek, find ... a scapegoat.

But at the same time, the consciousness flashed through him that he was not the scapegoat for his sins alone. (D. Mamin-Sibiryak.)

Would you like to make me, as they say, a scapegoat and put all the blame on me? (N. Uspensky.)

(?) From Art. Slav. lang. Goes back to the biblical description of the Hebrew laying on of the sins of the people (community) on a goat. The priest laid hands on the goat as a sign that all the sins of the community were transferred to him. After that, the goat was driven out into the desert.

Educational phraseological dictionary. - M .: AST. E. A. Bystrova, A. P. Okuneva, N. M. Shansky. 1997 .

Synonyms:

See what a "scapegoat" is in other dictionaries:

Scapegoat- "The scapegoat." Painting by William Holman Hunt, 1854 ... Wikipedia

Scapegoat- GOAT, evil, M. Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

SCAPEGOAT- who is the Defendant for someone else's fault, for the mistakes of others. It is understood that the true culprit cannot be found or that someone is. wants to get away from responsibility for their misdeeds. It means that a person or group united by common interests and ... ... Phraseological dictionary of the Russian language

Scapegoat- (in the ancient Jewish ritual practice, the goat is an animal on which on the Day of Atonement people transferred their accumulated sins and then, cleansed, satisfied with themselves and ready to sin in the future, sent him to the forest to perish) - 1. accidental, ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy

Scapegoat- Iron. A person who is forced to answer for the guilt of others, on whom someone else's guilt is dumped. The whole thing was fundamentally ruined by Menshikov, he, Gorchakov, is no more than a scapegoat and asks to relieve him of responsibility to Russia for ... ... Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language

Scapegoat- 1. Spread. often Disapproved. About a person who is blamed for someone else's fault, responsibility for someone else's mistakes. BMS 1998, 273; ZS 1996, 106, 306; FSRYa, 200; Yanin 2003, 143; Mokienko 1989, 117 118. 2. Zharg. shk. Diary. (Recorded in 2003) ... A large dictionary of Russian sayings

scapegoat- About a person who is constantly blamed for someone else's fault, responsibility for someone else's misdemeanor (among the ancient Jews, the sins of the whole people were imposed on this animal by a special rite) ... Dictionary of many expressions

Scapegoat (painting)- ... Wikipedia

GOAT- GOAT, evil, husband. 1. Ruminant cloven-hoofed animal of this. bovids with long hair. Wild k. Mountain k. Vintorogii k. 2. Male of a domestic goat. From him like a goat of milk (no use, no use; colloquial neod.). Let the goat into the garden (last: ... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Goat- Request "Goat" is redirected here; see also other meanings. Goats request is redirected here; see also other meanings. There is an article in Wiktionary “... Wikipedia

Books

The sorceress from the back desk, Kryukova Tamara Shamilievna. Vasya is an unfortunate inventor, an eternal scapegoat. July is a woe-sorceress, sheer misunderstanding. He lives in an ordinary city and is in the sixth grade of an ordinary school. She lives in ... Buy for 403 rubles
The sorceress from the back desk, Kryukova Tamara Shamilievna. Vasya is an unfortunate inventor, an eternal scapegoat. July is a wretched sorceress, sheer misunderstanding. He lives in an ordinary city and is in the sixth grade of an ordinary school. She lives in…

Has long lost its original meaning. What did it mean originally? Why a goat and not some other animal? And who or what did he let go? What metamorphosis and rethinking did the idiom undergo in the future? You will learn about this from this article. We will tell you when it is appropriate to use this expression. Let's also consider which phraseological unit is closest in meaning to the "scapegoat" and why this synonym is used.

Purification ritual

The historical roots of the origin of the phraseology "scapegoat" should be sought in Judaism. The Old Testament Book of Leviticus in chapter 16 gives clear instructions on behalf of God how the high priest and the rest of the people of Israel should act in order to be cleansed from sins and receive forgiveness from the Lord. On Yom Kippur, which is celebrated “on the seventh month, on the tenth day” according to the Jewish calendar, four animals were brought to the temple. They were a young bull (calf), a ram (ram) and two goats of the same color. The priest drew lots for these last two animals. On which of them the choice fell, was put aside. The other three were cut, the tabernacle was consecrated with their blood, and the carcasses were burned in front of the temple as a sacrifice to God. The surviving goat was brought to the high priest. He laid both hands on his head and confessed all the sins of the Jewish people. It was believed that as a result of such a ceremony, all the guilt of people before God passed on to the animal. After that, a special messenger took the goat to the waterless Judean desert, where he left it to die a cruel death by starvation. According to another version, the animal was thrown into the abyss from the Azazel cliff, which was considered the abode of the Devil.

A gift to Satan?

This ritual, practiced even during the time of the first tabernacle (10th century BC) and up to the destruction (1st century AD), gave rise to an erroneous opinion among neighboring peoples that the Jews sacrifice to the Devil. Like the rite of slaughter and burning outside the city of a bright red cow, sending small ruminants into the desert did not mean a gift to anyone. Then who, or rather, what was the scapegoat? The meaning of this ritual is as follows: all the bad deeds of the people were assigned to the animal. Thus, it turned into a repository of sins. The goat was sent into the wilderness, where demons lived, and the people of God who had been cleansed of filth could communicate with the Lord. In early rites, absolution was accompanied by a piece of red cloth tied to the horns of the animal. Before leaving the mill, the tape was cut in two. Half of the rag was tied to the gate, while the rest remained on the animal. If the repentance of the Jews before God was sincere, then at the moment of the death of the goat in the desert the rag should have turned white. And the red cow was considered a symbol of love of money, the beginning of all sins.

Rethinking the Scapegoat Ritual in Islam and Christianity

In the world religions that worship, an inevitable interpretation of this rite has occurred. In Islam, there is a special ritual of stoning Satan. True, no animal is “loaded with sins” anymore. People simply go to the valley, where, according to beliefs, the Devil dwells, and throw stones there. In Christian theology, the scapegoat is sometimes interpreted as a symbolic image of the self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ. All the Gospels and other books of the New Testament are full of references to the fact that the Son of God took on his shoulders the original sin of mankind, which came from the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and redeemed it by his death. True, our Lord Jesus is not called a "goat", but "the Lamb of God" (for example, this is what the Forerunner calls him in 1:29). But the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ differs from the ritual of the scapegoat in one very important detail. This is voluntariness. The animal did not choose its own death, it was appointed to be the "scapegoat".

Vitality of the image

The Jews were not the only people who practiced such a rite of transferring sins and then killing the "repository of evil." J. Fraser, a researcher of ancient beliefs, notes that everywhere, from Iceland to Australia, people tried to get rid of the evil, unfavorable forces of nature in a similar way. In ancient Greece, in case of natural disasters or pestilence, criminals or prisoners were always ready to be sacrificed. Beliefs that sins can be the cause of universal disasters are also observed among the Slavic peoples. So, the rite of burning the effigy of Winter is based on the ancient rituals of human sacrifice. Among agricultural peoples, a kind of "scapegoat" was practiced on the holiday of the first furrow, haymaking, the last sheaf.

Becoming a metaphor

People tend to shift the blame from themselves to others. This is very convenient and drowns out the reproaches of conscience. Many of us have learned firsthand what the scapegoat means. But more often, we blame others for our bad deeds. “I didn’t do the job because I was prevented,” “I flared up because I was driven away” - these kinds of excuses we hear every day and make them ourselves. Perhaps, there is some fault of these “others”. But does this make us less guilty? Due to the fact that the practice of "shifting from a sore head to a healthy one" occurs everywhere and at all times, a single ritual of the Jewish people has become a household word.

"Scapegoat": the meaning of phraseological unit

Now this idiom is used purely as a metaphor. A "scapegoat" refers to a person who has been unfairly blamed for the failures of others, made guilty of failures in order to whitewash the real criminals. As a rule, such a “ritual animal” is a worker of the lowest hierarchy. In the conditions of a corrupt system of investigation and courts, prisons are overflowing with such "scapegoats" who have been sentenced for the actions of rich people who have "ousted" responsibility for bribes.

Propaganda tool

History knows many examples when politicians hid the reasons for their own failures, blaming various pests and saboteurs, and sometimes entire nations, for the disasters and misfortunes that befell people. Even during the Great Plague (mid-14th century), Jews were accused of causing the epidemic. This became the reason for anti-Semitic pogroms that swept across Europe. Jews throughout history have quite often been assigned the scapegoat category. The expression about why there is no water in the tap is also used in Russian. In the Hitlerite era, the authorities also placed the authorities on the communists, Roma and other categories of the population for the economic crisis. In modern Russia, such scapegoats are traditionally the West and the United States. So politicians always choose the "extreme".

Goats and switchmen

Since the poor people who were not able to stand up for themselves were often made guilty, the expression “scapegoat” appeared with the synonym “switchman”. Why did this particular railroad worker become a household name? Because at the dawn of the train era, there were frequent crashes. In judicial investigations into the causes of the disaster, responsibility for what happened was often lowered down the hierarchical ladder, until they settled on simple switchmen. Say, the whole train went downhill because of his negligence. Therefore, the expression "translate the arrows" is also common, meaning "to put the blame on someone who has nothing to do with the case." No less popular is the saying “to blame for a healthy one”. It means that the guilty person wants to shift the responsibility onto the shoulders of another person.

But at the same time, the consciousness flashed through him that he was not the scapegoat for his sins alone. (D. Mamin-Sibiryak.)

Would you like to make me, as they say, a scapegoat and put all the blame on me? (N. Uspensky.)

Educational phraseological dictionary. - M .: AST. E. A. Bystrova, A. P. Okuneva, N. M. Shansky. 1997 .

Synonyms:

See what a "scapegoat" is in other dictionaries:

Scapegoat- "The scapegoat." Painting by William Holman Hunt, 1854 ... Wikipedia

Scapegoat- GOAT, evil, M. Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Scapegoat (painting)- ... Wikipedia

Goat- Request "Goat" is redirected here; see also other meanings. Goats request is redirected here; see also other meanings. There is an article in Wiktionary “... Wikipedia

Books

The sorceress from the back desk, Kryukova Tamara Shamilievna. Vasya is an unfortunate inventor, an eternal scapegoat. July is a woe-sorceress, sheer misunderstanding. He lives in an ordinary city and is in the sixth grade of an ordinary school. She lives in ... Buy for 403 rubles
The sorceress from the back desk, Kryukova Tamara Shamilievna. Vasya is an unfortunate inventor, an eternal scapegoat. July is a wretched sorceress, sheer misunderstanding. He lives in an ordinary city and is in the sixth grade of an ordinary school. She lives in…