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goat, kid
Definition:
A goat is a medium-sized, four-legged animal which is similar to a sheep and is raised primarily for its milk and meat. A baby goat is called a "kid."
- Like sheep, goats were important animals of sacrifice, especially at Passover.
- Although goats and sheep can be very similar, these are some ways that they are different:
- Goats have coarse hair; sheep have wool.
- The tail of a goat stands up; the tail of a sheep hangs down.
- Sheep usually like to stay with their herd, but goats are more independent and tend to wander away from their herd.
- In Bible times, goats were often the main source of milk in Israel.
- Goat skins were used for tent coverings and to make bags for holding wine.
- In both the Old and New Testaments, the goat was used as a symbol for unrighteous people, perhaps because of its tendency to wander away from the one taking care of it.
- The Israelites also used goats as symbolic sin bearers. When one goat was sacrificed, the priest would lay his hands on a second, live goat, and send it into the desert as a symbol that the animal was bearing the people's sins.
(See also: flock, sacrifice, sheep, unrighteous, wine)