τράγος
a he-goat
Definition
Τράγος (tragos) specifically refers to a male goat, a he-goat. In the New Testament, it is used exclusively in the context of Old Testament sacrificial rituals, particularly within the book of Hebrews. The word denotes the sacrificial animal itself, whose blood was used in purification rites under the Mosaic Law (Hebrews 9:12-13, 19). In these passages, the 'blood of goats' is consistently contrasted with the superior, once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 9:12, 9:13, 9:19, 10:4). Its usage is highly patterned and theological, serving as a key element in the author's argument. In every instance, τράγος is part of the phrase 'the blood of goats and bulls' (or similar), representing the repeated, insufficient animal sacrifices of the old covenant that are contrasted with the perfect, final sacrifice of Christ.
Etymology
Derived from the ancient Greek verb τρώγω (trōgō), meaning 'to gnaw' or 'to eat,' the word τράγος literally means 'the gnawer' or 'biter,' likely referring to the goat's characteristic feeding behavior. This root is also seen in the English word 'tragedy,' which originally referred to a 'goat-song,' possibly from early dramatic rituals.
Semantic Range
Τράγος is theologically significant as it is central to the contrast between the Old and New Covenants in Hebrews. The repeated sacrifice of goats symbolizes the temporary and external cleansing offered by the Mosaic Law, which could not permanently take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). Understanding this Greek term highlights the author's argument that Christ's single sacrifice of himself utterly supersedes and fulfills the entire old sacrificial system, providing true, internal purification.
In the ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman world, goats were common sacrificial animals. Their use in the Day of Atonement rituals (Leviticus 16) was particularly important, where one goat was sacrificed and another (the 'scapegoat') was sent into the wilderness, bearing the people's sins. The original readers of Hebrews would have immediately associated τράγος with this system of ritual purification and atonement.
ἐρίφιον (eriphion, G2056) — a young goat or kid; a more general term for a goat without the specific sacrificial or male connotation of τράγος.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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