Goatskins hold a significant place in biblical history and culture, serving various practical and symbolic purposes throughout the Scriptures. In the ancient Near East, goats were among the most common domesticated animals, valued for their milk, meat, and hides. The use of goatskins is mentioned in several contexts within the Bible, highlighting their importance in daily life and religious practices.

Practical Uses

Goatskins were primarily used for making containers and clothing. One of the most notable uses of goatskins was in the creation of wineskins. In the parable of the new wine and old wineskins, Jesus refers to the practice of storing wine in goatskins: "And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will spill and the wineskins will be ruined" (Luke 5:37). This illustrates the flexibility and durability of goatskins, which were essential for storing and transporting liquids.

Additionally, goatskins were used to make tents, as they provided a durable and weather-resistant material. The nomadic lifestyle of the Israelites in the wilderness necessitated the use of such portable and sturdy shelters. The tabernacle itself, a central place of worship for the Israelites, included coverings made from animal skins, although the specific mention of goatskins is not detailed in the construction of the tabernacle.

Symbolic and Religious Significance

Goatskins also appear in the context of religious symbolism and practices. In the account of Jacob and Esau, Rebekah uses goatskins to disguise Jacob as his brother Esau to deceive their father Isaac and obtain the blessing meant for the firstborn (Genesis 27:16). This incident underscores the role of goatskins in the narrative of God's covenantal promises and the unfolding of His divine plan through the patriarchs.

Furthermore, goats were used in sacrificial offerings, as outlined in the Levitical laws. While the focus is often on the animal itself, the use of its skin would have been a natural extension of its sacrificial purpose. The Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, involved the use of goats in the ritual of the scapegoat, symbolizing the removal of the people's sins (Leviticus 16:10).

Cultural Context

In the broader cultural context of the ancient Near East, goatskins were a common and valuable resource. The pastoral lifestyle of many biblical figures, including the patriarchs, meant that goats and their byproducts were integral to their way of life. The use of goatskins for various purposes reflects the resourcefulness and adaptability of these communities in utilizing available materials to meet their needs.

Overall, goatskins in the Bible represent both the practical aspects of daily life and the deeper spiritual themes woven throughout the biblical narrative. Their mention in Scripture provides insight into the material culture of the time and the ways in which God's people interacted with their environment.GOATSKINS

got'-skinz (en aigeiois dermasin): Such skins are mentioned only once (Hebrews 11:37), where the wearing of goatskins, indicating extreme poverty, is referred to, by implication, as the possible lot of the faithful Christian, even as it had been of others. Ascetics of different religions, especially of the Moslem sects, are frequently seen going about Syria and Palestine today, clad in sheepskins or goatskins, a sign of their renunciation of all things worldly.

1192. derma -- the skin
... Word Origin from dero Definition the skin NASB Word Usage goatskins* (1). skin.
From dero; a hide -- skin. see GREEK dero. (dermasin) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1192.htm - 6k

122. aigeios -- of a goat
... Word Origin from aix (a goat) Definition of a goat NASB Word Usage goatskins*
(1). goat. From aix (a goat); belonging to a goat -- goat. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/122.htm - 6k

Faith and Courage.
... They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted ...
/.../moody/to the work to the work/chapter iii faith and courage.htm

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
... They were stoned; they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword;
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon ix jeremiah a lesson.htm

A Cloud of Witnesses.
... they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with
the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute ...
/.../the expositors bible the epistle to the hebrews/chapter xiii a cloud of.htm

The Security of the Church
... Into every nation of the earth have they wandered; in sheepskins and goatskins have
they been clothed; their houses have been in the rocks and their sleeping ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the security of the church.htm

Distinguishing Grace
... They are not walking about in sheepskins and goatskins, persecuted, afflicted, and
tormented; but still they are hungry, and no man gives them to eat; they are ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/distinguishing grace.htm

Manasseh and Josiah
... they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 32 manasseh and josiah.htm

Scripture Contains Many Contradictions, and Many Statements which ...
... the truth, for he already partook of the rights of the first-born, which were perishing
in his brother, and clothing himself with the goatskins he assumed the ...
/.../4 scripture contains many contradictions.htm

Of the System of the Anchorites and Its Beginning.
... all his life in the desert, and Elijah and Elisha and those of whom the Apostle
speaks as follows: "They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being in ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter vi of the system.htm

How Abraham, David, and Other Saints Went Beyond the Requirement ...
... the same mode of life went beyond the commands of Moses, as of them the Apostle
speaks as follows: "They went about in sheepskins and in goatskins, they were ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter iv how abraham david.htm

To Eulalius, Bishop of Persian Armenia.
... apostle says "they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain
by the sword; they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/lxxvii to eulalius bishop of.htm

Goatskins (8 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia GOATSKINS. got'-skinz (en ... all things worldly.
Multi-Version Concordance Goatskins (8 Occurrences). ...
/g/goatskins.htm - 8k

Goatskin (7 Occurrences)

/g/goatskin.htm - 8k

Killing (41 Occurrences)
... they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tried; in the killing of the
sword they died; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins -- being destitute ...
/k/killing.htm - 19k

Knives (12 Occurrences)
... were stoned, they were cut up with knives, they were tested, they were put to death
with the sword, they went about in sheepskins and in goatskins; being poor ...
/k/knives.htm - 10k

Goat-skins (1 Occurrence)
Goat-skins. Goatskins, Goat-skins. Gob . Multi-Version Concordance Goat-skins
(1 Occurrence). ... Goatskins, Goat-skins. Gob . Reference Bible.
/g/goat-skins.htm - 6k

Goats (134 Occurrences)
... 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the
sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute ...
/g/goats.htm - 37k

Wandered (29 Occurrences)
... 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the
sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute ...
/w/wandered.htm - 15k

Injuriously (13 Occurrences)
... they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tried; in the killing of the
sword they died; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins -- being destitute ...
/i/injuriously.htm - 10k

Tormented (17 Occurrences)
... 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the
sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute ...
/t/tormented.htm - 11k

Enduring (25 Occurrences)
... with the sword. They went from place to place in sheepskins or goatskins,
enduring want, oppression and cruelty. (WEY). Hebrews 12 ...
/e/enduring.htm - 14k

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