The idiomatic expression "sacrificial lamb" refers to a person or thing that is willingly given up, sacrificed or used as a scapegoat for some greater purpose. This term originated from the biblical story of Abraham offering his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God, and then being stopped by an angel at the last moment. In modern usage, it refers to someone who is made to suffer or bear the blame for something that they did not cause or were powerless to prevent.