Lot, the

How Nave’s arranged it

• General scriptures concerningProverbs 16:33Proverbs 18:18Isaiah 34:17Joel 3:3
• The scapegoat chosen byLeviticus 16:8–10
• The land of Canaan divided among tribes byNumbers 26:55Joshua 15Joshua 18:10Joshua 19:51Joshua 211 Chronicles 6:611 Chronicles 6:65Ezekiel 45:1Ezekiel 47:22Ezekiel 48:29Micah 2:5Acts 13:19
• Saul chosen king by1 Samuel 10:201 Samuel 10:21
• Priests and Levites designated by, for sanctuary service1 Chronicles 24:5–311 Chronicles 26:13Nehemiah 10:34Luke 1:9
• Used after the captivityNehemiah 11:1
• An apostle chosen byActs 1:26
• Achan's guilt ascertained byJoshua 7:14–18
• Jonathan's1 Samuel 14:411 Samuel 14:42
• Jonah'sJonah 1:7
• Used to fix the time for the execution of condemned personsEsther 3:7Esther 9:24
• The garments of Jesus divided byPsalms 22:18Matthew 27:35Mark 15:24John 19:23John 19:24

The passages, in Bible order (36)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Leviticus 16:8–10

   After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat,

   ›Commentary on Leviticus 16:8–102 voices

   “May I offer, moreover, an interpretation of the two goats which were presented on "the great day of atonement"? Do they not also prefigure the two natures of Christ? They were of like size and very similar in appearance, owing to the Lord's identity of aspect. He is not to come in any other form. He had to be recognized by those by whom he was also wounded and pierced.

   “Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats - The Jews inform us that there were two lots made either of wood, stone, or any kind of metal. On one was written לשם Lashshem, for the Name, i. e., יהוה Jehovah, which the Jews will neither write nor pronounce: on the other was written לעזאזל Laazazel, for the Scape-Goat: then they put the two lots into a vessel which was called קלפי kalpey, the goats standing with their faces towards the west.

   Everything gathered on Leviticus 16:8–10→

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Numbers 26:55

   Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.

   ›Commentary on Numbers 26:552 voices

   “The land shall be divided by lot - The word גורל goral, translated lot, is supposed by some to signify the stone or pebble formerly used for the purpose of what we term casting lots.

   “And thus Christ, our Joshua, when he was urged to appoint one of his disciples to his right hand, another to his left in his kingdom, acknowledged the sovereignty of his Father in the disposal: It is not mine to give. Joshua must not dispose of inheritances in Canaan according to his own mind. But it shall be given to those for whom it is prepared of my Father.

   Everything gathered on Numbers 26:55→

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3. Joshua 7:14–18

   In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD selects shall come forward clan by clan, and the clan that the LORD selects shall come forward family by family, and the family that the LORD selects shall come forward man by man.

   ›Commentary on Joshua 7:14–181 voice

   “Ye shall be brought according to your tribes - It has been a subject of serious inquiry in what manner and by what means the culpable tribe, family, household, and individual, were discovered. The Jews have many conceits on the subject; the most rational is, that the tribes being, in their representatives, brought before the high priest, the stone on the breastplate gave immediate intimation by suddenly losing its lustre. According to them, this is what is termed consulting God by Urim and Thummim.

   Everything gathered on Joshua 7:14–18→

   Verse page →Original language →

4. Joshua 15:1

   Now the allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah extended to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin at the extreme southern boundary:

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Joshua 18:10

   And Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the LORD at Shiloh, where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.

   ›Commentary on Joshua 18:101 voice

   “Therefore we must believe that also here, in imitation of these things, Scripture relates that lots are drawn by Jesus [Joshua], and the inheritance for each of the tribes is determined by divine dispensation; and that in this casting of lots, through the ineffable providence and foreknowledge of God, a model of the future inheritance in heaven is dimly sketched.

   Everything gathered on Joshua 18:10→

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Joshua 19:51

   These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing up the land.

   ›Commentary on Joshua 19:511 voice

   “At the door of the tabernacle - All the inheritances were determined by lot, and this was cast before the Lord - every thing was done in his immediate presence, as under his eye; hence there was no murmuring, each having received his inheritance as from the hand of God himself, though some of them thought they must have additional territory, because of the great increase of their families.

   Everything gathered on Joshua 19:51→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Joshua 21:1

   Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel

   ›Commentary on Joshua 21:12 voices

   “A list of the Levitical cities, varying in some particulars from that given in this chapter, is also, given in 1 Chr. 6:54-81.

   “And it is probable that they had an eye to the situation of them, taking care they should be so dispersed as that no part of the country should be too far distant from a Levites' city. They gave them at the commandment of the Lord, that is, with an eye to the command and in obedience to it, which was it that sanctified the grant.

   Everything gathered on Joshua 21:1→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. 1 Samuel 10:20

   Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.

   ›Commentary on 1 Samuel 10:201 voice

   Caused ... to come near ... was taken - The Hebrew phrases are exactly the same as in Jos 7:16-17, where the King James Version renders the first has “brought.”

   Everything gathered on 1 Samuel 10:20→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. 1 Samuel 10:21

   Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him.

   ›Commentary on 1 Samuel 10:211 voice

   “The family of Matri - This name occurs nowhere else among the families of Benjamin, or in the genealogy of Saul. (See 1Sa 9:1 note.)

   Everything gathered on 1 Samuel 10:21→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. 1 Samuel 14:41

    So Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, “Why have You not answered Your servant this day? If the fault is with me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim; but if the fault is with the men of Israel, respond with Thummim.” And Jonathan and Saul were selected, but the people were cleared of the charge.

    ›Commentary on 1 Samuel 14:411 voice

    “Lord God of Israel, Give a perfect lot - Both the Vulgate and Septuagint add much to this verse: And Saul said to the Lord God of Israel, Lord God of Israel, give judgment. Why is it that thou hast not answered thy servant to-day? If the iniquity be in me, or Jonathan my son, make it manifest. Or if this iniquity be in thy people, give sanctification.

    Everything gathered on 1 Samuel 14:41→

    Verse page →Original language →

11. 1 Samuel 14:42

    Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was selected.

    ›Commentary on 1 Samuel 14:422 voices

    “Those who cast lots often discover hidden things through conjectures drawn from visible things. Thus indeed Jonah is identified while fleeing (Jon. 1); thus Matthias the Apostle is found worthy of apostolic eminence (Acts 1). We therefore cast spiritual lots when, through the outward signs of works, we arrive at knowledge of hidden things. For the lot of each person is his own manner of life.

    “And Jonathan was taken - The object of the inquiry most evidently was, “Who has gone contrary to the king’s adjuration today?” The answer to that must be Jonathan. But was this a proof of the Divine displeasure against the man? By no means: the holy oracle told the truth, but neither that oracle nor the God who gave it fixed any blame upon Jonathan, and his own conscience acquits him. He seeks not pardon from God, because he is conscious he had not transgressed. But why did not God answer the priest that day?

    Everything gathered on 1 Samuel 14:42→

    Verse page →Original language →

12. 1 Chronicles 6:61

    To the rest of the Kohathites, ten cities were allotted from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

    Verse page →Original language →

13. 1 Chronicles 6:65

    They assigned by lot the cities named above from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

    Verse page →Original language →

14. 1 Chronicles 24:5–31

    Thus they were divided by lot, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants.

    ›Commentary on 1 Chronicles 24:5–311 voice

    “One sort with another - i. e., “the assignment of their order in the courses was made by lot to the families belonging to Eleazar, and to the families belonging to Ithamar, equally.” Both houses had furnished functionaries of the highest class, and therefore no preference was now given to either over the other.

    Everything gathered on 1 Chronicles 24:5–31→

    Verse page →Original language →

15. 1 Chronicles 26:13

    They cast lots for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike.

    ›Commentary on 1 Chronicles 26:131 voice

    “And they cast lots,.... To determine at which gate each should stand, who at this gate, and who at the other, &c. as well the small as the great, according to the house of their fathers, for every gate; meaning, not little ones and grown persons in a family, but the smaller and poorer families, and the larger and richer ones, had their places assigned them at the several gates, as the lot directed; they did not go according to the dignity and precedence of their families, but according to lot.

    Everything gathered on 1 Chronicles 26:13→

    Verse page →Original language →

16. Nehemiah 10:34

    We have cast lots among the priests, Levites, and people for the donation of wood by our families at the appointed times each year. They are to bring it to the house of our God to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law.

    ›Commentary on Nehemiah 10:342 voices

    “Cast the lots - for the wood-offering - There does not appear to have been any wood-offering under the law. It was the business of the Nethinim to procure this; and hence they were called hewers of wood and drawers of water to the congregation.

    “When Israel was first brought into covenant with God it was done by sacrifice and the sprinkling of blood, Exod. xxiv. But here it was done by the more natural and common way of sealing and subscribing the written articles of the covenant, which bound them to no more than was already their duty.

    Everything gathered on Nehemiah 10:34→

    Verse page →Original language →