Lots, Casting of — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Practice common in the OT, less common in the NT prior to Pentecost, and absent in the biblical narrative after Pentecost.

In the Bible the practice was used in a variety of circumstances, including (1) the selection of the scapegoat (Lv 16:8-10); (2) the allocation of the tribal inheritance in the Promised Land (Nm 26:55-56; Jos 14:2; Jgs 1:3); (3) the determination of the families who had to relocate to give a proper distribution of the populace or of those warriors who had to go to war where only a percentage was required (Jgs 20:9; Neh 11:1); (4) the order of the priests and their duties (1 Chr 24:5-19; Neh 10:34); (5) the determination of an offender (Jos 7:14-18; cf. Prv 18:18).

Show passage in OET: LEV 16:8–10

OET-RV LEV 16:8

8 and throw dice to decide which one is for Yahweh, and one is to be the ‘scapegoat’.

OET-RV LEV 16:9

9 Then Aharon must present the goat that’s for Yahweh, and offer it as a sin offering,

OET-RV LEV 16:10

10 but the chosen ‘scapegoat’ must be kept standing there in front of Yahweh, because it’ll be used to make the people right with Yahweh, and be sent into the wilderness.

OET-LV LEV 16:8

8 And_ ʼAhₐron _he/it _gave on the _two _of the _male_goats lots a _lot one to/for_YHWH and_a _lot one for_the_escape _goat.

OET-LV LEV 16:9

9 And_ ʼAhₐron _he _will _present DOM the _male_goat which it _came _up on/upon/above_him/it the_lot to/for_YHWH and_he_will _offer _it a _sin _offering.

OET-LV LEV 16:10

10 And_the _male_goat which it _came _up on/upon/above_him/it the_lot for_the_escape _goat it _will _be _stationed alive to_(the)_face _of/in _front _of/before YHWH to_make _atonement on/upon/above_him/it by_sending _away DOM_him/it to_the_escape _goat to_the_wilderness.

Show passage in OET: NUM 26:55–56

OET-RV NUM 26:55

55 You must throw lots to determine which clan gets which piece of land. The lands of the clans must be within their tribal lands.

OET-RV NUM 26:56

56 Then the size of the area that will become their inheritance must be apportioned according to the census numbers.

OET-LV NUM 26:55

55 Only by_lot DOM the_earth/land it _will _be _divided to_the _names _of the _tribes _of their _ancestors _of_their they _will _inherit.

OET-LV NUM 26:56

56 On the _mouth _of the _lot inheritance _of_its it _will _be _divided between the_many and_the_few.

Show passage in OET: JOS 14:2

OET-RV JOS 14:2

2 Their allocations were made by casting lots for the nine and a half tribes, just as Yahweh had commanded through Mosheh (Moses).

OET-LV JOS 14:2

2 By_the _allotted _portion _of their _inheritance _of_their just_as YHWH he _had _commanded by_the _hand _of Mosheh for_the _nine _of the_tribes and_the _half _of the _tribe.

Show passage in OET: JDG 1:3

OET-RV JDG 1:3

3 Then the Yehudah leaders said to the tribe of Shim’on (Simeon), “Come with us into the region that we’ve been allocated and we can fight together against the Kena’anim. Then we’ll do the same in your area.” So the warriors from the two tribes worked together.

OET-LV JDG 1:3

3 And_ Yəhūdāh _he/it _said to_Shimˊōn his/its_brother come _up with_me in_lot _of_my so_that _we _may _fight against_Kənaˊₐnī[s] and_ also I _I _will _go with_you in_lot _of_your and_he/it _went with_him/it Shimˊōn.

Show passage in OET: JDG 20:9

OET-RV JDG 20:9

9 rather this is what we must do to Giveah: choose by lot who will fight against them.

OET-LV JDG 20:9

9 And_now this is_the_thing which we _will _do to_Giⱱˊāh on/upon_it(f) by_lot.

Show passage in OET: NEH 11:1

OET-RV NEH 11:1

11 The people’s leaders lived in Yerushalem (Jerusalem), but the rest of the people drew straws to select one out of ten families to reside in Yerushalem the holy city—the other nine settled in the towns,

OET-LV NEH 11:1

11 And_ the _leaders _of the _people _they _lived in_Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) and_the _rest _of the _people they _throw lots to_bring one of the_ten to_dwell in_Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) the _city _of (the)_holiness and_nine the_hands were_in_cities.

Show passage in OET: NEH 10:34

OET-RV NEH 10:34

34 Then we threw dice to choose from among the priests, the Levites, and the people to create the roster for bringing firewood to the temple as an offering to be used at the appointed times each year for burning on the altar of Yahweh our god as written in the scrolls.

OET-LV NEH 10:35

35  And_the_lots we _have _throw on the _offering _of the _wood(s) the_priests the_Lēviyyiy and_the_people to_bring to_the _house _of our _god _of_our to_the _house _of our _ancestors _of_our to_times appointed a _year in_year to_burn_it on the _altar _of YHWH god _of_our according_what _is_written in_law.

Show passage in OET: JOS 7:14–18

OET-RV JOS 7:14

14 Tomorrow morning you all must present yourselves by your tribes. Then the tribe that Yahweh singles out, must present yourselves by your clans, and the clan that Yahweh singles out, must present yourselves by household. Then the household that Yahweh singles out, must present yourselves individually.

OET-RV JOS 7:15

15 The man who is caught will be destroyed by fire, along with everything that belongs to him, because he’s violated Yahweh’s agreement and committed a disgraceful sin among Yisrael.”

OET-RV JOS 7:16

16 So Yehoshua got up early the next morning and ordered each tribe to come forward singly, and the tribe of Yehudah (Judah) was singled out.

OET-RV JOS 7:17

17 Then each of the clans came forward and the Zarhi clan was singled out, and when their families came forwards, Zavdi’s household was singled out.

OET-RV JOS 7:18

18 When everyone in that extended family came forward, Akan (son of Karmi, son of Zavdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Yehudah) was singled out.

OET-LV JOS 7:14

14 And_you _will _bring _yourselves _near in_morning to_tribes _of_your(pl) and_it _was the_tribe which he_will _take _it YHWH it _will _draw _near to_families and_the_family which he_will _take _it YHWH it _will _draw _near to_households and_the_household which he_will _take _it YHWH it _will _draw _near to_men.

OET-LV JOS 7:15

15 And_it _was the_one_who _is_taken _by _lot with_thing[s] he _will _be _burnt with_fire DOM_him/it and_DOM all _of that to_him/it if/because he _has _transgressed DOM covenant _of YHWH and_because/when he _has _done a _disgraceful _folly in_Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel).

OET-LV JOS 7:16

16 And_ Yəhōshūˊa/(Joshua) _he _rose _early in_morning and_he _brought _near DOM Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) to_tribes _of_its and_ the _tribe _of Yəhūdāh/(Judah) _it _was _taken _by _lot.

OET-LV JOS 7:17

17 And_he _brought _near DOM the _family _of Yəhūdāh and_he _took DOM the _family _of the _Zerahite[s] and_he _brought _near DOM the _family _of the _Zerahite[s] to_men and_ Zaⱱdiy _he _was _taken _by _lot.

OET-LV JOS 7:18

18 And_he _brought _near DOM household _of_his to_men and_ ˊĀkān the _son _of Karmī/(Carmi) the _son _of Zaⱱdiy the _son _of Zeraḩ of_the _tribe _of Yəhūdāh _he _was _taken _by _lot.

Show passage in OET: PRO 18:18

OET-RV PRO 18:18

⇔  18 Tossing a coin ends quarrels,
⇔ → and it settles things between powerful people.

OET-LV PRO 18:18

18 Contentions the_lot it _puts _an _end _to and_between mighty_people it _separates.

Jump to OET LEV 16:8–10 section.

Jump to OET NUM 26:55–56 section.

Jump to OET JOS 14:2 section.

Jump to OET JDG 1:3 section.

Jump to OET JDG 20:9 section.

Jump to OET NEH 11:1 section.

Jump to OET NEH 10:34 section.

Jump to OET JOS 7:14–18 section.

Jump to OET PRO 18:18 section.

According to biblical usage, lots seem to have been used only when the decision was important and where wisdom or biblical injunctions did not give sufficient guidance. One of the advantages of the casting of lots was the impartiality of the choice. It was held that the Lord directed the lots (Prv 16:33). The method of casting lots is not specified or described and seems to have varied according to the need of the situation (cf. Lv 16:8; Nm 26:55-56; Jgs 20:9).

Show passage in OET: PRO 16:33

OET-RV PRO 16:33

33 The dice are thrown onto the table,
⇔ ^ but Yahweh determines their fall.

OET-LV PRO 16:33

33 In_bosom DOM the_lot it _is _hurled _down and_is_from_YHWH every _of decision _of_its.

Show passage in OET: LEV 16:8

OET-RV LEV 16:8

8 and throw dice to decide which one is for Yahweh, and one is to be the ‘scapegoat’.

OET-LV LEV 16:8

8 And_ ʼAhₐron _he/it _gave on the _two _of the _male_goats lots a _lot one to/for_YHWH and_a _lot one for_the_escape _goat.

Jump to OET PRO 16:33 section.

Jump to OET LEV 16:8 section.

The practice of casting lots was never condemned by God and on several occasions was sanctioned by him (Lv 16:8; Prv 18:18; Is 34:17). The principle behind the procedure is set forth in Proverbs 16:33, which affirms that the disposition or result of the lot is determined by God; therefore, the theory was that the lot pronounced the will of God.

Show passage in OET: ISA 34:17

OET-RV ISA 34:17

17 He has thrown dice for them,
⇔ and his hand divided out their territory with a measuring line.
⇔ It’ll be theirs forever—they’ll live there throughout the generations.

OET-LV ISA 34:17

17 And_he he _has _throw for_them a _lot and_hand _of_his it_has _divided _it to/for_them by_measuring-line until perpetuity they_will _possess _it to_a _generation and_a _generation they _will _dwell in_it.

Jump to OET ISA 34:17 section.

In the NT the soldiers cast lots over Jesus’ garments (Mt 27:35), and the disciples cast lots when they selected Matthias to the apostleship in place of Judas (Acts 1:26). After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church, the practice of casting lots ceased. Some scholars think that there was no further need for the practice to continue, as the Holy Spirit guided the church in its decisions.