v. Inheritance, Part, Portion
Lev 16:8 Aaron shall cast upon the two males
Num 26:55 but the land will be divided by s
Jos 13:6 only you will divide the country to
1Sa 14:42 cast s .. and s fell on Jonathan
Psa 22:18 they distributed .. on my clothes they threw s
Pro 1:14 cast your s among us; let’s all have
Pro 16:33 the s is thrown in the lap; more of Jehovah
Pro 18:18 the s puts an end to lawsuits, and decides between
Jer 13:25 is yours, the portion that I have measured
Jon 1:7 and they cast s, and the s fell on Jonah
Mat 27:35 throwing s .. on my clothes they threw s
Mar 15:24; Luk 23:34 casting s on them
Joh 19:24 but let’s cast yes on her, let’s see
Act 1:26 they threw s at them, and the s fell on Matthias
1. Casting lots was a way of deciding a matter or determining the divine will in a case. The practice of casting lots was common among ancient nations (Est 3:7; Jon 1:7; Mat 27:35; compare Joe 3:3; Nah 3:10; Oba 1:11). Its use among the Jews, generally with religious intentions, is mentioned when determining which would be the goat that disappears leading sin to the desert (Lev 16:8), when dividing the land of Palestine among the tribes (Num 26:66; Jos 18 :10; Act 13:19), when choosing men for an expedition (Jdg 1:1-3; Jdg 20:9), when detecting a guilty person (Jos 7:14; 1Sa 14:40-42), when selecting the first king (1Sa 10:20-21), dividing the returning priests into 20 divisions (1Ch 24:3-19), and determining the service of the priests in the temple (Luk 1:5-9). In none of these cases can a phrase be found indicating the method(s) used to cast lots (compare Pro 16:33). It was held in high religious esteem by the covenant people, and when used to determine God’s will it was usually accompanied by prayer (Jdg 1:1-3; Act 1:24-26). Many scholars think that the Urim and Thummim were used for casting lots. Only in the election of a successor to Judas (Acts 1:26) is it mentioned that the followers of Christ used this kind of lottery.
2. Assigning by lot was practiced to determine portion, plot or inheritance (Deu 32:9; Jos 15:1; Psa 105:11; Psa 125:3; Isa 17:14; Act 8:21).
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
Favorable event or result that, within the possibilities, results in accordance with one’s own desires or conveniences. It is equivalent to causality, chance, fortune, good fortune.
It is a frequent language in our social environments and in our traditions. But it will be good in educating the Christian to insist that, with God, there is no chance or chance. Things happen because he, as the Supreme Being, wants them or tolerates them.
Pedro Chico González, Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy, Editorial Bruño, Lima, Peru 2006
Source: Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy
The division of the booty (Nah 3,10; Abd 11), of the inheritance, of the land (Num 26,55), of the clothing of a dead person (Ps 22,19; Mt 27,35; Mc 15,24; Lk 23,34; Jn 19,24), it was done by casting lots. Hence, “luck” came to mean the same part that had corresponded. Lots were cast in the search for a culprit (1 Sam 14,36-42) and in the election of a candidate for the apostolate (Act 1,26), seeing in it the manifestation of the will of God.
MNE
FERNANDEZ RAMOS, Felipe (Dir.), Dictionary of Jesus of Nazareth, Editorial Monte Carmelo, Burbos, 2001
Source: Dictionary of Jesus of Nazareth
Casting lots is an ancient custom to decide on different issues. The method used was to drop pebbles or bits of wood or stone into the gathered folds of a garment, that is, “the lap,” or into a vessel, and then shake them. The chosen one was the one whose luck came out or was drawn. Like the oath, the casting of lots was accompanied by a prayer. That prayer was expressed aloud or was simply implied in the act, and thus they asked and counted on Jehovah’s intervention. The word “lot” (Heb. goh·ralʹ) is used both literally and figuratively with the idea of “part” or “portion”. (Jos 15:1; Ps 16:5; 125:3; Isa 57:6; Jer 13:25)
Applications. Proverbs 16:33 says: “In the lap the lot is cast, but from Jehovah proceeds every decision by it.” The proper motive for casting lots in Israel was to end a controversy: “The lot cast makes even strifes cease, and separates, one from another, even the mighty ones.” (Pr 18:18) It was not used in connection with sports, entertainment, or games of chance. There were no bets or losses or gains. They were not intended to enrich the temple or the priests or raise funds for charities. However, the Roman soldiers did think of the mere profit aspect when, as foretold in Psalm 22:18, they cast lots on Jesus’ garments. (Mt 27:35.)
The first time the custom of casting lots is mentioned in the Bible is in connection with the selection of the goats for Jehovah and for Azazel on the Day of Atonement. (Le 16:7-10) In the time of Jesus, this was done in Herod’s temple, where the high priest drew from a receptacle two lots made, as has been said, of boxwood or gold. The lots were marked, respectively, “for Jehovah” and “for Azazel” and then placed on the heads of the goats.
Lots were cast to determine the order in which the 24 priestly divisions would serve in the temple. (1Ch 24:5-18) The Levites’ secretary wrote down the names of the heads of the paternal houses, and the names were selected by lot according to a set order. Levites who would serve in the temple as singers, gatekeepers, treasurers, etc., were also assigned in this way. (1Ch 24:31; chaps. 25, 26; Lu 1:8, 9) After returning from exile, lots were drawn for the supply of wood for the temple service, as well as for who would move to Jerusalem. (Ne 10:34; 11:1)
Although the lots in relation to the Urim and Thummim that Moses placed in the breastplate of the high priest (Le 8:7-9) are not directly mentioned, and their nature is not exactly known, it is known that they were used to solve the problems similarly to two lots. The Urim and Thummim seem to have been related to the lots mentioned in 1 Samuel 14:41, 42, and are sometimes called sacred lots. Therefore, when an important issue arose for the nation on which a decision could not be made, the high priest stood before Jehovah and received the decision from him through these sacred lots.
Jehovah commanded that the division of the Promised Land among the twelve tribes be carried out by lot. (Nu 26:55, 56) The book of Joshua contains a detailed discussion of division, and the word “lot(s)” appears more than twenty times in chapters 14–21. Lots were cast before Jehovah at the Tent of Meeting at Shiloh under the supervision of Joshua and the high priest Eleazar. (Jos 17:4; 18:6, 8) The Levitical cities were also selected by lot. (Jos 21:8) Jehovah obviously cast the lot in a way that would fit his earlier prophecy about the general location of the tribes. (Ge 49.)
It was customary to cast lots to identify criminals. In the case of Jonas, the sailors cast lots to find out for whom that storm had come. (Jon 1:7, 8) By lot, it was indicated that Jonathan was the one who had broken Saul’s reckless oath. (1Sa 14:41, 42)
Israel’s enemies cast lots in dividing spoils of war and captives. (Joe 3:3; Obd 11) Haman had “Pur, that is, the Lot,” cast as a form of divination to determine the most propitious day to exterminate the Jews throughout the Persian Empire. (Es 3:7) The plural is pu·rim, from which the name of the festival of Purim, also called the festival of lots, originates. (Esther 9:24-26.)
In the time of the apostles. Jesus’ disciples used lots with prayer to determine who would take Judas Iscariot’s place as one of the twelve who had witnessed Jesus’ activities and resurrection; luck fell on Matías. (Ac 1:21-26) The Greek term used here for “lot” is kle·ros, and it is related to the word kle·ro·no·mi·a, which means “inheritance.” Kle·ros is used at Colossians 1:12 and 1 Peter 5:3 with respect to the inheritance or lot that God has given to Christians.
However, the Bible does not say that lots were used after Pentecost 33 CE to select overseers and their assistants or to decide matters of importance. The selection of the overseers and their assistants had to be based on the proof that their lives gave of having the fruit of the holy spirit (1Ti 3; Tit 1), while the other decisions were based on the fulfillment of prophecy, angelic guidance, the principles of the Word of God and the teachings of Jesus and the direction of the holy spirit. (Ac 5:19-21; 13:2, 3; 14:23; 15:15-19, 28) The apostle Paul declares: “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for setting things right.” (2Ti 3:16.)
Source: Dictionary of the Bible
goí†ral (lr;/G , 1486), “luck”. This term is attested 77 times in all periods of the language (if the traditional view of canon formation is accepted). Goí†ral indicates the “lots” that were cast to discover God’s will in certain situations: “And Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord, and another lot for the scapegoat” (Lev 16 :8 lba: first biblical example of the word). It is not known exactly how “lots” were cast. Since the land of Palestine was distributed among the tribes by casting “lots”, by “lottery”, these plots came to be called “lots”: “The part that fell to the tribe of the sons of Judah, according to their families reached to the border of Edom” (Jos 15:1). Extending its meaning a bit, goí†ral also indicates the idea of “fate”: “At sunset behold sudden terror, and before sunrise they will be no more. This is the portion of those who spoil us, the destiny of those who plunder us” (Isa 17:14 rva). Since God is the absolute ruler of all things, the result of “casting lots” is considered to be under divine control: The lot is cast in the lap; but her decision is the Lord’s” (Pro 16:33). This is due to the conviction that our “fate” is in the hands of providence (the divine control of history).
Source: Vine Old Testament Dictionary