What does גּוֹרָל (goral) mean in the Bible?
גּוֹרָל (goral): Lot cast to determine God's will; extends to mean divinely-appointed portion or inheritance destined for someone.
Hebrew · H1486
גּוֹרָל
Properly, a pebble , i.e. a lot (small stones being used for that purpose); figuratively, a portion or destiny (as if determined by lot)
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גּוֹרָל H1486
Pronunciation goral
What does גּוֹרָל (goral) mean in the Bible?
גּוֹרָל (goral): Lot cast to determine God's will; extends to mean divinely-appointed portion or inheritance destined for someone.
Full entry for גּוֹרָל (H1486) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1486?
The BSB source-word alignment has 77 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include lots (16), by lot (13), lot (11), The lot (4), and the lot (3).
Where does גּוֹרָל (goral) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 16:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Joshua (26), 1 Chronicles (13), Numbers (7), Leviticus (5).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It lots 16× Leviticus 16:8, Joshua 18:6, Joshua 18:8, Joshua 18:10
by lot 13× Leviticus 16:9, Numbers 26:55, Numbers 33:54, Numbers 34:13
lot 11× Leviticus 16:10, Numbers 26:56, Joshua 19:1, Joshua 19:10
The lot 4× 1 Chronicles 26:14, Esther 3:7, Esther 9:24, Proverbs 16:33
and the lot 3× 1 Chronicles 26:14, Isaiah 17:14, Jonah 1:7
were allotted 3× Joshua 21:20, 1 Chronicles 6:61, 1 Chronicles 6:63
. . . 2× Leviticus 16:8, Joshua 21:8
allotted 2× Numbers 36:3, Joshua 21:40
portion 2× Joshua 17:14, Isaiah 34:17
The [first] lot 2× Joshua 18:11, Joshua 21:4
The allotment 2× Joshua 16:1, Joshua 17:1
- 1× Leviticus 16:8
allotment 1× Joshua 17:17
are your lot 1× Isaiah 57:6
as the lot dictates 1× Judges 20:9
Casting the lot 1× Proverbs 18:18
is your lot 1× Jeremiah 13:25
my lot {secure} 1× Psalms 16:5
Now the allotment 1× Joshua 15:1
the first lot 1× 1 Chronicles 6:54
the land allotted 1× Psalms 125:3
Their allotted 1× Joshua 18:11
Then lots 1× 1 Chronicles 26:14
to our allotted territory 1× Judges 1:3
to your inheritance 1× Daniel 12:13
to your territory 1× Judges 1:3
was assigned by lot 1× Joshua 14:2
your lot 1× Proverbs 1:14
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 16:8 גּוֹרָל֑וֹת to lots Noun - masculine plural Leviticus 16:8 גּוֹרָ֤ל to - Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 16:8 וְגוֹרָ֥ל to . . . Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 16:9 הַגּוֹרָ֖ל to by lot Article | Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 16:10 הַגּוֹרָל֙ to lot Article | Noun - masculine singular Numbers 26:55 בְּגוֹרָ֕ל to by lot Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular Numbers 26:56 הַגּוֹרָ֔ל to lot Article | Noun - masculine singular Numbers 33:54 בְּגוֹרָ֜ל to by lot Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular Numbers 33:54 הַגּוֹרָ֖ל to by lot Article | Noun - masculine singular Numbers 34:13 בְּגוֹרָ֔ל to by lot Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Leviticus 16:8
Aligned rows 77
Books represented 18
Leviticus 5 Numbers 7 Joshua 26 Judges 3 1 Chronicles 13 Nehemiah 2 Esther 2 Psalms 3 Proverbs 3 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 1 Daniel 1 Joel 1 Obadiah 1 Jonah 3 Micah 1 Nahum 1
Source forms
הַגּוֹרָ֖ל 5x hag·gō·w·rāl Leviticus 16:9, Numbers 33:54, Joshua 21:4, Joshua 21:10
הַגּוֹרָ֣ל 4x hag·gō·w·rāl Joshua 19:10, Joshua 19:17, Joshua 19:24, Joshua 19:32
בַּגּוֹרָ֔ל 3x bag·gō·w·rāl Joshua 21:4, Joshua 21:6, 1 Chronicles 6:63
בַּגּוֹרָ֖ל 2x bag·gō·w·rāl Joshua 21:5, 1 Chronicles 6:61
גוֹרָ֔ל 2x ḡō·w·rāl Obadiah 1:11, Nahum 3:10
גּוֹרָ֤ל 2x gō·w·rāl Leviticus 16:8, Joshua 17:14
גּוֹרָ֛ל 2x gō·w·rāl Joshua 18:8, Joshua 18:10
גוֹרָל֜וֹת 2x ḡō·w·rā·lō·wṯ 1 Chronicles 26:13, Nehemiah 11:1
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine singular 24x Leviticus 16:9, Leviticus 16:10, Numbers 26:56, Numbers 33:54
Noun - masculine singular 12x Leviticus 16:8, Joshua 17:14, Joshua 17:17, Joshua 18:6
Noun - masculine plural 7x Leviticus 16:8, 1 Chronicles 24:31, 1 Chronicles 26:13, 1 Chronicles 26:14
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular 7x Numbers 26:55, Numbers 33:54, Numbers 34:13, Numbers 36:2
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 7x Joshua 21:4, Joshua 21:5, Joshua 21:6, Joshua 21:8
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural 3x Joshua 18:11, Joshua 21:20, Joshua 21:40
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 2x Leviticus 16:8, Isaiah 17:14
Noun - masculine singular construct 2x Joshua 18:11, Psalms 125:3
Evidence Summary
FaithJustice
Hebrew word. Lot cast to determine God's will; extends to mean divinely-appointed portion or inheritance destined for someone.
Source Gloss
properly, a pebble , i.e. a lot (small stones being used for that purpose); figuratively, a portion or destiny (as if determined by lot)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Lot cast to determine God's will; extends to mean divinely-appointed portion or inheritance destined for someone.
properly, a pebble, i.e. a lot (small stones being used for that purpose); figuratively, a portion or destiny (as if determined by lot) BDB: lot Usage: lot.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Allotted portion or destiny.
Casting of lots to determine decision under divine sovereignty.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 77 lexical occurrence verses.
Why This Word Matters
The use of the lot affirms trust in God’s providential direction for communal assignment. Isaiah 17:12-14
The destiny of plunderers is determined by God’s justice. Nehemiah 11:1-24
Canonical Themes
Faith Justice
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain