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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H1486 is a Hebrew noun for a lot used in making an allocation or decision and, by extension, the portion, territory, share, or destiny assigned. Leviticus 16:8 directs Aaron to cast lots over two goats within the carefully prescribed Day of Atonement ritual, assigning one for the LORD and one as the scapegoat.
Reader summary
Full entry for גּוֹרָל (H1486) · Open the biblical lexicon
H1486 is a Hebrew noun for a lot used in making an allocation or decision and, by extension, the portion, territory, share, or destiny assigned. Leviticus 16:8 directs Aaron to cast lots over two goats within the carefully prescribed Day of Atonement ritual, assigning one for the LORD and one as the scapegoat.
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).
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).
H1486 is a Hebrew noun for a lot used in making an allocation or decision and, by extension, the portion, territory, share, or destiny assigned. Leviticus 16:8 directs Aaron to cast lots over two goats within the carefully prescribed Day of Atonement ritual, assigning one for the Lord and one as the scapegoat. Joshua 14:2 reports that tribal inheritances were distributed by lot according to the Lord's command through Moses.
Psalm 16:5 confesses that the Lord is the psalmist's chosen portion and cup and makes his lot secure, turning allotted share into personal trust in God. Other passages use lots for priestly duties, gates, schedules, land, identifying Jonah, gambling over captives, and Haman's murderous date selection. H1486 opens teaching on assigned responsibility, inheritance, impartial allocation, providence, and contentment in God.
It corrects divination, gambling spirituality, fatalism, and claims that a random draw automatically reveals God's will for marriage, health, vocation, discipline, or other consequential decisions.
H1486 refers to the physical or procedural lot and to the share that falls through allocation. Scripture records authorized ritual and administrative uses, poetic portions, hostile gambling, and pagan schemes. The existence of a lot does not by itself determine divine approval.
After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat,
Aaron casts lots for the two goats within the Lord's detailed instructions for the Day of Atonement.
Their inheritance was assigned by lot for the nine and a half tribes, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.
The remaining tribal land inheritance is assigned by lot in obedience to the command given through Moses.
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure.
The psalmist names the Lord as portion and cup and trusts Him as the One who secures the allotted share.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Hebrew word. Lot cast to determine God's will; extends to mean divinely-appointed portion or inheritance destined for someone.
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.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 77 lexical occurrence verses.
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
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
H1486 shows that lots can serve order without becoming a universal method of guidance. In Leviticus, the casting occurs inside a ritual God has specified in detail; the lot assigns roles to goats rather than granting priests an open-ended divination practice. Joshua uses lots in the commanded distribution of tribal inheritance, placing allocation under covenant authority and communal administration.
Chronicles similarly records lots for duties and gates, sometimes emphasizing equal treatment across age or status. These bounded practices may reduce human favoritism, but they do not eliminate the need for truthful process and authorized scope. Scripture also depicts destructive uses. Haman casts a lot to select a date for genocide, captors cast lots over people or property, and violent companions invite someone to throw in a lot with them.
Chance does not sanctify intent. Psalm 16 moves from procedure to portion: the Lord Himself is the psalmist's secure share. That confession resists both anxiety about chance and worship of material inheritance. H1486 should not be used to replace prayerful wisdom, Scripture, counsel, expertise, consent, or safeguarding with coin flips and random numbers. A fair random process may still be useful for genuinely equal low-stakes choices, but consequential guidance requires moral evaluation.
Providence is trust in God's rule, not permission to call every random result His command.
Ps.16.5
H1486 names both a lot that is cast and the portion or territory allotted by the result. Context distinguishes procedure from assigned share, while poetic and prophetic texts can extend lot to a person's portion, outcome, or destiny.
The New Testament records lots in the division of Jesus' garments and in the pre-Pentecost selection connected with replacing Judas, while later church guidance emphasizes the Spirit, wisdom, character, counsel, and truth. Narrative mention does not create a standing command for random guidance.