Reference: Lot (2)
Fausets
Early used to decide an issue; so in choosing each of the two goats on the day of atonement (two inscribed tablets of boxwood were the lots used according to Joma 3:9 (?)), Le 16:8, and in assigning the inheritances in Canaan (Nu 26:55; 34:13), in selecting men for an expedition (Jg 1:1; 20:10), in electing a king (1Sa 10:20), in detecting the guilty (1Sa 14:41-42), in selecting an apostle (Ac 1:26), as formerly priests' offices among the 16 of Eleazar's family and the eight of Ithamar (1Ch 24:3,5,19; Lu 1:9), in apportioning spoil (Ob 1:11; Joe 3:3), in dividing Jesus' garments (Mt 27:35; Ps 22:18). In Pr 16:33, "the lot is cast into the lap," i.e. into an urn or cap in the judge's lap; "but the whole disposing (Hebrew:judgment) thereof is of the Lord." Only in weighty cases resort was had to judgment by lot; it was entered on with solemnity, as God is arbiter. Sanctification of the people preceded in Jos 7:13-18.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel.
Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which Jehovah hath commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe;
Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, There is a devoted thing in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the devoted thing from among you. In the morning therefore ye shall be brought near by your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which Jehovah taketh shall come near by families; and the family which Jehovah shall take shall come near by households; and the household which Jehovah shall take shall come near man by man. read more. And it shall be, that he that is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed the covenant of Jehovah, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: and he brought near the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zerahites: and he brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: and he brought near his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
And it came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the children of Israel asked of Jehovah, saying, Who shall go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?
and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victuals for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.
So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
Therefore Saul said unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, Show the right. And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot ; but the people escaped. And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
And David with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their ordering in their service.
Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for there were princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God, both of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
This was the ordering of them in their service, to come into the house of Jehovah according to the ordinance given unto them by Aaron their father, as Jehovah, the God of Israel, had commanded him.
They part my garments among them, And upon my vesture do they cast lots.
The lot is cast into the lap; But the whole disposing thereof is of Jehovah.
and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.
In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that strangers carried away his substance, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.
And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots;
according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
And they gave lots for them; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Smith
(literally a pebble). The custom of deciding doubtful questions by lot is one of great extent and high antiquity. Among the Jews lots were used with the expectation that God would so control them as to give a right direction to them. They were very often used by God's appointment. "As to the mode of casting lots, we have no certain information. Probably several modes were practiced." "Very commonly among the Latins little counters of wood were put into a jar with so narrow a neck that only one could come out at a time. After the jar had been filled with water and the contents shaken, the lots were determined by the order in which the bits of wood, representing the several parties, came out with the water. in other cases they were put into a wide open jar, and the counters were drawn out by the hand. Sometimes again they were cast in the manner of dice. The soldiers who cast lots for Christ's garments undoubtedly used these dice." --Lyman Abbott.