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 the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Nevertheless 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 you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:
Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow: for thus says the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel: you can not stand before your enemies, until you take away the accursed thing from among you. In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD takes shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man. read more. And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has: because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has worked shame in Israel. So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zerahites: and he brought the family of the Zerahites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: And he brought 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.
Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, 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 bring food for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the abomination that they have done in Israel.
And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped. And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service.
Thus were they divided by lot, one group as another; for the officials of the sanctuary, and officials of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
This was the schedule of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their procedure established under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.
They part my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing.
The lot is cast into the lap; but its every decision is of the LORD.
And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.
In the day that you stood on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even you were as one of them.
And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing did they cast lots.
According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
And they cast their lots; 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.