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 on the two he-goats; one lot for Jehovah and the other lot for a complete removal.
But the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
And Moses commanded the sons of Israel saying, This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which Jehovah commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half tribe.
Up! Sanctify the people and say, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow. For thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, A cursed thing is in the midst of you, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the cursed thing from among you. And in the morning, you shall be brought according to your tribes. And it shall be, the tribe which Jehovah takes shall come, according to its families. And the family which Jehovah shall take shall come by households. And the household which Jehovah shall take shall come man by man. read more. And it shall be, he who is taken with the cursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all he has, because he has broken the covenant of Jehovah, and because he has done wickedness in Israel. And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes. And the tribe of Judah was taken. And he brought the families of Judah. And he took the family of the Zerahites. And he took 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.
And it happened after the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked Jehovah, saying, Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?
and we will take ten men of a hundred of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to bring food for the people, so that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, they may do according to all the folly which they have done in Israel.
And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
And Saul said to Jehovah, the 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 my son Jonathan. And Jonathan was taken.
And David distributed them according to their offices in their service, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar.
So they divided them by lot, one sort with another. For the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
These were their orderings in their service to come into the house of Jehovah, according to their manner, to Aaron their father, as Jehovah, the God of Israel had commanded him.
They divide My garments among them and cast lots for My clothing.
The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing of it is from Jehovah.
And they have cast lots for My people, and have given a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine, so that they might drink.
On the day of your standing on the other side, on the day that the strangers were capturing his force, and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, even you were like one of them.
And they crucified Him, dividing His garments, casting a lot; so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, "They parted My garments among them, and they cast a lot for My clothing."
according to the custom of the priests, it was his lot to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
And they gave forth 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.