Casting Lots

Biblical Texts

Casting lots appears in a number of places in the Old Testament.

• Day of Atonement: On the Day of Atonement, the high priest cast lots over two goats. One was assigned to the LORD and the other to "Azazel" (Leviticus 16:8-10).
• Division of the land: Numbers 26:55-56 commands that the land of Canaan be divided by lot. Joshua cast lots before the LORD at Shiloh to divide the land among the remaining tribes (Joshua 18:6-10).
• Assignment of duties: In the time of David, the order of the priestly divisions, the singers, and the gatekeepers was determined by lot (1 Chronicles 24-26). After the return from exile, those who would live in Jerusalem were chosen by the same method (Nehemiah 11:1).
• Lots cast by Gentiles: Haman cast "Pur, that is, the lot" to fix the day for destroying the Jews (Esther 3:7). The name of the Feast of Purim derives from this (Esther 9:26). The sailors on the ship that Jonah boarded also cast lots to discover the cause of the calamity (Jonah 1:7).

In the New Testament, the practice appears in the following scenes:

• Zacharias was chosen by lot to burn incense in the sanctuary (Luke 1:9).
• The soldiers cast lots for the garments of Jesus. John 19:24 records this as the fulfillment of Psalm 22:18.
• To fill the place of Judas Iscariot, the apostles put forward two candidates. After praying, they cast lots, and Matthias was numbered with the eleven apostles (Acts 1:23-26).

Background and Terminology

The Hebrew goral and the Greek kleros refer to the marked objects used in casting lots. Both words can also mean the portion or inheritance (inherited land) received as a result. The texts do not specify exactly what was drawn or how. The practice is known to have been widespread in the ancient Near East. In Israel, the emphasis falls on its being done "before the LORD."

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

Proverbs 16:33 places the outcome under the sovereignty of God: "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD." Proverbs 18:18 states that the lot causes contentions to cease. After Acts 1, the New Testament contains no record of the church casting lots. Following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the church makes decisions through the choice of the congregation (Acts 6) or through deliberation at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15).

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• Assessment of the choice of Matthias: Many interpreters regard the selection of Matthias as a legitimate replenishment of the apostolate. Some, noting that the apostles acted before receiving the Holy Spirit, assess it more cautiously.
• Use today: A view widely held among Protestants is that after Pentecost the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the discernment of the community took the place of casting lots. Other traditions, however, such as the Moravian Brethren, made important decisions by casting lots accompanied by prayer.
• Distinction from divination: Scripture forbids divination (Deuteronomy 18:10). Consequently, how casting lots is to be distinguished from divination has long been discussed.
• Urim and Thummim: Some regard the Urim and Thummim as a form of casting lots. Scripture, however, does not explain how they were used.
• Readings not stated in the text: The exposure of Achan (Joshua 7) and the selection of Saul as king (1 Samuel 10:20-21) are also commonly understood as instances of casting lots. The texts themselves, however, state only that they were "taken."

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, Proverbs 16:33 and Acts 1 are frequently cited in sermons on God's guidance and sovereignty. Casting lots has also been discussed as a means of preventing vote-buying in denominational elections. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) is known to have introduced lot-casting into its officer elections in the 2000s and to have changed the method several times since. Some have credited this with increasing fairness, while others have criticized it for leaving discernment and responsibility to chance.