What Does the Bible Say About Casting Lots?

Acts 1:26 ESV / 28 helpful votes

And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Jonah 1:7 ESV / 24 helpful votes

And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

Proverbs 16:33 ESV / 24 helpful votes

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

Luke 1:9 ESV / 14 helpful votes

According to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

Proverbs 18:18 ESV / 13 helpful votes

The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders.

1 Samuel 14:42 ESV / 13 helpful votes

Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was taken.

Matthew 27:35 ESV / 10 helpful votes

And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.

Joshua 14:2 ESV / 9 helpful votes

Their inheritance was by lot, just as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses for the nine and one-half tribes.

Psalm 22:18 ESV / 8 helpful votes

They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

Mark 15:24 ESV / 7 helpful votes

And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.

Nehemiah 10:1-13:31 ESV / 6 helpful votes

“On the seals are the names of Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, ...

Acts 26:10 ESV / 5 helpful votes

And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.

Esther 3:7 ESV / 5 helpful votes

In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

Leviticus 16:8-10 ESV / 5 helpful votes

And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord and use it as a sin offering, but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.

Leviticus 16:8 ESV / 5 helpful votes

And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel.

Numbers 34:13 ESV / 4 helpful votes

Moses commanded the people of Israel, saying, “This is the land that you shall inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe.

Leviticus 16:1-10 ESV / 4 helpful votes

The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died, and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. ...

Acts 1:14 ESV / 3 helpful votes

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

John 19:24 ESV / 3 helpful votes

So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things,

Joshua 18:1 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.

Genesis 6:1-22 ESV / 3 helpful votes

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ...

Romans 6:23 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Genesis 3:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

Jude 1:6 ESV / 1 helpful vote

And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

2 Peter 1:20-21 ESV / 1 helpful vote

Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 2:14 ESV / 1 helpful vote

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

1 Corinthians 7:2 ESV / 1 helpful vote

But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

1 Corinthians 2:13 ESV / 1 helpful vote

And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

Romans 10:9 ESV / 1 helpful vote

Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Acts 13:5 ESV / 1 helpful vote

When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.

Acts 1:21 ESV / 1 helpful vote

So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

John 16:13 ESV / 1 helpful vote

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

John 14:15 ESV / 1 helpful vote

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Jeremiah 5:30-31 ESV / 1 helpful vote

An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?

Deuteronomy 18:11 ESV / 1 helpful vote

Or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead,

Bible Verses about Casting Lots