Lexical Summary
goral: Lot, portion, destiny
Original Word:גּוֹרָל
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:gowral
Pronunciation:go-RAHL
Phonetic Spelling:(go-rawl')
KJV: lot
NASB:lot, lots, allotted, territory allotted, allotted portion, choice, land
Word Origin:[from an unused root meaning to be rough (as stone)]
1. (properly) a pebble, i.e. a lot (small stones being used for that purpose)
2. (figuratively) a portion or destiny (as if determined by lot)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
lot, portion, destiny
Or (shortened) goral {go-ral'}; from an unused root meaning to be rough (as stone); properly, a pebble, i.e. A lot (small stones being used for that purpose); figuratively, a portion or destiny (as if determined by lot) -- lot.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiona lot (for casting)
NASB Translationallotted (2), allotted portion (1), choice (1), land (1), lot (53), lots (15), lots and the lot (1), territory allotted (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
77Leviticus 16:8 & (
Joshua 21:10, but see below) : (Late Hebrew
id. & denominative Hiph`il
cast lots) — absolute
Joshua 16:1 51t.; construct
Joshua 18:11 2t.,
Numbers 36:3; suffix
Psalm 16:5,
Judges 1:3,
Proverbs 1:14,
Daniel 12:13,
Judges 1:3,
Jeremiah 13:25;
Isaiah 57:6,
1 Chronicles 26:14,
Joshua 18:11 2t.; plural
Jonah 1:7 8t.,
Leviticus 16:8; —
a lot cast for the decision of questions
Proverbs 18:18, designation of persons, etc., for service or punishment, assignment of property, etc.; probably stones put into the bosom-fold of a garment,
Proverbs 16:33 (), or into a vessel, and shaken until one springs out (, or — late — ); this was regarded originally as divine decision (compare on Urim & Thummim p. 22, above); for the agent, the usual verbs are , , , and . Particularly: —
lot for dividing land, especially that which Joshua cast at ShilohJoshua 18:6 ()Joshua 18:8;Joshua 18:10 (both ; all three followed by of person for whom; all J E); compareJoshua 19:51 (P); so of lot coming up, or forth,Joshua 18:11 (construct; P), also followed by personJoshua 19:10 (P), & following withJoshua 16:11 (JE),Numbers 33:54;Joshua 19:1,17,24,32,40;Joshua 21:4 (all P);be divided by lotNumbers 26:55, oraccording to lotNumbers 26:56;apportion by lotNumbers 33:54;Numbers 34:13,Joshua 19:51;give by lotNumbers 36:2Joshua 21:8 (all P)1 Chronicles 6:50;have by lotJoshua 21:4, & ( omitted)Joshua 21:5;Joshua 21:6 (all P) compare1 Chronicles 6:46;1 Chronicles 6:48; alsoJoshua 21:10 (P; , only here feminine; — notL — omits , & so) ""1 Chronicles 6:39; compare furtherIsaiah 34:17 ().
lot for assigning to service, duty or punishment,
,Leviticus 16:8 ()Leviticus 16:8;Leviticus 16:8 (followed by ); compareLeviticus 16:9;Leviticus 16:10 (; all P).
1 Chronicles 24:5;1 Chronicles 24:31;1 Chronicles 25:8;1 Chronicles 26:13 (followed by of position)1 Chronicles 26:14; of lot coming forth ( person)1 Chronicles 24:7 (compare1 Chronicles 24:7;1 Chronicles 24:18)1 Chronicles 25:9 (compare1 Chronicles 25:9-31)1 Chronicles 26:14 compare1 Chronicles 26:14.
cast lots for dwelling in Jerusalem ()Nehemiah 1:11 (followed by infinitive)
Nehemiah 10:35 (); here belongs probably also
Judges 20:9 , reference toJudges 20:10 (determining who shall go up, and who supply provision) , so Stu (insert perhaps ), compare AV RV, BuRS 151 (who reads ); > Be Ke who reference here to division of land of captured city.
Jonah 1:7 (twice in verse) (both )Jonah 1:17 (); so apparentlyEzekiel 24:6 of inhabitants of Jerusalem under figure of flesh in potno lot is fallen over it, i.e. no discrimination is made, destruction is to include the whole city; (compare alsoJoshua 7:14ff.;1 Samuel 14:41ff. where divine agency in detection is prominent but word not used).
Joel 4:3 ;Nahum 3:10 (); so Obadiah 11 — all with verb q. v.
Psalm 22:19 ().
,Esther 3:7 ()Esther 9:24 (followed by infinitive; see also ).
thing assigned, apportioned, allotted especially of land assigned by lot,allotmentJoshua 15:1;Joshua 17:1;Joshua 21:38 (all P),Joshua 17:14,17 =portion, share ("" J E); compareNumbers 36:3 (P),Joshua 14:2 (P; but perhaps read absolute compare Di); alsoJoshua 18:11 (P)the boundary of their allotment;Joshua 21:20 (P); see furtherJudges 1:3 (twice in verse); so probablyMicah 2:5 (Hi Che; compare also Ew);Psalm 125:3, land, exposed to oppressive exaction; also figurative of as portion, allotment of his peoplePsalm 16:5 (so Che, & on for compare his critical note; see also Ew; otherwise De and others; — "" ); on the other hand, of idolsIsaiah 57:6 ("" ); alsoDaniel 12:13, ofallotted portion, share, in the Messianic consummation; more Generally,one's portion, lot, fortuneProverbs 1:14cast thy fortune into the midst of us, in with us ("" ).
portion =recompence, retributionIsaiah 17:14 ("" ),Jeremiah 13:25 ("" ), both implying divine agency.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Conceptגּוֹרָל (gōrāl) denotes the “lot” that is cast, the “portion” or “inheritance” thereby assigned, and by extension the “destiny” appointed by God. The word embraces both the tangible objects used in casting and the outcome, which Scripture presents as the concrete expression of divine sovereignty.
Physical Act of Casting the Lot
Lots were small stones, sticks, or marked pieces of wood or clay carried in a pouch (Joshua 18:6). To “cast” them (Leviticus 16:8;Jonah 1:7) was to surrender human preference and submit the decision to the Lord.Proverbs 16:33 affirms, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” Far from chance, gōrāl was a God-ordained mechanism that kept sinful bias in check and gave visible assurance that the result came from the throne of heaven.
Divine Sovereignty in Allocation of Land
After the Exodus, the promised land was apportioned by lot so that no tribe could claim favoritism (Numbers 26:55–56; 33:54; 34:13;Joshua 14:2; 18:6, 10). Individual clans and families later drew lots within their tribal inheritance (Joshua 19). This distribution fulfilled God’s covenant promise to Abraham and entrenched the principle that the land belonged to the Lord (Leviticus 25:23) and was only held in trust by His people.
Clerical and Levitical Service
Lots protected the impartiality of sacred service. Twenty-four priestly divisions were chosen “impartially by lot, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God” (1 Chronicles 24:5). Musicians (1 Chronicles 25:8-9) and gatekeepers (1 Chronicles 26:13-14) were organized the same way. Luke later notes that Zechariah was serving in the temple “because the lot had fallen to him” (Luke 1:9, using the Greek equivalent), showing continuity into Second-Temple practice.
Crisis and Judgment
When hidden guilt threatened the nation, lots exposed the culprit—Achan (Joshua 7:14-18) and Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:41-42). The scapegoat ritual also employed lots: “Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat” (Leviticus 16:8). In storm-tossedJonah 1:7 the sailors cast lots and learned that Jonah’s flight had invoked divine displeasure.
Celebration and Remembrance
Esther 3:7 records Haman’s use of the “Pur” (from Akkadian pûru, “lot”) to choose a day for genocide. God reversed the evil decree, and the Feast of Purim commemorates that deliverance.Esther 9:24-26 intentionally links gōrāl with Purim so that each annual celebration reminds Israel that God rules over the casting of pagan lots as surely as over Israel’s.
Poetic and Prophetic Metaphor
Prophets employ gōrāl figuratively: the wicked “cast lots for Jerusalem” (Obadiah 1:11), the idols become Judah’s “portion” (Isaiah 57:6), yet God promises, “My servants will eat… My servants will rejoice… for My servants will inherit My portion” (Isaiah 65:13-15). The word thus progresses from physical stones to an eschatological inheritance reserved for the faithful.
Doctrinal and Practical Implications
1. Providence: Every lot falls under God’s decree; nothing is random in His economy.
2. Impartiality: The lot curbs partiality in leadership appointments (cf.Acts 1:26 for the Greek parallel).
3. Contentment: Understanding one’s God-given “portion” nurtures gratitude (Psalm 16:5).
4. Community: Shared inheritance bound tribes together; likewise, believers are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).
Christological and Ecclesiological Continuity
At the cross soldiers “cast lots” for Jesus’ garments (Psalm 22:18;John 19:24), unwittingly fulfilling prophecy and underscoring human sinfulness contrasted with divine purpose. After the resurrection the early church cast lots to select Matthias (Acts 1:26), the final biblical instance—after Pentecost the Spirit’s indwelling guidance eclipses the lot, yet the underlying truth remains: God apportions gifts and callings as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11).
Selected Passages
Numbers 26:55-56;Joshua 18:10;Leviticus 16:8;1 Samuel 14:41-42;1 Chronicles 24:5;Esther 3:7;Jonah 1:7;Proverbs 16:33;Isaiah 65:11;Obadiah 1:11.
Ministry Application
• Leadership Selection: Prayerful, unbiased processes honor God’s pattern.
• Stewardship: Congregations are encouraged to view property and resources as allotted trusts, not personal possessions.
• Hope: Believers rest in a secure inheritance “kept in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4), the ultimate gōrāl guaranteed by Christ’s finished work.
Thus gōrāl threads through redemptive history—from land grants to priestly service, from national crises to prophetic hope—continually witnessing that “the LORD has His way in the whirlwind and the storm” (Nahum 1:3).
Forms and Transliterations
בְּגוֹרַ֖ל בְּגוֹרָ֑ל בְּגוֹרָ֔ל בְּגוֹרָ֕ל בְּגוֹרָ֖ל בְּגוֹרָ֜ל בְּגוֹרָ֤ל ׀ בְּגוֹרָֽל׃ בְּגוֹרָל֖וֹת בְּגוֹרָלֶ֑ךָ בְגוֹרָלִ֗י בַּגּוֹרָ֔ל בַּגּוֹרָ֖ל בַּגּוֹרָֽל׃ בַגּוֹרָ֗ל בגורל בגורל׃ בגורלות בגורלי בגורלך גּ֭וֹרָ֣לְךָ גּֽוֹרָל֔וֹת גּֽוֹרָלָ֔ם גּוֹרַ֛ל גּוֹרַ֪ל גּוֹרָ֔ל גּוֹרָ֛ל גּוֹרָ֤ל גּוֹרָ֥ל גּוֹרָֽל׃ גּוֹרָל֑וֹת גּוֹרָל֙ גּוֹרָל֜וֹת גּוֹרָל֣וֹת גּוֹרָלִֽי׃ גּוֹרָלֵ֑ךְ גּוֹרָלָ֔ם גֽוֹרָל֔וֹת גֽוֹרָלָ֔ם גוֹרָ֑ל גוֹרָ֔ל גוֹרָֽל׃ גוֹרָל֖וֹ גוֹרָל֜וֹת גוֹרָלֵ֧ךְ גורל גורל׃ גורלו גורלות גורלי׃ גורלך גורלם הַגּוֹרָ֑ל הַגּוֹרָ֔ל הַגּוֹרָ֖ל הַגּוֹרָ֗ל הַגּוֹרָ֛ל הַגּוֹרָ֜ל הַגּוֹרָ֣ל הַגּוֹרָ֤ל הַגּוֹרָ֥ל הַגּוֹרָ֧ל הַגּוֹרָֽל׃ הַגּוֹרָל֙ הגורל הגורל׃ וְגוֹרָ֖ל וְגוֹרָ֥ל וְהַגּוֹרָל֨וֹת וּמִגֹּרַ֥ל וגורל והגורלות ומגרל לְגֹרָלְךָ֖ לגרלך bag·gō·w·rāl ḇag·gō·w·rāl baggoRal baggōwrāl ḇaggōwrāl bə·ḡō·w·rā·le·ḵā ḇə·ḡō·w·rā·lî bə·ḡō·w·rā·lō·wṯ bə·ḡō·w·ral bə·ḡō·w·rāl begoRal begoraLecha begoraLot bəḡōwral bəḡōwrāl bəḡōwrāleḵā ḇəḡōwrālî bəḡōwrālōwṯ gō·w·rā·lām ḡō·w·rā·lām gō·w·rā·lə·ḵā gō·w·rā·lêḵ ḡō·w·rā·lêḵ gō·w·rā·lî gō·w·rā·lō·wṯ ḡō·w·rā·lō·wṯ ḡō·w·rā·lōw gō·w·ral gō·w·rāl ḡō·w·rāl goRal goraLam goRalcha goraLech goraLi goraLo goraLot gōwral gōwrāl ḡōwrāl gōwrālām ḡōwrālām gōwrālêḵ ḡōwrālêḵ gōwrāləḵā gōwrālî ḡōwrālōw gōwrālōwṯ ḡōwrālōwṯ hag·gō·w·rāl haggoRal haggōwrāl lə·ḡō·rā·lə·ḵā legoraleCha ləḡōrāləḵā ū·mig·gō·ral umiggoRal ūmiggōral vaggoRal vegoRal vegoraLi vehaggoraLot wə·ḡō·w·rāl wə·hag·gō·w·rā·lō·wṯ wəḡōwrāl wəhaggōwrālōwṯ
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