גּוֹרָל77 H1486
Lot, allotment — a small object cast for divine decision-making; by extension, the portion or destiny so assigned.
In ancient Israel, decisions of great consequence — from dividing the Promised Land to selecting the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement — were made by casting lots, understood as submitting the outcome to God's sovereign will (Prov 16:33). The goral was the physical object (likely a stone or pebble) drawn or cast, but the word naturally extended to mean the portion or destiny that resulted. When the Psalmist declares 'You hold my lot' (Ps 16:5), the concrete casting instrument has become a metaphor for life's allotted portion under God's care. Spanish 'suerte' beautifully captures both senses — chance and fate.
Senses
1. lot (object cast for decisions) — The lot as a physical object cast or drawn to determine divine will or settle disputes — the concrete instrument of decision-making. Covers 71 occurrences, prominently in the Day of Atonement ritual where Aaron casts lots over two goats (Lev 16:8-10) and in the land distribution narratives (Num 26:55; Josh 18:11). Spanish 'suerte' and French 'sort' both carry the dual sense of 'lot cast' and 'fate determined,' while German 'Los' preserves the concrete lottery sense. 71×
AR["الْ-قُرْعةُ", "الْ-قُرْعَةُ", "الْقُرْعَةُ", "قُرْعةً", "قُرْعةٌ", "قُرْعَةً", "قُرْعَةٌ"]·ben["গুটিকা", "গুলিবন্ট", "গুলিবাঁট", "সেই-গুটিকা"]·DE["Los", "der-Los"]·EN["lot", "the-lot"]·FR["le-sort", "sort"]·heb["גורל", "ה-גורל"]·HI["चिट्ठी"]·ID["undi", "undian"]·IT["il-sorte", "sorte"]·jav["undi", "undi-punika", "undèn"]·KO["그-제비-가", "그-제비가", "제비", "제비를"]·PT["a-sorte", "sorte"]·RU["жребий"]·ES["la-suerte", "suerte"]·SW["ha-kura", "kura", "kura-hiyo"]·TR["-kura", "kura"]·urd["قرعہ", "قرعہ-"]
2. allotment, portion assigned by lot — The allotment, portion, or destiny assigned by lot or by divine determination — a metonymic extension from the casting to its result. Found in poetic and prophetic texts: the Psalmist's confession 'You are my lot' (Ps 16:5), the assurance that wickedness will not rest on the righteous person's 'lot' (Ps 125:3), and Daniel's eschatological promise to stand in his 'allotted place' at the end of days (Dan 12:13). Spanish 'mi suerte' and French 'ton sort' reveal how naturally the word moves from instrument to inheritance. 7×
AR["بِ-قُرْعَتِكَ", "قُرْعَتُكِ", "قُرْعَتِي", "قِسْمَتُكِ", "لِ-نَصِيبِكَ", "نَصيبِ", "وَ-قُرْعَةُ"]·ben["অংশের", "আমার-গুটিকা", "ও-ভাগ্য", "তোমার-ভাগে", "তোমার-ভাগ্য", "তোমার-ভাগ্যে", "ভাগ্য-তোমার"]·DE["Los", "[גורלך]", "[וגורל]", "der-Los-von", "in-dein-Los", "mein-Los"]·EN["and-lot-of", "for-your-lot", "in-your-lot", "my-lot", "the-lot-of", "your-lot"]·FR["[גורלך]", "[וגורל]", "dans-ton-sort", "sort"]·heb["ב-גורלך", "גורל", "גורלי", "גורלך", "ו-גורל", "ל-גורלך"]·HI["और-भाग्य", "तेरा-अंश", "तेरा-भाग्य", "तेरे-भाग-के-लिए", "तेरे-भाग-में", "भाग", "मेरे-भाग्य-को"]·ID["bagian", "dan-nasib", "ke-dalam-undian-mu", "nasibmu", "undianku", "undianmu", "untuk-bagianmu"]·IT["[גורלך]", "[וגורל]", "in-tuo-sorte", "sorte"]·jav["ing-bagéan-panjenengan", "kangge-bagian-panjenengan", "lan-nasib", "nasib-panjenengan", "undian-panjenengan", "undèn-kula", "warisan"]·KO["그리고-분깃이니", "기업", "너의-제비뽑은-땅에", "네-몰을-위하여", "네-몰이라", "네-운명이니", "제비-를"]·PT["e-o-quihnão-de", "em-tua-sorte", "minha-sorte", "o-lote", "para-tua-sorte", "sorte-tua", "teu-destino,"]·RU["в-жребии-твоём", "для-жребия-твоего", "жребий-мой", "жребий-твой", "и-жребий", "уделом"]·ES["en-tu-suerte", "mi-suerte", "para-porción-tuya", "suerte-de", "suerte-tuya", "tu-suerte", "y-el-destino-de"]·SW["fungu", "katika-kura-yako", "kura-yangu", "kwa-fungu-lako", "na-fungu", "ni-kura-yako"]·TR["de-payına", "kaderim", "kaderimi", "kaderindir", "le-payına", "payının", "ve-kaderi"]·urd["اور-قسمت", "تیری-تقدیر", "تیری-قسمت-ہے", "تیرے-حصے-میں", "تیرے-حصے-کے-لیے", "حصے", "میرے-نصیب-کو"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)G0040 2. holy, sacred, consecrated (65×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
גּוֹרָל77 n.m. Lv 16:8 & (†Jos 21:10, but v. infr.) f. lot, (NH id. & demon. Hiph. הִגְרִיל cast lots)—abs. ג׳ Jos 16:1 + 51 times; cstr. גּוֹרַל Jos 18:11 + 2 times, גֹּרַל Nu 36:3; sf. גּוֹרָלִי ψ 16:5, גֹּרָלִי Ju 1:3, גּוֹרָֽלְךָ Pr 1:14, גֹּרָֽלְךָ Dn 12:13, גּוֹרָלֶ֑ךָ Ju 1:3, גּוֹרָלֵךְ Je 13:25 Is 57:6, גּוֹרָלוֹ 1 Ch 26:14, גּוֹרָלָם Jos 18:11 + 2 times; pl. גּוֹרָלוֹת Jon 1:7 + 8 times,…