Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
Parallel Translations
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Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
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Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
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Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (19)
Passages linked to Numbers 26:55 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Numbers 33:54 You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
- Numbers 34:13 Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which Yahweh has commanded to give to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe;
- Joshua 14:2 by the lot of their inheritance, as Yahweh commanded by Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half-tribe.
- Joshua 11:23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Yahweh spoke to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.
- Numbers 26:56 According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer.”
- Joshua 17:14 The children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me just one lot and one part for an inheritance, since we are a numerous people, because Yahweh has blessed us so far?”
- Joshua 18:6 You shall survey the land into seven parts, and bring the description here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh our God.
- Joshua 18:10-11 Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before Yahweh. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions. The lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families. The border of their lot went out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.
- Joshua 19:1 The second lot came out for Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. Their inheritance was in the middle of the inheritance of the children of Judah.
- Joshua 19:10 The third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families. The border of their inheritance was to Sarid.
- Joshua 19:17 The fourth lot came out for Issachar, even for the children of Issachar according to their families.
- Joshua 19:24 The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.
- Joshua 19:32 The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.
- Joshua 19:40 The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
- Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from Yahweh.
- Proverbs 18:18 The lot settles disputes, and keeps strong ones apart.
- Acts 1:26 They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles.
- Colossians 1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,
- Revelation 7:4-8 I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel: of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed, of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (9 sources)
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Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain By lot; which lots seem to have been cast…
By lot; which lots seem to have been cast only for the tribes, not, as some would have it, for the several families, for the distribution of it to them was left to the ruler’s wisdom, according to the rule now given, Num 26:54. Yet if any lot was too large for the tribe, they might give up part of their right to others, with the ruler’s consent, as Judah gave a share to Simeon and to Dan within his lot.
According to the names of the tribes, i.e. the lots shall go under the names of each tribe or each patriarch.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain By lot - For the tribes, not for the…
By lot - For the tribes, not for the several families; for the distribution of it to them was left to the rulers wisdom according to the rule now given.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 55. The land shall be divided by lot]…
Verse 55. The land shall be divided by lot] The word גורל goral, translated lot, is supposed by some to signify the stone or pebble formerly used for the purpose of what we term casting lots. The word [Anglo-Saxon] hlot is Anglo-Saxon, from [Anglo-Saxon] to divide, or portion out, i. e., fortuitously: it answers to the Greek κληρος, which some think comes from κλαω to break; because the lot, being a sort of appeal to God, ("The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord," Pr 16:33,) broke off all contentions and litigations relative to the matter in dispute. From this original division of the promised land by lot to the children of Israel, all portions, appointments, offices, shares, or divisions in spiritual and ecclesiastical matters, were termed lots. So in the New Testament, the word κληρος, lot, is used to signify a portion of spiritual blessedness, and κληρονομια, a division by lot, an inheritance; and κληροι the lotted or appointed persons to different works, shares, c. hence our word clergy, κληροι, persons appointed by lot to a lot, portion, or inheritance; see the case of Matthias, Ac 1:26. Persons thus appointed were by accommodation termed inheritors, because originally, when there could be no claims of exclusive right, all lands where a wandering tribe chose to take up its residence were divided by lot, as the promised land in the case before us. So Judah says to Simeon his brother, Jdg 1:3: "Come up with me into my lot." And as God was ever supposed to be the whole disposer in such matters, whatever fell out in the course of God's providence was called a lot. "This is the lot of them that rob us;" Isa 17:14. "Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter;" Ac 8:21. A lot in the promised land was evidently typical of a place in eternal glory. "That they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance (κληρον, a lot) among them that are sanctified;" Ac 26:18. "Who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance, κληρου, of the lot) of the saints in light;" Col 1:12. "Which is the earnest of our inheritance, (κληρονομιας, of our allotted portion;") Eph 1:4. "What is the riches of the glory of his inheritance," (κληρονομιας, allotted portion;) Eph 1:18. As therefore the promised land was divided by lot to the believing Israelites, God determining the lot as he saw good, none of the people having any claim on or right to it; so the kingdom of heaven is a lot given by the mere good will of God to them that believe and obey him; for as unbelief and disobedience threw 600,000 people out of the inheritance of the promised land; so none who disbelieve God's word, and rebel against his authority, shall ever enter into the kingdom of heaven. - See Ainsworth. These things happened unto them for examples: see then, reader, that thou fall not after the same example of unbelief.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Num 26:55. By lot — The quantity of land,…
Num 26:55. By lot — The quantity of land, it seems, was to be assigned according to the number in each tribe, but the situation was to be determined by lot, both as to the tribes and as to individuals. For instance, it was determined by lot which of the tribes were to inherit in the south, which in the north, &c. But in that quarter where their lot fell a larger or smaller portion of land was appointed them, according to the goodness of the soil, and in proportion as they were more or less numerous. By these means all ground of quarrel among the several tribes was removed, and each acquiesced in his portion, as assigned by God himself, to whom the appeal was made by lot.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Lot. Josue appointed commissioners, who measured the land, and…
Lot. Josue appointed commissioners, who measured the land, and divided it according to its fertility; and the portions assigned to each of the tribes by lot, corresponded with the predications of Jacob and of Moses; God so regulating the lots by his allwise Providence, in order that the people might be more convinced of the truth of the prophecies, and that no undue favour was shewn to any one by Josue, Eleazar, or by the other men in authority. He took the whole upon himself, that none might complain of their rulers. (Calmet) --- Masius supposes that the different divisions of the land were written down, and placed in an urn, and that the heads of the tribes drew according to their birth, Josue xv. 1. --- The heads of families, such as Henoch, &c., (ver. 5.) probably also drew lots, to know what part of territory allotted to the tribe, should fall to their share; (Haydock) and they parcelled out their land among their children. (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain the land shall be divided by lot--The appeal to…
the land shall be divided by lot--The appeal to the lot did not place the matter beyond the control of God; for it is at His disposal (Pro 16:33), and He has fixed to all the bounds of their habitation. The manner in which the lot was taken has not been recorded. But it is evident that the lot was cast for determining the section of the country in which each tribe should be located--not the quantity of their possessions. In other words, when the lot had decided that a particular tribe was to be settled in the north or the south, the east or the west, the extent of territory was allocated according to the rule (Num 26:54).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 55, 56. The land shall be divided by lot…
55, 56. The land shall be divided by lot — The principle laid down by Jehovah is, that the location of each tribe must be determined by lot. Since there was a difference in the quality of the land, some being richer and some poorer, to avoid all occasion for complaint in this matter the lot was resorted to as the fairest method of procedure. For the manner of the lot, see Jos_13:6, note. The result of the lot was regarded, not only by the Hebrews, (Pro_16:33; Pro_18:18,) but also by nearly all other nations, as an indication of the divine will. The Greeks and Romans resorted to the lot in the division of conquered lands. Lands are still occasionally divided in this manner.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 55. the land shall be divided by lot] Since…
55. the land shall be divided by lot] Since the distribution was to be proportionate the purpose of the lot must only have been to decide roughly in what part of the country each tribe was to settle.
according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit] The meaning is doubtful. ‘The names of the tribes of their fathers’ appears to be a periphrasis for ‘their tribes.’ If so, the meaning is either that individuals shall in every case possess land within the region assigned to their tribe, or (perhaps better) that no smaller division than a whole tribe is to be taken account of in the general distribution, and the property of clans and families must be settled privately within each tribe.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot. This…
Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot. This can only be reconciled with the preceding order by assuming that the lot was to determine the situation of the territory, the actual boundaries being left to the discretion of the rulers. Recourse was had as far as possible to the lot in order to refer the matter directly to God, of whose will and gift they held the land. (cf. Pro_16:33 Act_1:26) The lot would also remove any suspicion that the more numerous tribes, such as Judah or Dan, were unfairly favoured (verse 56).
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.