“According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few.”
This verse is part of the account of the second census conducted by Moses and Eleazar the high priest in the wilderness, as the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land.
The purpose of this census was to determine the number of men who were eligible for military service, as they were about to engage in conquest and take possession of the land of Canaan.
In this verse, the phrase “According to the lot” refers to the division of the land of Canaan among the twelve tribes of Israel.
The method of dividing the land was by casting lots, which was a common practice in ancient times to determine decisions impartially.
The casting of lots was seen as a way for God to reveal His will.
The phrase “the possession thereof” refers to the allocation of the land as an inheritance to the various tribes of Israel.
Each tribe would receive its portion of land according to the outcome of the lot, indicating that the distribution was not based on human preference or favouritism but rather on God’s providence and sovereignty.
The phrase “divided between many and few” suggests that the land distribution was not strictly proportional to the size or number of the tribes.
Some tribes, such as Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh, were larger in population and consequently received larger portions of land, while smaller tribes received smaller portions.
This allocation ensures that each tribe had a fair share of the Promised Land, regardless of its size or number.
