And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
they.
Acts 13:19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.
Leviticus 16:8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Joshua 18:10 And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.
Matthias.
Acts 1:23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
and the lot fell to Matthias.
Matthias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot, fulfilling the need for twelve apostles, which symbolically represents the twelve tribes of Israel. This selection highlights the importance of maintaining the apostolic foundation for the early church. Matthias's selection is not mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament, indicating that his role was primarily foundational rather than prominent in the narrative of Acts.
So he was added to the eleven apostles.
The restoration of the group to twelve apostles signifies completeness and continuity in the mission of the church. The number twelve is significant in biblical numerology, often associated with God's people. This addition ensured that the apostolic witness remained intact, preparing the group for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the subsequent spread of the Gospel.
• After prayer (Acts 1:24–25), the disciples moved to a concrete action: “Then they cast lots.”
• Casting lots had long been an accepted, God-ordained means to discern His will—seen with Aaron and the goats on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:8), Joshua partitioning the land (Joshua 18:10), and even sailors identifying Jonah (Jonah 1:7).
• Scripture assures us, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33). The disciples trusted that promise; they were not gambling but submitting the final decision to God after meeting the clear qualifications laid out in Acts 1:21–22.
• By using lots one last time before Pentecost, they underscored their dependence on the Lord’s sovereign direction rather than mere human preference.
• God’s answer was specific: “the lot fell to Matthias.” As with Saul being chosen as king (1 Samuel 10:20–24), the outcome signaled divine appointment, not coincidence.
• Matthias had walked with Jesus “from the baptism of John until the day He was taken up” (Acts 1:22), faithfully remaining in the background. His selection reminds us that the Lord sees hidden faithfulness and elevates servants in His timing (1 Peter 5:6).
• The silence about any objections shows the eleven received this outcome as God’s settled will, aligning with Jesus’ earlier promise that the Spirit would guide them into all truth (John 16:13).
• With Matthias “added to the eleven apostles,” the full complement of twelve—symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel—was restored (Luke 22:30; Revelation 21:14).
• This restoration prepared the apostolic foundation for the coming outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2. Peter will soon stand “with the eleven” (Acts 2:14), a phrase that now includes Matthias.
• The phrase underscores continuity: Jesus had personally chosen the original twelve (Luke 6:13), and through prayer and providence He now installs Matthias, ensuring an unbroken line of witnesses to His resurrection.
• Practically, the early church model is evident: corporate prayer, Scripture-based qualifications, and reliance on God’s sovereign confirmation.
Acts 1:26 shows the early believers combining diligent obedience with wholehearted trust in God’s decisive guidance. Casting lots honored Old Testament precedent, and the result affirmed Matthias as God’s chosen replacement for Judas, restoring the twelve-apostle witness core. The passage teaches that unseen faithfulness matters, divine sovereignty directs even seemingly random processes, and Christ ensures His church is rightly ordered for mission.
(26) And they gave forth their lots.--As interpreted by the prayer of Acts 1:24, and by the word "fell" here, there can be no doubt that the passage speaks of "lots" and not "votes." The two men were chosen by the disciples as standing, as far as they could see, on the same level. It was left for the Searcher of hearts to show, by the exclusion of human will, which of the two He had chosen. The most usual way of casting lots in such cases was to write each name on a tablet, place them in an urn, and then shake the urn till one came out. A like custom prevailed among the Greeks, as in the well-known story of the stratagem of Cresphontes in the division of territory after the Doriar invasion (Sophocles, Aias. 1285; comp. Proverbs 16:33). The practice was recognised, it may be noted, in the Law (Leviticus 16:8).He was numbered with the eleven apostles.--The Greek word is not the same as in Acts 1:17, and implies that Matthias was "voted in," the suffrage of the Church unanimously confirming the indication of the divine will which had been given by the lot. It may be that the new Apostle took the place which Judas had left vacant, and was the last of the Twelve.
Verse 26. - They gave lots for them for they gave forth their lots, A.V. and T.R. (αὐτοῖς for αὐτῶν); but the T.R. gives the easiest sense. The exact mode of taking the lot does not appear. Some think the name of each candidate was written on a tablet, and that the first name which fell out of the urn after it had been shaken was the one chosen. Some think the lot was taken by dice. But however the taking of the lot was managed, the effect was to leave the choice to God in answer to prayer.
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.
they cast
ἔδωκαν (edōkan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.
lots,
κλήρους (klērous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2819: (a) a lot, (b) a portion assigned; hence: a portion of the people of God assigned to one's care, a congregation.
and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.
the
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
lot
κλῆρος (klēros)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2819: (a) a lot, (b) a portion assigned; hence: a portion of the people of God assigned to one's care, a congregation.
fell
ἔπεσεν (epesen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4098: A reduplicated and contracted form of peto; probably akin to petomai through the idea of alighting; to fall.
to
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.
Matthias;
Μαθθίαν (Maththian)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3159: Matthias. Apparently a shortened form of Mattathias; Matthias, an Israelite.
[so]
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.
he was added
συνκατεψηφίσθη (synkatepsēphisthē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4785: To be voted or classed with. From sun and a compound of kata and psephizo; to count down in company with, i.e. Enroll among.
to
μετὰ (meta)
Preposition
Strong's 3326: (a) gen: with, in company with, (b) acc: (1) behind, beyond, after, of place, (2) after, of time, with nouns, neut. of adjectives.
the
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
eleven
ἕνδεκα (hendeka)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 1733: Eleven. From heis and deka; one and ten, i.e. Eleven.
apostles.
ἀποστόλων (apostolōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 652: From apostello; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ.
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NT Apostles: Acts 1:26 They drew lots for them and (Acts of the Apostles Ac)