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Urim and Thummim

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Concordances
Nave Topical Bible
• Urim and Thummim
Thompson Chain Reference
• Urim and Thummim
Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
• Urim & Thummim
Torrey Topical Textbook
• Urim and Thummim
Dictionaries
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
• Urim and Thummim
Baker's Evangelical Dictionary
• Urim and Thummim
Charles Buck Dictionary
• Urim and Thummim
Fausset Bible Dictionary
• Urim and Thummim
Holman Bible Dictionary
• Urim and Thummim
Hastings' BibleDictionary
• Urim and Thummim
Morrish Bible Dictionary
• Urim and Thummim
Smith Bible Dictionary
• Urim and Thummim
Watson's Theological Dictionary
• Urim and Thummim
Encyclopedias
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Urim and Thummim
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Urim and Thummim
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia
• Urim and Thummim
The Nuttall Encyclopedia
• Urim and Thummim
The Catholic Encyclopedia
• Urim and Thummim
The Jewish Encyclopedia
• Urim and Thummim

It seems that the Urim and Thummim were small objects that the Israelite high priest kept in the flat pouch (or breastpiece) that he wore on the front of his clothing. They were used to find out God’s will in matters requiring a clear-cut decision.

In seeking God’s will through the Urim and Thummim, the priest put a question to God in a form that required an answer of either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. He then took the Urim and Thummim out of the breastpiece to find out the answer. God may have said ‘yes’, ‘no’, or nothing at all (Exodus 28:15-30; Numbers 27:21; 1 Samuel 14:41; 1 Samuel 23:9-12; 1 Samuel 28:6; 1 Samuel 30:7-8; Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65). (Compare, for example, the drawing of two identical coins out of a pouch. Two ‘heads’ means ‘yes’; two ‘tails’ means ‘no’; a ‘head’ and a ‘tail’ means ‘no answer’.)