Easton's Bible Dictionary

Lo-ruhamah Not pitied, the name of the prophet Hosea's first daughter, a type of Jehovah's temporary rejection of his people (Hos 1:6; Hos 2:23).

Lot (1.) (Heb. goral , a "pebble"), a small stone used in casting lots (Num 33:54; Jon 1:7). The lot was always resorted to by the Hebrews with strictest reference to the interposition of God, and as a method of ascertaining the divine will (Pro 16:33), and in serious cases of doubt (Est 3:7). Thus the lot was used at the division of the land of Canaan among the several tribes (Num 26:55; Num 34:13), at the detection of Achan (Jos 7:14, Jos 7:18), the election of Saul to be king (Sa1 10:20, Sa1 10:21), the distribution of the priestly offices of the temple service (Ch1 24:3, Ch1 24:5, Ch1 24:19; Luk 1:9), and over the two goats at the feast of Atonement (Lev 16:8). Matthias, who was "numbered with the eleven" (Act 1:24), was chosen by lot. This word also denotes a portion or an inheritance (Jos 15:1; Psa 125:3; Isa 17:4), and a destiny, as assigned by God (Psa 16:5; Dan 12:13). (2.) (Heb. lot ), a covering; veil, the son of Haran, and nephew of Abraham (Gen 11:27). On the death of his father, he was left in charge of his grandfather Terah (Gen 11:31), after whose death he accompanied his uncle Abraham into Canaan (Gen 12:5), thence into Egypt (Gen 12:10), and back again to Canaan (Gen 13:1). After this he separated from him and settled in Sodom (Gen 13:5). There his righteous soul was "vexed" from day to day (Pe2 2:7), and he had great cause to regret this act. Not many years after the separation he was taken captive by Chedorlaomer, and was rescued by Abraham (Gen. 14). At length, when the judgment of God descended on the guilty cities of the plain (Gen. 19:1-20), Lot was miraculously delivered. When fleeing from the doomed city his wife "looked back from behind him, and became a pillar of salt." There is to this day a peculiar crag at the south end of the Dead Sea, near Kumran, which the Arabs call Bint Sheik Lot, i.e., Lot's wife. It is "a tall, isolated needle of rock, which really does bear a curious resemblance to an Arab woman with a child upon her shoulder." From the words of warning in Luk 17:32, "Remember Lot's wife," it would seem as if she had gone back, or tarried so long behind in the desire to save some of her goods, that she became involved in the destruction which fell on the city, and became a stiffened corpse, fixed for a time in the saline encrustation's. She became "a pillar of salt", i.e., as some think, of asphalt. (See SALT.) Lot and his daughters sought refuge first in Zoar, and then, fearing to remain there longer, retired to a cave in the neighbouring mountains (Gen 19:30). Lot has recently been connected with the people called on the Egyptian monuments Rotanu or Lotanu, who is supposed to have been the hero of the Edomite tribe Lotan.

Love This word seems to require explanation only in the case of its use by our Lord in his interview with "Simon, the son of Jonas," after his resurrection (Joh 21:16, Joh 21:17). When our Lord says, "Lovest thou me?" he uses the Greek word agapas ; and when Simon answers, he uses the Greek word philo , i.e., "I love." This is the usage in the first and second questions put by our Lord; but in the third our Lord uses Simon's word. The distinction between these two Greek words is thus fitfully described by Trench: "Agapan has more of judgment and deliberate choice; philein has more of attachment and peculiar personal affection. Thus the 'Lovest thou' (Gr. agapas ) on the lips of the Lord seems to Peter at this moment too cold a word, as though his Lord were keeping him at a distance, or at least not inviting him to draw near, as in the passionate yearning of his heart he desired now to do. Therefore he puts by the word and substitutes his own stronger 'I love' (Gr. philo ) in its room. A second time he does the same. And now he has conquered; for when the Lord demands a third time whether he loves him, he does it in the word which alone will satisfy Peter ('Lovest thou,' Gr. phileis ), which alone claims from him that personal attachment and affection with which indeed he knows that his heart is full." In Co1 13:1 the apostle sets forth the excellency of love, as the word "charity" there is rendered in the Revised Version.

Lotan Coverer, one of the sons of Seir, the Horite (Gen 36:20, Gen 36:29).

Lubims The inhabitants of a thirsty or scorched land; the Lybians, an African nation under tribute to Egypt (Ch2 12:3; Ch2 16:8). Their territory was apparently near Egypt. They were probably the Mizraite Lehabim.

Lucas A friend and companion of Paul during his imprisonment at Rome; Luke (q.v.), the beloved physician (Plm 1:24; Col 4:14).

Lucifer Brilliant star, a title given to the king of Babylon (Isa 14:12) to denote his glory.

Lucius Of Cyrene, a Christian teacher at Antioch (Act 13:1), and Paul's kinsman (Rom 16:21). His name is Latin, but his birthplace seems to indicate that he was one of the Jews of Cyrene, in North Africa.

Lucre From the Lat. lucrum , "gain." Ti1 3:3, "not given to filthy lucre." Some MSS. have not the word so rendered, and the expression has been omitted in the Revised Version.

Lud (1.) The fourth son of Shem (Gen 10:22; Ch1 1:17), ancestor of the Lydians probably. (2.) One of the Hamitic tribes descended from Mizraim (Gen 10:13), a people of Africa (Eze 27:10; Eze 30:5), on the west of Egypt. The people called Lud were noted archers (Isa 66:19; compare Jer 46:9).