Smith's Bible Dictionary

Lud–Maasiai

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Lud

(strife) the fourth name in the list of the children of Shem, (Genesis 10:22) comp. 1Chr 1:17 Supposed to have been the ancestor of the Lydians.

Ludim

(strife), (Genesis 10:13; 1 Chronicles 1:11) a Mizraite people or tribe descended from Ludim the son of Mizraim; also called Lydians. It is probable that the Ludim were settled to the west of Egypt, perhaps farther than any other Mizraite tribe. Lud and the Ludim are mentioned in four passages of the prophets— (Isaiah 66:19; Jeremiah 46:9; Ezekiel 27:10; 38:5) There call be no doubt that but one nation is intended in these passages, and it seems that the preponderance of evidence is in favor of the Mizaraite Ludim.

Luhith

(made of tables or boards), The ascent of, a place in Moab, occurs only in (Isaiah 15:5) and the parallel passage of Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 48:5) In the days of Eusebius and Jerome it was still known, and stood between Areopolis (Rabbath-moab) and Zoar.

Luke

(light-giving), or Lu’cas, is an abbreviated form of Lucanus. It is not to be confounded with Lucius, (Acts 13:1; Romans 16:21) which belongs to a different person. The name Luke occurs three times in the New Testament— (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11); Phle 1:24—And probably in all three the third evangelist is the person spoken of. Combining the traditional element with the scriptural we are able to trace the following dim outline of the evangelist’s life. He was born at Antioch in Syria, and was taught the science of medicine. The well known tradition that Luke was also a painter, and of no mean skill, rests on the authority of late writers. He was not born a Jew, for he is not reckoned among those “of the circumcision” by St. Paul. Comp. (Colossians 4:11) with ver. 14. The date of his conversion is uncertain. He joined St. Paul at Troas, and shared his Journey into Macedonia. The sudden transition to the first person plural in (Acts 16:9) is most naturally explained after all the objections that have been urged, by supposing that Luke the writer of the Acts, formed one of St. Paul’s company from this point. As far as Philippi the evangelist journeyed with the apostle. The resumption of the third person on Paul’s departure from that place, (Acts 17:1) would show that Luke was now left behind. During the rest of St. Paul’s second missionary journey we hear of Luke no more; but on the third journey the same indication reminds us that Luke is again of the company, (Acts 20:5) having joined it apparently at Philippi, where he had been left. With the apostle he passed through Miletus, Tyre and Caesarea to Jerusalem. ch. Acts 20:6; 21:18 As to his age and death there is the utmost uncertainty. He probably died a martyr, between A.D. 75 and A.D. 100. He wrote the Gospel that bears his name, and also the book of Acts.

Luke, Gospel Of

The third Gospel is ascribed, by the general consent of ancient Christendom, to “the beloved physician,” Luke, the friend and companion of the apostle Paul.

Date of the Gospel of Luke .—From (Acts 1:1) it is clear that the Gospel described “the former treatise” was written before the Acts of the Apostles; but how much earlier is uncertain. Perhaps it was written at Caesarea during St. Paul’s imprisonment there, A.D. 58-60. Place where the Gospel was written.—If the time has been rightly indicated, the place would be Caesarea. Origin of the Gospel.—The preface, contained in the first four verses of the Gospel, describes the object of its writer. Here are several facts to be observed. There were many narratives of the life of our Lord Current at the early time when Luke wrote his Gospel. The ground of fitness for the task St. Luke places in his having carefully followed out the whole course of events from the beginning. He does not claim the character of an eye-witness from the first but possibly he may have been a witness of some part of our Lord’s doings. The ancient opinion that Luke wrote his Gospel under the influence of Paul rests on the authority of Irenreus, Tertulian, Origen and Eusebius. The four verses could not have been put at the head of a history composed under the exclusive guidance of Paul or of any one apostle and as little could they have introduced a gospel simply communicated by another. The truth seems to be that St. Luke, seeking information from every quarter, sought it from the preaching of his be loved master St. Paul; and the apostle in his turn employed the knowledge acquired from other sources by his disciple. Purpose for which the Gospel was written.—The evangelist professes to write that Theophilus “might know the certainty of those things wherein he had been instructed.” ch, (Luke 1:4) This Theophilus was probably a native of Italy and perhaps an inhabitant of Rome, in tracing St. Paul’s journey to Rome, places which an Italian might be supposed not to know are described minutely, (Acts 27:8,12,16) but when he comes to Sicily and Italy this is neglected. Hence it would appear that the person for whom Luke wrote in the first instance was a Gentile reader; and accordingly we find traces in the Gospel of a leaning toward Gentile rather than Jewish converts. Language and style of the Gospel.—It has never been doubted that the Gospel was written in Greek, whilst Hebraisms are frequent, classical idioms and Greek compound words abound, for which there is classical authority. (Prof. Gregory, in “Why Four Gospels” says that Luke wrote for Greek readers, and therefore the character and needs of the Greeks furnish the key to this Gospel. The Greek was the representation of reason and humanity. He looked upon himself as having the mission of perfecting man. He was intellectual, cultured, not without hope of a higher world. Luke’s Gospel therefore represented the character and career of Christ as answering the conception of a perfect and divine humanity. Reason, beauty righteousness and truth are exhibited as they meet in Jesus in their full splendor. Jesus was the Saviour of all men, redeeming them to a perfect and cultured manhood.—ED.)

Lunatics

(from the Latin Luna, the moon, because insane persons, especially those who had lucid intervals, were once supposed to be affected by the changes of the moon). This word is used twice in the New Testament— (Matthew 4:24; 17:15) Translated epileptic in the Revised Version.) It is evident that the word itself refers to same disease affecting both the body and the mind, which might or might not be a sign of possession By the description of (Mark 9:17-26) it is concluded that this disease was epilepsy.

Luz

(almond tree). It seems impossible to discover with precision whether Luz and Bethel represent one and the same town—the former the Canannite, the latter the Hebrew, name—or whether they were distinct places, though in close proximity. The most probable conclusion is that the two places were, during the times preceding the conquest, distinct, Luz being the city and Bethel the pillar and altar of Jacob that after the destruction of Luz by the tribe of Ephraim the town of Bethel arose. When the original Luz was destroyed, through the treachery of one of its inhabitants, the man who had introduced the Israelites into the town went into the “land of the Hittites” and built a city which he named after the former one. (Judges 1:28) Its situation, as well as that of the land of the Hittites,” has never been discovered, and is one of the favorable puzzles of Scripture geographers.

Lycaonia

(land of Lycanon, or wolf land), a district of Asia Minor. From what is said in (Acts 14:11) of “the speech of Lycaonia,” it is evident that the inhabitants of the district, in St. Paul’s day, spoke something very different from ordinary Greek. Whether the language was some Syrian dialect or a corrupt form of Greek has been much debated. The fact that the Lycaonians were similar with the Greek mythology is consistent with either supposition. Lycaonia is for the most part a dreary plain, bare of trees, destitute of fresh water, and with several salt lakes. (It was about 20 miles long from east to west, and 13 miles wide. “Cappadocia is on the east, Galatia on the north, Phrygia on the west and Cilicia on the south “Among its chief cities are Derbe, Lystra and Iconium.—ED.) After the provincial system of Rome had embraced the whole of Asia Minor, the boundaries of the provinces were variable; and Lycaonia was, politically, sometimes in Cappadocia, sometimes in Galatia. Paul visited it three times in his missionary tours.

Lycia

(land of Lycus) is the name of that southwestern region of the peninsula of Asia Minor which is immediately opposite the island of Rhodes. The Lycians were incorporated in the Persian empire, and their ships were conspicuous in the great war against the Greeks (Herod. vii. 91, 92). After the death of Alexander the Great, Lycia was included in the Greek Seleucid kingdom, and was a part of the territory which the Romans forced Antiochus to cede. It was not till the reign of Claudius that Lycia became part of the Roman provincial system. At first it was combined with Pamiphylia. Such seems to have been the condition of the district when St. Paul visited the Lycian towns of Patara, (Acts 21:1) and Myra. (Acts 27:5) At a later period of the Roman empire Lyoia was a separate province, with Myra for it capital.

Lydda

(strife), the Greek form of the name, (Acts 9:32,35,38) which appears in the Hebrew records as Lod a town of Benjamin, founded by Shamed or Shamer. (1 Chronicles 8:12; Ezra 2:33; Nehemiah 7:37; 11:35) It is still called Lidd or Ludd, and stands in part of the great maritime plain which anciently bore the name of Sharon. It is nine miles from Joppa, and is the first town on the northernmost of the two roads between that place and Jerusalem. The watercourse outside the town is said still to bear the name of Abi-Butrus (Peter), in memory the apostle. It was destroyed by Vespasian, and was probably not rebuilt till the time of Hadrian, when it received the name of Diospois. When Eusebius wrote (A.D. 320-330) Diospolis was a well-known and much-frequented town. The modern town is, for a Mohammedan place, buy and prosperous.

Lydia

the first European convert of St. Paul, and afterward his hostess during his first stay at Philippi. (Acts 18:14,15) also Acts 18:40 (A.D. 47.) She was a Jewish proselyte at the time of the apostle’s coming; and it was at the Jewish Sabbath-worship by the side of a stream ver 13, that the preaching of the gospel reached her heart. Her native place was Thyatira, in the province of Asia. ver. 14; (Revelation 2:18) Thyatira was famous for its dyeing works; and Lydia wars connected with this trade, as a seller either of dye or of dyed goods. We infer that she was a person of considerable wealth.

(land of Lydus), a maritime province in the west of Asia Minor bounded by Mysia on the north, Phrygia on the east, and Caria on the south. It is enumerated among the districts which the Romans took away from Antiochos the Great after the battle of Magnesia in B.C. 190, and transferred to Eumenus II. king of Pergamus. Lydia is included in the “Asia” of the New Testament.

Lysanias

(that drives away sorrow), mentioned by St. Luke in one of his chronological passages, ch. (Luke 3:1) as being tetrarch. of Abilene (i.e. the district round Abila) in the thirteenth year of Tiberius (A.D. 26), at the time when Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee and Herod Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis.

Lysias

(dissolving), a nobleman of the blood-royal, 1Macc 3:32; 2Macc 11:1, who was entrusted he Antiochus Epiphanes (cir. B.C. 166) with the government of southern Syria and the guardianship of his son Antiochus Eupator. 1Macc 3:32; 2Macc. 10:11. After the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, B.C. 184, Lysias assumed the government as guardian of his son, who was pet a child. 1Macc 6:17. In B.C. 164 he, together with his ward, fell into the hands of Demetrius Soter, who put them both to death. 1Macc 7:2-4; 2Macc 14:2.

Lysias Claudius

a chief captain of the band, that is, tribune of the Roman cohort who rescued St. Paul from the hands of the infuriated mob at Jerusalem, and sent him under a guard to Felix, the governor or proconsul of Caesarea. (Acts 21:31) seq.; Acts 23:26; 24:7 (A.D. 55.)

Lysimachus

“a son of Ptolemaeus of Jerusalem,” the Greek translator of the book of Esther. Comp. (Esther 9:20)

Lystra

This place has two points of interest in connection respectively with St. Paul’s first and second missionary Journeys: (1) as the place where divine honors were offered to him, and where he was presently stoned, (Acts 14:1) ... (2) as the home of his chosen companion and fellow missionary Timotheus. (Acts 16:1) Lystra was in the eastern part of the great plain of Lycaonia, and its site may be identified with the ruins called Bin-bir-Kilisseh, at the base of a conical mountain of volcanic structure, named the Karadagh .

Maacah

(oppression).

The mother of Absalom; also called Maachah. (2 Samuel 3:3) Maacah, or (in (1 Chronicles 19:6,7)) Maachah, a small kingdom in close proximity to Palestine which appears to have lain outside Argob, (3:14) and Bashun. (Joshua 12:5) The Ammonite war was the only occasion on which the Maacathites came into contact with Israel when their king assisted the Ammonites against Joab with a force which he led himself. (2 Samuel 10:6,8; 1 Chronicles 19:7)

Maachah

(oppression).

The daughter of Nahor by his concubine Beumah. (Genesis 22:24) The father of Achish who was king of Gath at the beginning of Solomon’s reign. (1 Kings 2:39) The daughter, or more probably granddaughter, of Absalom named after his mother; the third and favorite wife of Rehoboam, and mother of Abijah. (1 Kings 15:22; 2 Chronicles 11:20-22) The mother of Abijah is elsewhere called “Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.” (2 Chronicles 13:2) During the reign of her grandson Asa she occupied at the court of Judah the high position of “king’s mother,” comp. (1 Kings 15:13) but when he came of age she was removed because of her idolatrous habits. (2 Chronicles 15:16) The concubine of Caleb the son of Hezron. (1 Chronicles 2:48) The daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, and mother of Absalom (1 Chronicles 3:2) also called Maacah in Authorized Version of (2 Samuel 3:3) The wife of Machir the Manassite. (1 Chronicles 7:15,16) The wife of Jehiel, father or founder of Gibeon. (1 Chronicles 8:20; 9:35) The father of Hanan, one of the heroes of David body-guard. (2 Chronicles 11:43) A Simeonite, father of Sephatiah, prince of his tribe in the reign of David. (1 Chronicles 27:16)

Maachathi

(oppression) and Maach’athites, The, two words which denote the inhabitants of the small kingdom of Maachah. (3:14; Joshua 12:5; 13:11,13); (2 Samuel 23:34; 2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40:8)

Maadai, Or Maadai

(ornament of Jehovah), one of the sons of Kani, who had married a foreign wife. (Ezra 10:34)

Maadiah

one of the priests who returned with Zerubbabel, (Nehemiah 12:5) elsewhere (ver. (Nehemiah 12:17)) called Moadiah.

Maai

(compassionate), one of the Bene-Asaph who took part in the solemn musical service by which the wall of Jerusalem was dedicated. (Nehemiah 12:36)

Maalehacrabbim

(ascent of scorpions), the full form of the name given as Akrabbim in (Joshua 15:3) [Akrabbim]

Maaseiah

(work of the Lord), the name of four persons who had married foreign wives. In the time of Ezra,

A descendant of Jeshua the priest. (Ezra 10:18) A priest, of the sons of Harim. (Ezra 10:21) A priest, of the sons of Pashur. (Ezra 10:22) One of the laymen, a descendant of Pahath-moab. (Ezra 10:30) The father of Azariah. (Nehemiah 3:23) One of those who stood on the right hand of Ezra when he read the law to the people. (Nehemiah 8:4) A Levite who assisted on the same occasion. (Nehemiah 8:7) One of the heads of the people whose descendants signed the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 10:25) Son of Baruch the descendant of Pharez the son of Judah, (Nehemiah 11:5) A Benjamite, ancestor of Sallu. (Nehemiah 11:7) Two priests of this name are mentioned, (Nehemiah 12:41,42) as taking part in the musical service which accompanied the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem under Ezra. One of them is probably the same as No. 6. Father of Zephaniah, who was a priest in the reign of Zedekiah. (Jeremiah 21:1; 29:25; 37:3) Father of Zedekiah the false prophet. (Jeremiah 29:21) One of the Levites of the second rank, appointed by David to sound “with psaltries on Alamoth.” (1 Chronicles 15:18,20) The son of Adaiah, and one of the captains of hundreds in the reign of Joash king of Judah. (2 Chronicles 23:1) An officer of high rank in the reign of Uzziah. (2 Chronicles 26:11) He was probably a Levite, comp: (1 Chronicles 23:4) and engaged in a semi-military capacity. The “king’s son,” killed by Zichri the Ephraimitish hero in the invasion of Judah by Pekah king of Israel, during the reign of Ahaz. (2 Chronicles 28:7) The governor of Jerusalem in the reign of Josiah. (2 Chronicles 34:8) The son of Shallum, a Levite of high rank in the reign of Jehoiakim. (Jeremiah 35:4) comp, 1Chr 9:19 A priest; ancestor of Baruch and Seraiah, the sons of Neriah. (Jeremiah 32:12; 51:59)

Maasiai

(work of the Lord), a priest who after the return from Babylon dwelt in Jerusalem. (1 Chronicles 9:12)