in a literal and a figurative sense peace will exist between lions and domestic animals. Persons who may at one time have been of a beastly, animalistic, vicious disposition will be at peace with more docile fellow humans and will not seek to do them harm or injury.—Isa. 11:1-6; see BEASTS, SYMBOLIC.

LION’S PIT

The place of execution into which the prophet Daniel was thrown but from which he was later removed unharmed, having enjoyed angelic protection. (Dan. 6:7, 12, 13, 16-24) This pit had an opening that could be covered with a stone. (Dan. 6:17) It was evidently a sunken or underground place, for Daniel was “lifted up out of the pit.”—Dan. 6.23.

LIP

Being a part of the mouth and having much to do with formation of words, “lip” is used figuratively for speech or language (Prov. 14:3; 1 Cor. 14:21) and is occasionally used in parallelism with “tongue” (Ps. 34:13; Prov. 12:19) and with “mouth.” (Ps. 66:14; Prov. 18:7) Before the confusion of language at Babel, “all the earth continued to be of one language [literally, ‘lip’] and of one set of words.” (Gen. 11:1, 6-9; the same usage is employed at Psalm 81:5; Isaiah 19:18.) God promised through the prophet Zephaniah to give to peoples “the change to a pure language [lip],” evidently referring to the truth as revealed to his people through Jesus Christ.—Zeph. 3:9; compare Proverbs 12:19.

The lips are no sure index of what is in the heart, since they can be used by the individual to utter hypocritical speech. (Matt. 15:8) However, the lips cannot hide the true condition of the heart from God (Heb. 4:13), and they will eventually bring forth what is in the heart.—Prov. 26:23-26; Matt. 12:34.

Moses wanted to excuse himself from speaking before Pharaoh because he was “uncircumcised in lips,” that is, as though his lips had a foreskin over them and hence were too long and thick to utter speech with ease. He may have had some sort of speech impediment. (Ex. 6:12, 30) Isaiah, when called by Jehovah, wished to serve, but lamented that he was “undone” because he, a man unclean in lips, had seen Jehovah in vision, and he was unfit to carry God’s clean message. Jehovah then caused Isaiah’s lips to be cleansed.—Isa. 6:5-7; compare John 15:3; Isaiah 52:11; 2 Corinthians 6:17.

Hosea’s prophecy encouraged Israel to offer to Jehovah the “young bulls” of their lips, representing sacrifices of sincere praise. (Hos. 14:2) The Christian writer of the book of Hebrews alludes to this prophecy when he exhorts fellow believers to offer to God “a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which make public declaration to his name.”—Heb. 13:15.

Figuratively, “a smooth lip” denotes deceptive speech. (Ps. 12:2, 3 Such lips, as well as harsh or lying ones, can be damaging, wounding deeply like a sword or poisoning like a viper. (Ps. 59:7; 140:3; Rom. 3:13) A person “opening wide his lips” is one who speaks thoughtlessly or unwisely. (Prov. 13:3) It can bring him to ruin, for God holds everyone accountable for his words.—Deut. 23:23; Num. 30:6-8; Prov. 12:13; compare Job 2:10; Matthew 12:36, 37.

LIQUOR, INTOXICATING

See WINE AND STRONG DRINK.

LITTER

A portable couch or bed usually covered with a canopy and curtained in on the sides, designed so that a person of importance, either seated or reclined, can be carried about by men or beasts of burden; a palanquin as used in the Orient. The royal litter of King Solomon was made of Lebanese cedarwood, with silver pillars and supports of gold, and with the seat or cushion upholstered in costly and beautiful wool dyed reddish purple. The interior was richly ornamented, possibly with ebony wood.—Song of Sol. 3:7-10.

A portable funeral couch for transporting the remains of the dead was known as a so·rosʹ or bier.—Luke 7:14.

LIVER

The Hebrew Scriptures use the word most frequently with reference to the livers of animals prepared by the Israelites for sacrifice. (Ex. 29:13, 22; Lev. 3:4, 10, 15; 4:9) It was “the appendage upon the liver” that was made to smoke on the altar. The work Commentaries on the Old Testament, by Keil and Delitzsch, “Pentateuch,” Volume II, page 300, describes this portion of the liver as “the liver-net, or stomach-net, . . . which commences at the division between the right and left lobes of the liver, and stretches on the one side across the stomach, and on the other side to the region of the kidneys. . . . This smaller net is delicate, but not so fat as the larger net; though it still forms part of the fat portions.” It is defined in Pentateuch with Rashi’s Commentary, “Leviticus,” page 9, as “the protecting wall (membrane) over the liver.”

King Solomon’s account of the inexperienced youth who succumbs to the enticement of the immoral woman concludes: “All of a sudden he is going after her, . . . until an arrow cleaves open his liver, . . . and he has not known that it involves his very soul.” (Prov. 7:21-23) This is a very appropriate description, for medical doctors have found that the tiny corkscrewlike organisms associated with the crippling, death-dealing venereal disease called syphilis are frequently detected in great numbers in the liver cells (although also found in other tissues). This is true especially in the more advanced stages of the disease. Similarly, the organism (gonococcus) responsible for gonorrhea, another venereal disease, gets into the lining membrane of the liver. The liver’s vital role to life is recognized in figurative use in depicting profound sorrow.—Lam. 2:11.

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, when looking for guidance as to his military maneuvers, “looked into the liver” as a form of divination.—Ezek. 21:21; see DIVINATION.

LIZARD

[Heb., tsav].

The Hebrew name for this creature, included among the unclean “swarming creatures” at Leviticus 11:29, appears to be derived from a root meaning “to cleave to the ground.” The Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Brown, Driver and Briggs (p. 839) suggests “lizard” as the translation. Lizards are four-legged reptiles, generally small, with long tails and scaly skin. The lizard’s legs are attached far enough out at the sides to enable it to rest its belly on the ground without folding its feet under it. More than forty kinds are found in Palestine. They are to be found in trees, in warm crevices of rocks and on walls and ceilings in homes.—See CHAMELEON; GECKO; SAND LIZARD.

Lexicons generally suggest that the Hebrew word koʹahh also refers to a kind of lizard. Since the root meaning of the name is “power” or “strength,” it may refer to the monitor lizard, a powerful, large lizard. It inhabits dry, sandy desert areas. In Palestine this lizard reaches a length of about four feet (1.2 meters). It is an eater of carrion, and is on the list of “unclean” foods.—Lev. 11:29, 30.

Another creature listed as unclean for Israelite use as food is referred to by the Hebrew word hhoʹmet, at Leviticus 11:30. Some recent translations (RS; NW) render this “sand lizard.” The sand lizard is generally a small lizard inhabiting mainly desert areas. Its color resembles the yellowish shade of the desert sands. The lizard’s toes are fringed, keeping its feet from sinking in as it moves about. Though it cannot climb, it runs and burrows with extraordinary rapidity in sandy ground.

[Picture on page 1070]

The chameleon is one of the lizards often found in Palestine

LOAD

See BURDEN.

LOAF

Bread loaves, generally made from barley or wheat flour (2 Ki. 4:42; John 6:9; compare Exodus 34:22 with Leviticus 23:17), were often circular. (Judg. 7:13; 1 Sam. 10:3; Jer. 37:21) In fact, one Hebrew word for “loaf” (kik·karʹ) literally means “a round,” that is, a round loaf. (1 Sam. 2:36) Of course, loaves were also formed into other shapes. An Egyptian papyrus document mentions over thirty different forms of bread.

Ancient specimens from Bible lands include relatively thin round, oval, triangular and wedge-shaped cakes or loaves and thick, long loaves. (See BREAD; CAKE.) However, the thick loaves, like those of the Western world, do not appear to have been common in the ancient Near East. Even today Oriental bread is baked in thin loaves, usually from half an inch to an inch (1.3 to 2.5 centimeters) in thickness and about seven inches (18 centimeters) in diameter.

Being relatively thin and, if unleavened, brittle, loaves of bread were broken rather than cut. So there is nothing special about Jesus, ‘breaking’ the loaf used at the institution of the Lord’s Evening Meal (Matt. 26:26), it being the customary way to partake of bread.—Matt. 14:19; 15:36; Mark 6:41; 8:6; Luke 9:16; Acts 2:42, 46, Kingdom Interlinear Translation.

LO-AMMI

(Lo-amʹmi) [not my people].

The name of the second son borne by Hosea’s wife Gomer. Jehovah commanded that the child be given this meaningful name to show that He had disowned faithless Israel. (Hos. 1:8, 9) It has been suggested that this boy was not Hosea’s offspring but a child of Gomer’s adultery (Hos. 1:2), for when Jezreel was born, it was said that Gomer “bore to him [Hosea] a son,” whereas regarding Lo-ammi it is merely said that “she proceeded to become pregnant and give birth to a son.”—Hos. 1:3, 8.

LOAN

Anything, especially money, given on condition of future return or the delivery of an equivalent.

Often very high interest was charged among nations of antiquity, and those unable to repay loans were treated harshly. Interest rates of one-fifth, one-third and of half the amount lent are known from ancient records. Roman law permitted the creditor to seize a defaulter by the throat and then to drag him before the judge; penalties might include imprisonment and, in certain cases, capital punishment.—Compare Matthew 18:28-30.

In ancient Israel, however, the situation was quite different. Ordinarily loans of money or foodstuffs were made to poor fellow Israelites who were the victims of financial reverses, and the Law prohibited exacting interest from them. For an Israelite to have accepted interest from a needy fellow Israelite would have meant profiting from that one’s adversity. (Ex. 22:25; Lev. 25:35-37; Deut. 15:7, 8; 23:19) Foreigners, though, could be required to pay interest. But even this provision of the Law may have applied to business loans only and not to cases of actual need. Often foreigners were in Israel as transient merchants and could reasonably be expected to pay interest, as they would also be lending to others on interest.—Deut. 23:20.

The Hebrew Scriptures censure the borrower who refuses to repay a loan (Ps. 37:21) and at the same time encourage lending to those in need. (Deut. 15:7-11; Ps. 37:26; 112:5) Says Proverbs 19:17: “He that is showing favor to the lowly one is lending to Jehovah, and his treatment He will repay to him.”

The case of Hannah illustrates that Jehovah repays generously. After ‘lending’ her only son Samuel to Jehovah for service at the sanctuary in fulfillment of her vow, Hannah was blessed, not with just another son, but with three sons and two daughters.—1 Sam. 1:11, 20, 26-28; 2:20, 21.

While on earth Christ Jesus reflected the generous spirit of his Father Jehovah and taught others to do likewise. Amplifying the matter of making loans, Jesus said: “If you lend without interest to those from whom you hope to receive, of what credit is it to you? Even sinners lend without interest to sinners that they may get back as much. To the contrary, continue . . . to lend without interest, not hoping for anything back; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind toward the unthankful and wicked.”—Luke 6:34, 35.

Jesus’ Jewish listeners were obligated by the Law to make interest-free loans to needy fellow Israelites. It was not unusual even for sinners to lend without interest to those who would be in position to make repayment. Such lending without interest might even be done with the intent of gaining some favor from the borrower in the future. On the other hand, one desiring to be an imitator of God would do more than a sinner, by loaning to needy persons whose economic situation was such that they might never be able to make repayment.

The application of Jesus’ words are, of course, limited by circumstances. For example, the obligation to care for the needs of family members takes a prior claim. It would therefore be wrong for anyone to make a loan that would interfere with his obligation to provide life’s necessities for his family. (Mark 7:11-13; 1 Tim. 5:8) Also, the attitude and circumstances of the prospective borrower enter the picture. Is he in need because of his being irresponsible, lazy and unwilling to accept work although jobs he is able to perform are available? If so, the words of the apostle Paul apply: “If anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat.”—2 Thess. 3:10; see DEBT, DEBTOR; INTEREST.

LOAVES OF PRESENTATION

See SHOWBREAD.

LOCK

A device for fastening a door or gate to restrict entrance. (Judg. 3:23, 24; Neh. 3:3, 6, 13-15) The lock of ancient times usually consisted of a bolt of wood that could slide sideways through a groove in a wooden upright attached to the door. To lock the door, the bolt was pushed into a socket in the doorpost and was secured by wooden or iron pins falling from the upright into holes in the bolt. To unlock the door, a key with corresponding pins was inserted to raise the pins, thus enabling the bolt to be brought back to the unlocked position. The socket or hollow into which the bolt was inserted is referred to by the Shulammite girl in recounting a dream she had in which her shepherd lover was kept away from her by means of a locked door.—Song of Sol. 5:2-5; see KEY.

LOCUST

Any of a variety of grasshoppers with short antennae or feelers, especially those that migrate in great swarms. Of the several Hebrew words rendered “locust,” ʼar·behʹ appears most frequently and is understood to refer to the migratory locust, the insect in its fully developed, winged stage. The locust measures two inches (c. 5 centimeters) or more in length. It is equipped with two pairs of wings, four walking legs and two much longer leaper legs with broad thighs. The wide, transparent back wings, when not in use, lie folded under the thick membranous front wings. By means of its leaper legs the insect is able to jump many times the length of its body. (See Job 39:20.) in Scripture the locust is at times