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KyriosAid to Bible Understanding
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Christian Greek Scriptures except Titus and the letters of John. It may refer to a “master” of a house, vineyard or harvest (Mark 13:35; Matt. 20:8; Luke 10:2), or to a temporal ruler such as the Roman emperor, Governor Festus’ “Lord.”—Acts 25:24-26.
Kyʹri·os was the title of address employed by slaves to their master and by children to their father, as well as by other individuals in cases where it might be the equivalent of the English “sir.” (Matt. 13:27; 21:29; John 12:21) It appears most frequently with reference to Jesus Christ, who is “Lord [Kyʹri·os] to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9-11; Mark 7:26-28; Acts 2:36; 10:36 and many other texts.) The term corresponds to the Hebrew ʼA·dhohnʹ. In the Hebrew Scriptures the title “Lord [‘A·dhohn’ or, at times, ʼAdho·nayʹ, the plural form of excellence]” is applied to Jehovah God, the “Lord of lords.” (Deut. 10:17) As God’s created Son and Servant, Jesus Christ therefore properly addresses his Father and God (John 20:17) as “Lord” (ʼAdho·nay’ or Kyʹri·os), the One having superior power and authority, his Head. (Matt. 11:25; 1 Cor. 11:3) As the one exalted to his Father’s right hand, Jesus is “Lord of lords” as respects all except his Father, God the Almighty.—Rev. 17:14; 19:15, 16; compare 1 Corinthians 15:27, 28; see LORD.
ITS USE IN PLACE OF THE DIVINE NAME
As shown in the article JEHOVAH, during the early centuries of the Common Era the practice developed of substituting the words Kyʹri·os (Lord) and The·osʹ (God) for the Divine Name, Jehovah, in copies of the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. Other translations, such as the Latin Vulgate, the Douay Version (based on the Vulgate), and the King James or Authorized Version, as well as some modern translations (AT, RS), followed a similar practice. The Divine Name was replaced by the terms for “God” and “Lord,” generally in all-capital letters to indicate the substitution for the Tetragrammaton or Divine Name.
In departing from this practice, the translation committee of the American Standard Version of 1901 stated: “. . . the American Revisers, after a careful consideration, were brought to the unanimous conviction that a Jewish superstition, which regarded the Divine Name as too sacred to be uttered, ought no longer to dominate in the English or any other version of the Old Testament, as it fortunately does not in the numerous versions made by modern missionaries. . . . This personal name [Jehovah], with its wealth of sacred associations, is now restored to the place in the sacred text to which it has an unquestionable claim.”—Preface, p. iv.
A number of translations since then (The Anchor Bible, The Jerusalem Bible [English and French], the Nácar-Colunga and the Bover-Cantera translations [both in Spanish], and others) have consistently translated the Tetragrammaton, using the rendering “Yahweh” or a similar form.
Under the heading JEHOVAH (Use of the Name in the Christian Greek Scriptures), evidence is also presented to show that the Divine Name, Jehovah, was used in the original writings of the Christian Greek Scriptures, from Matthew to Revelation. On this basis the New World Translation, used throughout this work, has restored the Divine Name in its translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, doing so a total of 237 times. Other translations had made similar restorations, particularly when translating the Christian Greek Scriptures into Hebrew. A Hebrew version by a Roman Catholic translator in 1668 restored the Divine Name in its rendering of the Christian Greek Scriptures.—See Foreword of New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, 1950 edition, pp. 21-23.
In answering the question, “How is a modern translator to know or determine when to render the Greek words Κύριος [Kyʹri·os] and Θεός [The·osʹ] into the divine name in his version?”, the New World Translation Committee states: “By determining where the inspired Christian writers have quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures. Then he must refer back to the original to locate whether the divine name appears there. This way he can determine the identity to give to kyʹri·os and the·osʹ and he can then clothe them with personality.” Explaining further, the Committee said: “To avoid overstepping the bounds of a translator into the field of exegesis, we have tried to be most cautious about rendering the divine name, always carefully considering the Hebrew Scriptures. We have looked for some agreement with us by the Hebrew versions we consulted to confirm our own rendering. Thus, out of the 237 times that we have rendered the divine name in the body of our version, there are only two instances where we have no support or agreement from any of the Hebrew versions. But in these two instances, namely, Ephesians 6:8 and Colossians 3:13, we feel strongly supported by the context and by related texts in rendering the divine name. The notes in our lower margin [of NW, 1950 edition] show the support we have for our renderings from the Hebrew versions and other authorities.”
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LaadahAid to Bible Understanding
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LAADAH
(Laʹa·dah) [perhaps, having a fat neck or throat].
A descendant of Judah and the second named of Shelah’s two sons. He is referred to as “the father of Mareshah.”—1 Chron. 4:21.
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LabanAid to Bible Understanding
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LABAN
(Laʹban) [white].
1. The grandson of Abraham’s brother Nahor. He was the son of Bethuel and the brother of Rebekah (Gen. 24:15, 29; 28:5), and was the father of Leah and Rachel. (Gen. 29:16) Laban resided at the city of Haran in Paddan-aram, an area of Mesopotamia.—Gen. 24:10; 27:43; 28:6; 29:4, 5.
Laban is called “the son of Bethuel the Syrian [literally, “the Aramaean”].” He is also referred to as “Laban the Syrian.” (Gen. 28:5; 25:20; 31:20, 24) This designation is fitting in view of the fact that he was a resident of Paddan-aram, which means “the plain (flatlands) of Aram,” or Syria. Laban was a Shemite dwelling in a region occupied by persons speaking Aramaic, a Semitic language.
To the vicinity just mentioned, aged Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac. (Gen. 24:1-4, 10) When Laban heard Rebekah’s account of her encounter with Abraham’s servant and saw the gifts she had been given, he went running to the servant, addressed him as one blessed by Jehovah, and extended hospitality to him. (Gen. 24:28-32) Laban subsequently took a leading part in the negotiations concerning the marriage of Rebekah, the approval for the marriage coming from both him and his father, Bethuel.—Gen. 24:50-61.
Years later, to escape Esau’s vengeance and to obtain a wife, Jacob traveled to the home of his uncle Laban at Haran. (Gen. 27:41–28:5) By this time Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel (Gen. 29:16), if not also sons. (Gen. 31:1) Laban made an agreement with Jacob that for seven years of service he would give Jacob his youngest daughter, Rachel, as wife. However, Laban tricked Jacob on his wedding night by substituting the older daughter Leah for Rachel, brushing Jacob’s protests aside by appealing to local custom and then offering Rachel to Jacob as a second wife, if Jacob would serve him for an additional seven years.—Gen. 29:13-28.
When Jacob finally wished to depart, Laban urged him to remain and continue serving him for wages. (Gen. 30:25-28) The agreement was that Jacob could keep for himself all the speckled and color-patched sheep, the dark-brown sheep among the young rams and any color-patched and speckled she-goats. (Gen. 30:31-34) But Jacob’s later words to Leah and Rachel and also to Laban (Gen. 31:4-9, 41) indicate that during succeeding years Laban frequently altered this original agreement when it turned out that Jacob’s flocks were increasing greatly. At length, Laban’s attitude toward Jacob changed, and at Jehovah’s direction Jacob decided to return to his homeland with his family and flocks.—Gen. 31:1-5, 13, 17, 18.
On the third day after Jacob’s secret departure, Laban learned of it and pursued Jacob, catching up with him in the mountainous region of Gilead. However, a warning from God prevented Laban from harming Jacob. (Gen. 31:19-24) When they met, Laban and Jacob quarreled. Jacob pointed to his twenty years of faithful service and hard work and showed how Laban had dealt with him unfairly, changing his wages ten times.—Gen. 31:36-42.
Laban was very concerned about retrieving the teraphim or household idols, which Rachel, unknown to Jacob, had stolen. These he was unable to find, for Rachel kept them concealed. (Gen. 31:30-35) Laban may have been influenced in his religious ideas by the moon-worshiping people among whom he dwelt and this may be indicated by his use of omens and his possession of teraphim. However, it should be noted that reasons more than merely religious ones likely made Laban so anxious to locate and retrieve the teraphim. Tablets unearthed at Nuzi near Kirkuk, Iraq, reveal that, according to the laws of patriarchal times in that particular area, possession of such household idols by a woman’s husband could give him the right to appear in court and claim the estate of his deceased father-in-law. Hence, Laban may have thought that Jacob himself stole the teraphim in order later to dispossess Laban’s own sons. This may explain why, on failing to locate the household gods, Laban was anxious to conclude an agreement with Jacob that would ensure that Jacob would not go back with the household gods after Laban’s death to deprive his sons of their inheritance.
Laban made a covenant of family peace with Jacob, and, to memorialize it, a stone pillar and a heap of stones were set up. Using Hebrew, Jacob called the heap Galeed, meaning “Witness heap.” Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, using an Aramaic or Syrian expression having the same meaning. It was also called “The Watchtower.” (Gen. 31:43-53) After bidding his grandchildren and daughters farewell, Laban returned home, and the Bible record makes no further mention of him.—Gen. 31:54, 55.
2. A place mentioned at Deuteronomy 1:1 in relation to the “desert plains in front of Suph.” The exact location of Laban is unknown.
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LabdanumAid to Bible Understanding
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LABDANUM
There is some uncertainty as to what is designated by the Hebrew word nekhoʼthʹ, an item carried by a caravan of Ishmaelites to whom Joseph was sold and one of the fine products that Jacob told his sons to take as a gift to one who was ruler in Egypt. (Gen. 37:25; 43:11) Nekhoʼthʹ has been variously rendered “spicery” (AS, AV), “gum” (AT, RS), “tragacanth” (Da), “resin” (Mo) and, as defined in a recent Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon by Koehler and Baumgartner, “labdanum.” (NW) Labdanum is a soft, dark-brown or black gum that exudes from the leaves and branches of several varieties of Cistus or rockrose, a bushy little plant with large five-petal flowers resembling the wild rose. The gum has a bitter taste but a fragrant odor. It is used in perfumes and, at one time, was also extensively employed in medicine. With reference to this substance the ancient Greek historian Herodotus (Book III, sec. 112) writes: “It is itself most fragrant; for it is found sticking like gum to the beards of he-goats, which collect it from the wood. It is useful for many ointments, and the Arabians burn it very generally as a perfume.”
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Labor PainsAid to Bible Understanding
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LABOR PAINS
God expressed to the first woman, Eve, after she had sinned, what the result would be as to childbearing. If she had remained obedient, God’s blessing would have continued upon her and childbearing would have been an unadulterated joy, for, “the blessing of Jehovah—that is what makes rich, and he adds no pain with it.” (Prov. 10:22) But now, as a general rule, the imperfect functioning of the body would bring pain. Accordingly God said (as often the things that he permits are said to be done by him): “I shall greatly increase the pain of your pregnancy; in birth pangs you will bring forth children.”—Gen. 3:16.
The Hebrew expression in this passage of Scripture is, literally, “your pain and your pregnancy,” and is rendered by some translations “thy sorrow and thy conception.” (AV; Yg) But the grammatical form used is called “hendiadys,” wherein two words are connected by “and” though one thing is meant. Modern translations render the expression accordingly. (AT; Mo; RS) So it is not stated that conception would necessarily increase, but that the pain would.
It is true that the pain of pregnancy and childbearing may be relieved by medical treatment, and even prevented to some extent by care and preparatory methods. But, generally, childbirth remains a physically distressing experience. (Gen. 35:16-20; Isa. 26:17) Despite such labor pains associated with childbearing, there is happiness attendant upon the birth of a child. When Jesus Christ spoke intimately with his apostles on the evening before his death, he used this circumstance as an illustration. He explained to them that he was going to leave them, then went on to say: “Most truly I say to you, You will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice; you will be grieved, but your grief will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is giving birth, has grief, because her hour has arrived; but when she has brought forth the young child, she remembers the tribulation no more because of the joy that a man has been born into the world. You also, therefore, are now, indeed, having grief; but I shall see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.”—John 16:20-22.
This painful period did come upon them for parts of three days, when they doubtless wept and ‘afflicted their souls’ by fasting. (Luke 5:35; compare Psalm 35:13.) But early on the morning of the third day, Nisan 16, the resurrected Jesus appeared to certain of the disciples, and for forty days after that. Imagine their joy! On the day of Pentecost, fifty days from Jesus’ resurrection, God’s holy spirit was poured out upon them and they became joyful witnesses of his resurrection, first in Jerusalem and later in distant parts of the earth. (Acts 1:3, 8) And no one could take their joy away.
AS REPRESENTING DISTRESS
The psalmist described a gathering of kings as they viewed the splendor and magnificence of God’s holy city Zion, with its towers and ramparts of strength. He says: “They themselves saw; and so they were amazed. They got disturbed, they were sent running in panic. Trembling itself took hold of them there, birth pangs like those of a woman giving birth.” (Ps. 48:1-6) The psalm appears to describe an actual occurrence in which enemy kings were panic-stricken in a projected attack on Jerusalem. While there are several conjectures as to what occasion is here meant, no certain identification has been made.
Jeremiah, in prophesying defeat to come upon mighty Babylon, told of a people from the north, the report about whom would cause the king of Babylon to have severe pains, like a woman giving birth. This was fulfilled when Cyrus came against Babylon and particularly when the mysterious handwriting appeared on the wall at Babylonian King Belshazzar’s feast. This the prophet Daniel interpreted to Belshazzar as portending the immediate fall of Babylon
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