are not under the Law covenant (Heb. 7:11, 12, 19; 8:13; 10:1), the regulations set out in the book of Leviticus give them insight into God’s viewpoint on matters. The book is, therefore, not a mere recounting of dry, inapplicable details, but a live source of information. By getting a knowledge of how God views various matters, some of which are not specifically covered in the Christian Greek Scriptures, the Christian can be aided to avoid what displeases God and to do what pleases him.

LIBERTY

See FREEDOM.

LIBNAH

(Lib’nah) [whiteness].

1. An Israelite wilderness encampment. Its location is unknown.—Num. 33:20, 21.

2. A royal Canaanite city taken by Joshua before the conquest of Lachish. (Josh. 10:29-32, 39; 12:15) Libnah was one of the cities in the territory of Judah given to the “sons of Aaron.” (Josh. 15:21, 42; 21:13; 1 Chron. 6:57) Centuries later King Josiah’s father-in-law lived there.—2 Ki. 23:31; 24:18; Jer. 52:1.

At the time of the Edomite revolt in the tenth century B.C.E., Libnah also rebelled against Judean King Jehoram. (2 Ki. 8:22; 2 Chron. 21:10) In 732 B.C.E. Assyrian King Sennacherib’s army moved from Lachish to Libnah. He had sent a military detachment from Lachish to threaten Jerusalem. While at Libnah, the Assyrians received reports that Tirhakah the king of Ethiopia intended to fight them. Therefore, Sennacherib, to encourage Jerusalem’s surrender, sent messengers a second time with intimidating letters to Hezekiah the king of Judah. Subsequently Jehovah’s angel slew 185,000 of the Assyrian host, apparently still encamped near Libnah.—2 Ki. 19:8-35; Isa. 37:8-36.

Tell es-Safi, located less than six miles (10 kilometers) W of the suggested site of Azekah, is generally favored as a possible identification of ancient Libnah. This crescent-shaped mound, with its cliffs of white limestone, is a natural fortress. However, some scholars prefer linking Libnah with Tell Bornot, about five and a half miles (9 kilometers) SE of Tell es-Safi.

LIBNI

(Libʹni) [white].

1. A grandson of Levi and the son of Gershon (Gershom). (Ex. 6:17; 1 Chron. 6:17) He was the founder of a Levitical family (Num. 3:18, 21; 1 Chron. 6:19, 20) and was evidently also called Ladan.—1 Chron. 23:6, 7; 26:21.

2. A Levite who descended from Merari through Mahli.—1 Chron. 6:29.

LIBNITES

A family of Levites who descended from Gershon (Gershom) through his son Libni.—Num. 3:21; 26:58.

LIBYA

(Libʹy·a), Libyans (Libʹy·ans).

Ancient Libya occupied an area of northern Africa W of Egypt. Its inhabitants are generally thought to have been designated by the Hebrew term Lu·vimʹ. (2 Chron. 12:3; “Libyans,” LXX, NW, RS) If Lu·vimʹ is a variant of L^eha·vimʹ (Lehabim), this may indicate that at least some of the Libyans descended from Ham through Mizraim. (Gen. 10:13) The traditional Jewish view found in the writings of Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews, Book I, chap. II, par. 2) makes the Libyans descendants of Ham through Put. (Gen. 10:6) Also, the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate read “Libya” or “Libyans” four times where the Hebrew text says “Put.” (Jer. 46:9; Ezek. 27:10; 30:5; 38:5) It is possible, of course, that descendants of both Put and Mizraim settled in the geographical region of northern Africa that came to be called Libya. This would mean that the designation “Libyans” is more comprehensive than the Hebrew term Lu·vimʹ.

Since the Septuagint Version employs “Libyans” instead of “Chub” (Kuv) at Ezekiel 30:5, some scholars link Kuv with Libya and regard the term as a spelling error for Luv.

An ancient Egyptian wall painting depicts a number of light-skinned men believed to be Libyans. The Berbers, a people thought to have descended from the Libyans, are basically “white” and generally have dark hair and eyes. Whether the Libyans were originally a dark-complexioned race cannot now be determined. Intermarriage with fair-skinned peoples could, of course, have altered their features.

Egypt’s King Shishak, regarded as the founder of the “Libyan dynasty,” captured numerous cities when be invaded Judah in the fifth year of King Rehoboam (993/992 B.C.E.). His powerful force of chariots and horsemen included Libyans. Although Jerusalem itself was spared, Shishak stripped the city of its treasures. (1 Ki. 14:25, 26; 2 Chron. 12:2-9) About twenty-six years later (967/966 B.C.E.) the Libyans were again represented among the troops of Zerah the Ethiopian, which penetrated Judah but suffered humiliating defeat. (2 Chron. 14:9-13; 16:8) In the seventh century B.C.E., the assistance of the Libyans and others was seemingly of no avail in saving the Egyptian city of No-amon from calamity at the hands of the Assyrians. (Nah. 3:7-10) The Libyans and Ethiopians were foretold to be at the “steps” of the “king of the north,” implying that these former supporters of Egypt would come under his control.—Dan. 11:43.

In the year 33 C.E., among the Jews and proselytes at Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost were persons from “the parts of Libya, which is toward Cyrene,” that is, the western part of Libya. Likely some of these were baptized in response to Peter’s discourse and later carried the message of Christianity back to the land of their residence.—Acts 2:10.

LIE

The opposite of truth. Lying generally involves saying something false to a person who is entitled to know the truth and doing so with the intent to deceive or to injure him or another person. A lie need not always be verbal. It can also be expressed in action, that is, a person may be living a lie.

The father or originator of lying is Satan the Devil. (John 8:44) His lie, conveyed by means of a serpent to the first woman Eve, ultimately brought death to her and to her husband Adam. (Gen. 3:1-5, 16-19) That first lie was rooted in selfishness and wrong desire. It was designed to divert the love and obedience of the first human pair to the liar, who had presented himself as an “angel of light,” a benefactor. (Compare 2 Corinthians 11:14.) All other malicious lies uttered since that time have likewise been a reflection of selfishness and wrong desire. Lies have been told to escape deserved punishment, to profit at the expense of others and to gain or maintain certain advantages, material rewards or the praise of men.

Especially serious have been the religious lies, as they have endangered the future life of persons deceived by them. Said Jesus Christ: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you traverse sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one you make him a subject for Gehenna twice as much so as yourselves.” (Matt. 23:15) The exchange of God’s truth for “the lie,” the falsehood of idolatry, can cause a person to become a practicer of what is degrading and vile.—Rom. 1:24-32.

The case of the religious leaders of Judaism in the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry shows what can happen when one abandons the truth. They schemed to have Jesus put to death. Then, when he was resurrected, they bribed the soldiers who had guarded the tomb to conceal the truth and spread a lie about the disappearance of Jesus’ body.—Matt. 12:14; 27:1, 2, 62-65; 28:11-15; Mark 14:1; Luke 20:19.

Jehovah God cannot lie (Num. 23:19; Heb. 6:13-18) and he hates a “false tongue.” (Prov. 6:16-19) His law to the Israelites required compensation for injuries resulting from deception or malicious lying. (Lev. 6:2-7; 19:11, 12) And a person presenting false testimony was to receive the punishment that he desired to inflict upon another by means of his lies. (Deut. 19:15-21) God’s view of malicious lying, as reflected in the Law, has not changed. Those desiring to gain his approval cannot engage in the practice of lying. (Ps. 5:6; Prov. 20:19; Col. 3:9, 10; 1 Tim. 3:11; Rev. 21:8, 27; 22:15) They cannot be living a lie, claiming to love God while hating their brother. (1 John 4:20, 21) For playing false to the holy spirit by lying, Ananias and his wife lost their lives.—Acts 5:1-11.

However, persons who are momentarily overreached in telling a lie do not automatically become guilty of an unforgivable sin. The case of Peter, in denying Jesus three times, illustrates that, if a person is truly repentant, God will forgive him.—Matt. 26:69-75.

While malicious lying is definitely condemned in the Bible, this does not mean that a person is under obligation to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it. Jesus Christ counseled: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls before swine, that they may never trample them under their feet and turn around and rip you open.” (Matt. 7:6) That is why Jesus on certain occasions refrained from giving full information or direct answers to certain questions when doing so could have brought unnecessary harm. (Matt. 15:1-6; 21:23-27; John 7:3-10) Evidently the course of Abraham, Isaac, Rahab and Elisha in misdirecting or withholding full facts from nonworshipers of Jehovah must be viewed in the same light.—Gen. 12:10-19; chap. 20; 26:1-10; Josh. 2:1-6; Jas. 2:25; 2 Ki. 6:11-23.

Jehovah God allows an “operation of error” to go to persons who prefer falsehood “that they may get to believing the lie” rather than the good news about Jesus Christ. (2 Thess. 2:9-12) This principle is illustrated by what happened centuries earlier in the case of Israelite King Ahab. Lying prophets assured Ahab of success in war against Ramoth-gilead, while Jehovah’s prophet Micaiah foretold disaster. As revealed in vision to Micaiah, Jehovah allowed a spirit creature to become a “deceptive spirit” in the mouth of Ahab’s prophets. That is to say, this spirit creature exercised his power upon them so that they spoke, not truth, but what they themselves wanted to say and what Ahab wanted to hear from them. Though forewarned, Ahab preferred to be fooled by their lies and paid for it with his life.—1 Ki. 22:1-38; 2 Chron. chap. 18.

LIFE

The principle of life or living; life is defined as the animate existence, or term of animate existence, of an individual. As to earthly, physical life, things possessing life have three distinguishing manifestations: growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally. The Hebrew word used in the Scriptures is hhay·yahʹ and the Greek word is zo·eʹ. The Hebrew word neʹphesh and the Greek word psy·kheʹ, both meaning “soul,” are also employed to refer to life, not in the abstract sense, but to life as a person or animal. (Compare the words “soul” and “life,” as used at Job 10:1; Psalm 66:9; Proverbs 3:22.) Vegetation has life, the life principle operating in it, but not life as a soul.

JEHOVAH GOD THE SOURCE

Life has always existed, because Jehovah God is the living God, the Fountain of life, and he has no beginning or end of existence. (Jer. 10:10; Dan. 6:20, 26; John 6:57; 2 Cor. 3:3; 6:16; 1 Thess. 1:9; 1 Tim. 1:17; Ps. 36:9; Jer. 17:13) The first of his creations was given life, namely, his only-begotten Son, the Word. (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15) Through this Son, other living angelic sons of God were created. (Job 38:4-7; Col. 1:16, 17) Later, the physical universe was brought into existence (Gen. 1:1, 2), and on the third of earth’s creative “days” the first forms of physical life: grass, vegetation and fruit trees. On the fifth day, living earthly souls, sea animals and winged flying creatures, were created, and on the sixth day, land animals and, finally, man.—Gen. 1:11-13, 20-23, 24-31; Acts 17:25; see CREATION; DAY.

No evolution

Consequently, life on earth did not have to wait for some chance combination of chemicals to occur under certain exact conditions. Such a thing has never yet been observed, and, in fact, is impossible. Life on earth came to be as the result of a direct command of Jehovah God the Source of life and by the direct action of his Son in carrying out that command. Only life begets life. The Bible account tells us in each instance that the thing created brought forth offspring in its likeness, or, “according to its kind.” (Gen. 1:12, 21, 25; 5:3) Scientists have found that there is indeed discontinuity between the different ‘kinds,’ and, except for the question of origin, this has been the chief obstacle to their theory of evolution.—See KIND.

Life force and breath

In earthly creatures or “souls” there is both the active life force or “spirit” that animates them, and the breath that sustains that life force. Both spirit (life force) and breath are provisions from God, and he can destroy life by taking either away. (Ps. 104:29; Isa. 42:5) At the time of the Flood animals and humans were drowned; their breath was cut off and the force of life was extinguished. It died out. “Everything in which the breath of the force of life was active in its nostrils [literally, “in which the breath of the spirit (or, active force) of life was”] of all that were on the dry ground died.”—Gen. 7:22, NW, 1953 ed., ftn.; compare Young’s Translation; see SPIRIT.

Organism

All things having life, either spiritual or fleshly, have an organism or body. Life itself is impersonal, incorporeal, being merely the life principle. In discussing the kind of body with which resurrected persons will come back, the apostle Paul explains that those created for different environments have different bodies. As for those having life on earth, he says: “Not all flesh is the same flesh, but there is one of mankind, and there is another flesh of cattle, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.” He says also that “there are heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly bodies is one sort, and that of the earthly bodies is a different sort.”—1 Cor. 15:39, 40.

Regarding the difference in the flesh of various earthly bodies, the Encyclopædia Britannica says: “Another feature is the chemical individuality everywhere manifest, for each distinct type of organism seems to have some distinctive protein of its own, and some characteristic rate or rhythm of metabolism. Thus under the general quality of persistence amid unceasing metabolism, there is a triad of facts: (1) the building-up that compensates for the breaking-down of proteins, (2) the occurrence of these proteins in a colloidal state and (3) their specificity from type to type.” [Italics ours.]—1942 ed., Vol. 14, p. 42.

TRANSMISSION OF LIFE FORCE

The life force in creatures, being started into activity by Jehovah in the first of each kind (for example, in the first human pair), could then be passed on by the procreative process to offspring. Describing the process, the Encyclopædia Britannica reports: “The life cycle of individual multicellular organisms, . . . for example, a fly, a bird or a man, is typically divisible into five biologically differentiated, and usually distinct, phases [the first of which is] as follows: (a) The formation of the zygote, which is the individual, by the union of ovum and spermatozoön in