New Testament, in a comment on Acts 2:27, says that the Hebrew word hha·sidhʹ (used in Psalm 16:10) denotes not only one who is godly and pious, but also one who is the object of God’s loving-kindness.

LOYALTY REQUIRED BY GOD

Loyalty in his servants is required by Jehovah. They must copy him. (Eph. 5:1) The apostle Paul tells Christians that they “should put on the new personality which was created according to God’s will in true righteousness and loyalty.” (Eph. 4:24) In recommending prayer in the congregation, he says: “Therefore I desire that in every place the men carry on prayer, lifting up loyal hands, apart from wrath and debates.” (1 Tim. 2:8) Loyalty is one of the qualities essential in qualifying a man for appointment to the office of overseer in the congregation of God.—Titus 1:8; see KINDNESS.

LUCIUS

(Luʹcius) [illuminative].

1. A man of Cyrene who was associated with the Antioch, Syria, congregation when Paul set out from there on his first missionary journey.—Acts 13:1-3.

2. A Christian “relative” of Paul who was with him in Corinth during his third missionary tour when the apostle wrote his letter to the Romans. Lucius is a name of Latin origin. He joined in sending greetings to Christians in Rome.—Rom. 16:21.

LUD, LUDIM

(Luʹdim).

1. A son of Shem (Gen. 10:22; 1 Chron. 1:17) whose descendants were identified by Josephus (and others) with the Lydians of SW Asia Minor. (Antiquities of the Jews, Book I, chap. VI, par. 4) Assyrian inscriptions of the seventh century B.C.E. referred to the Lydians as Luddu.

2. A descendant of Ham through Mizraim. (Gen. 10:6, 13; 1 Chron. 1:8, 11) The people descended from this Hamitic Lud are evidently the “Ludim” noted for their proficiency with the bow who, together with Hamitic Put and Cush, were incorporated in Egyptian military forces. (Jer. 46:8, 9; compare Ezekiel 30:4, 5.) A similar allusion to the bow-drawing Lud at Isaiah 66:19 would seem to point to the Hamitic, rather than the Semitic, Lud as those included among nations far away from Israel. The Ludim who rendered military service for Tyre are more difficult to identify. (Ezek. 27:3, 10) Their being linked in the text with Put, however, may again point to the Hamitic Ludim.

The texts referred to would logically place the Hamitic Ludim in N Africa, but it is not possible to locate them more definitely. Some scholars situate them in the general vicinity of Libya, but do so on the basis of an arbitrary alteration of the spelling of the name to Lub instead of Lud.

LUGGAGE

The Hebrew term k^eliʹ, sometimes rendered “luggage” and “baggage,” has a broad application and pertains to “something finished, accomplished, prepared.” It can apply to luggage or baggage in a camp.

An army camp, travelers, those gathering to an assembly away from their homes, and so forth, would have with them the necessary items as luggage or baggage. (1 Sam. 10:21, 22; 17:22; 25:9-13) David established the rule in Israel that the men left behind to guard the baggage during military campaigns should share the spoils of victory equally with the fighting men.—1 Sam. 30:21-25.

Egypt was told to outfit herself for exile by making “baggage for exile,” her fall to Babylon being certain, as foretold through the prophet Jeremiah. (Jer. 46:13, 19) In broad daylight, as part of a symbolic enactment relating to Jerusalem’s coming exile to Babylon, Ezekiel brought “luggage for exile” out of his house.—Ezek. 12:1-4, 7-11.

LUHITH

(Luʹhith) [possibly, of tablets or planks].

A place mentioned in prophecies of doom against Moab. (Isa. 15:1, 5; Jer. 48:5) Some scholars believe that Luhith was a Moabite city located at the top of an ascent. Identified by Eusebius and Jerome with a place called Loueitha, Luhith has been linked with either modern Khirbet Mendint er Ras, about five miles (8 kilometers) E of the southern end of the Dead Sea, or nearby Khirbet Fas. Another view is that Luhith was not a city but merely the name of the ascent or slope to be used by the fleeing and weeping Moabite refugees.—Compare Numbers 34:4.

LUKE

[Gr., Lou·kasʹ, evidently a contracted and affectionate form of the Latin name Lucius or Lucanus].

A physician and faithful companion of the apostle Paul. He was the writer of the Gospel of Luke and of the Acts of Apostles. That Luke was well educated is apparent from his writings. Also, his background as a doctor is noticeable in his use of medical terms.—Luke 4:38; Acts 28:8.

Luke did not speak of himself as an eyewitness of the events in the life of Christ that are recorded in his Gospel account. (Luke 1:2) So, he apparently became a believer sometime after Pentecost of 33 C.E.

In the book of Acts, Luke is referred to in an indirect way by the use of the pronouns “we” and “us.” (Acts 16:10-17; 20:5–21:18; 27:1–28:16) He was with Paul at Troas on the apostle’s second missionary tour and accompanied him from there to Philippi, where he may have remained until Paul’s return on his third missionary journey. Luke accompanied Paul to Palestine at the end of that missionary tour (Acts 21:7, 8, 15) and, while the apostle was imprisoned for about two years at Caesarea, Luke probably wrote his Gospel account there (about 56-58 C.E.). He accompanied Paul on his trip to Rome for trial (Acts 27:1; 28:16), likely completing the book of Acts in Rome about 61 C.E., since it covers events down to that year but does not record the outcome of Paul’s appeal to Caesar.

Luke joined Paul in sending greetings to Christians at Colossae when Paul wrote to them from Rome (c. 60-61 C.E.) and the apostle identified him as “the beloved physician.” (Col. 4:14) In writing to Philemon from Rome (about 60-61 C.E.), Paul included greetings from Luke, referring to him as one of his “fellow workers.” (Philem. 24; AV, Lucas) That Luke stuck close to Paul and was with him shortly before the apostle’s martyrdom is evident from Paul’s remark, “Luke alone is with me.”—2 Tim. 4:11.

Some hold that Luke was a Gentile, basing this mainly on Colossians 4:11, 14. Because Paul first mentioned “those circumcised” (vs. 11) and later referred to Luke (vs. 14), the implication is drawn that Luke was not of the circumcision and hence was not a Jew. But this is by no means conclusive, and there is specific evidence against it at Romans 3:1, 2, where Paul shows that God entrusted his inspired utterances to the Jews. Luke is one of those to whom such inspired utterances were entrusted.

The Scriptures likewise furnish no basis for identifying Luke with the Lucius mentioned at Acts 13:1 or Paul’s “relative” of the same name referred to at Romans 16:21.

LUKE, GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO

An account primarily relating the events of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Its purpose was to present an accurate record in logical order, verifying the certainty of what Theophilus had been taught orally. (Luke 1:3, 4) As suggested by its having a place in the Bible canon, this record was also to benefit many other persons, both Jews and non-Jews. Whereas topical arrangement appears to predominate at times, this Gospel follows a chronological order in general outline.

WRITER AND TIME WRITTEN

Although not named therein, the physician Luke (Col. 4:14) has generally been credited with the writership of this account. There is written evidence to this effect from as early as the second century C.E., the Gospel being attributed to Luke in the Muratorian Fragment (c. 170 C.E.). Certain aspects of this Gospel may also be viewed as pointing to a well-educated physician as its writer. The vocabulary found therein is more extensive than that of the other three Gospels combined. At times the descriptions of afflictions healed by Jesus are more specific than in the other accounts.—Compare Matthew 8:14; Mark 1:30; Luke 4:38; Matthew 8:2; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12.

It was evidently before writing the book of Acts that Luke completed his Gospel. (Acts 1:1, 2) Since he had accompanied Paul to Jerusalem at the end of the apostle’s third missionary journey (Acts 21:15-17), he would have been in a good position to trace accurately the things pertaining to Jesus Christ in the very land where the Son of God had carried out his activity. Following Paul’s arrest at Jerusalem and during Paul’s later imprisonment in Caesarea, Luke would have had many opportunities to interview eyewitnesses and to consult written records. So it is reasonable to conclude that the Gospel may have been written at Caesarea sometime during Paul’s confinement there for about two years (c. 56-58 C.E.).—Acts 21:30-33; 23:26-35; 24:27.

POINTS OF UNIQUENESS

As in the case of the three other Gospels, Luke’s account provides abundant evidence that Jesus is indeed the Christ the Son of God. It reveals Jesus to have been a man of prayer, one who relied fully on his heavenly Father. (Luke 3:21; 6:12-16; 11:1; 23:46) It contains numerous supplementary details, which, when combined with the three other Gospels, furnish a more complete picture of the events associated with Christ Jesus. Almost all of chapters 1 and 2 are without parallel in the other Gospels. Seven specific miracles and more than twice that number of illustrations are unique to the book. The miracles are: Jesus’ causing some of his disciples to have a miraculous catch of fish (5:1-6), his raising a widow’s son at Nain (7:11-15) and his healing a woman bent double (13:11-13), a man afflicted with dropsy (14:1-4), ten lepers (17:12-14) and the ear of the high priest’s slave (22:50, 51). Among the illustrations are: the two debtors (7:41-47), the neighborly Samaritan (10:30-35), the barren fig tree (13:6-9), the grand evening meal (14:16-24), the lost drachma coin (15:8, 9), the prodigal son (15:11-32), the unrighteous steward (16:1-8), the rich man and Lazarus (16:19-31), and the widow and the unrighteous judge (18:1-8).

Chronological material appearing in this Gospel aids in determining when John the Baptist and Jesus were born and when they began their respective ministries.—Luke 1:24-27; 2:1-7; 3:1, 2, 23; see REGISTRATION.

AUTHENTICITY

Indicative of the authenticity of Luke’s Gospel and the harmony between it and other Bible books are the numerous Hebrew Scripture references it contains and the quotations made therein from the Hebrew Scriptures. (Compare Luke 2:22-24; Exodus 13:2; Leviticus 12:8; Luke 3:3-6; Isaiah 40:3-5; Luke 7:27; Malachi 3:1; Luke 4:4, 8, 12; Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:13, 16; Luke 4:18, 19; Isaiah 61:1, 2.) Further testifying to the book’s authenticity is the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.—Luke 19:41-44; 21:5, 6.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I. Purpose of account (1:1-4)

II. Events preceding Jesus’ earthly ministry (1:5–3:22)

A. Births of John and Jesus announced (1:5-38)

B. Mary visits Elizabeth (1:39-56)

C. John’s birth and early life (1:57-80)

D. Jesus’ birth and early life as a human (2:1-52)

1. Born at Bethlehem (2:1-7)

2. Visited by shepherds (2:8-20)

3. Circumcised and presented at temple (2:21-40)

4. Questions teachers in temple; continues growing in wisdom (2:41-52)

E. John’s early ministry and Jesus’ baptism (3:1-22)

III. Jesus’ genealogy (3:23-38)

IV. Jesus’ resisting of the Devil’s temptations (4:1-13)

V. Jesus’ earthly ministry (4:14–23:49)

A. From entry into Galilee until selection of twelve apostles (4:14–6:11)

1. Teaches in synagogues of Galilee; rejected in hometown (4:14-30)

2. Performs cures and causes Peter to have miraculous catch of fish (4:31–5:16)

3. Questioned on several issues by Pharisees and others (5:17–6:11)

B. From selection of twelve apostles until sending out seventy (6:12–9:62)

1. Chooses apostles after spending whole night in prayer (6:12-16)

2. Delivers Sermon on Mount (6:17-49)

3. Performs healing at distance; resurrects widow’s son (7:1-17)

4. Receives John’s disciples; defends John before crowd (7:18-35)

5. Illustrations: two debtors; sower (7:36–8:21)

6. Miracles: storm quieted; demoniac healed; woman cured of flow of blood; Jairus’ daughter resurrected (8:22-56)

7. Commissions twelve to preach; 5,000 fed (9:1-17)

8. Questions disciples about identity; is transfigured (9:18-36)

9. Heals demon-possessed boy whom disciples failed to cure; corrects disciples’ view of greatness and other matters; invites others to be followers but they offer excuses (9:37-62)

C. From sending out seventy until hearing Herod’s threat (10:1–13:30)

1. Seventy instructed and sent forth in twos; return with good report (10:1-24)

2. Answers questions about requirements for gaining life; illustration of neighborly Samaritan (10:25-37)

3. Is guest at home of Mary and Martha; counsels Martha (10:38-42)

4. Teaches disciples how to pray (11:1-13)

5. Refutes charge of expelling demons by means of Beelzebub; sign of Jonah (11:14-36)

6. Pronounces woe on religious opponents; warns crowd about Pharisees, fearing men, and materialism; discusses need for watchfulness and repentance; illustration of unproductive fig tree (11:37–13:9)

7. Heals bent woman on sabbath; illustrations about Kingdom and need for vigorous exertion to be saved (13:10-30)

D. From time of Herod’s threat until preparation for Passover of 33 C.E. (13:31–22:6)

1. Told that Herod wanted to kill him; denounces Jerusalem as killer of prophets (13:31-35)

2. Heals man of dropsy on sabbath (14:1-6)

3. Illustrations regarding meals and counting cost of discipleship; lost sheep; lost coin; prodigal son; unrighteous steward; rich man and Lazarus (14:7–16:31)

4. Teaches disciples: avoid stumbling others, be forgiving, have faith and do assigned work (17:1-10)

5. Heals ten lepers (17:11-19)

6. Explains Kingdom not to come with striking observableness; illustrates need for prayer, humility and difficulty for rich to get into Kingdom; heals blind man near Jericho (17:20–18:43)

7. Enters home of Zacchaeus; illustration about mines (19:1-27)

8. Preparations for and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (19:28-46)

9. Chief priests, scribes and others plot against Jesus (19:47–20:47)

a. Question his authority to act (20:1-19)

b. Efforts to trap Jesus on tax question and on teaching of resurrection fail (20:20-47)

10. Jesus visits temple with disciples and afterward foretells its destruction and provides many-featured sign, sign also constituting evidence about nearness of Kingdom (21:1-38)

11. Judas agrees to betray Jesus (22:1-6)

E. Events occurring during last two days Jesus spent on earth, up until his death (22:7–23:49)

1. Preparation for and celebration of Passover; institution of Lord’s Evening Meal (22:7-38)

2. Jesus’ betrayal and arrest (22:39-54)

3. Peter’s denial of Jesus (22:55-62)

4. Jesus tried by Sanhedrin, brought before Pilate, sent to Herod, brought back to Pilate, who finally yields to mob and hands Jesus over for impalement (22:63–23:31)

5. Jesus’ impalement; his promise to evildoer about being in Paradise; his death amidst unusual phenomena (23:32-49)

VI. Jesus’ burial, resurrection, post-resurrection appearances and ascension to heaven (23:50–24:53)

See the book “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” pp. 186-192.

LUMINARY

[Heb., ma·ʼohrʹ, meaning source of light, luminary].

The Genesis account relates that during the fourth creative “day” God caused luminaries to “come to be in the expanse of the heavens.” (Gen. 1:14) This does not indicate the coming into existence of light (Heb., ʼohr) itself, since this is shown to have existed previously. (Gen. 1:3) Nor does it state that the sun, moon and stars were created at this point. The initial verse of the Bible states: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1) Thus the heavens with their celestial bodies, including the sun, existed an undetermined period of time prior to the processes and events stated as occurring during the six creative periods described in the following verses of the first chapter of Genesis.

It should be noted that, whereas Genesis 1:1 states that God “created” (Heb., ba·raʼʹ) the heavens and the earth in the beginning, verses 16 and 17 state that, during the fourth creative “day,” “God proceeded to make [Heb., a form of ʽa·sahʹ] the two great luminaries, the greater luminary for dominating the day and the lesser luminary for dominating the night, and also the stars. Thus God put them in the expanse of the heavens to shine upon the earth.” The Hebrew word ʼa·sahʹ, often translated “make,” can mean simply to establish (2 Sam. 7:11), appoint (Deut. 15:1), form (Jer. 18:4), or prepare (Gen. 21:8).

Thus the record here only states what the already existing sun, moon and stars now became in relation to planet Earth. It therefore appears that light from these heavenly bodies, hitherto blocked by some cause, possibly cosmic dust, reached the ‘waters above the expanse’ on the first creative “day.” These waters, in turn, prevented light from penetrating into the expanse, until the fourth “day.” The statement that “God put them in the expanse of the heavens” on that day simply expresses the fact that, at this point, God caused them to be discernible by a penetration of their light rays into earth’s atmosphere, reaching earth’s surface. Their purpose was to “make a division between the day and the night” and to serve as “signs and for seasons and for days and years.” In addition to being signs of God’s existence and majesty, by their movements such luminaries enable man to mark accurately the natural seasons, days and years.—Gen. 1:14-18; Ps. 74:16; 148:3.

The same Hebrew word (ma·ʼohrʹ) is used with reference to the light-bearing equipment in the tabernacle, which employed lighted oil as the means for producing artificial illumination. (Ex. 25:6; 27:20; 35:8, 14, 28; Lev. 24:2; Num. 4:9) At Proverbs 15:30 it is used figuratively in the expression “brightness of the eyes.” Egypt is prophetically warned of a withdrawal of all light by Jehovah’s darkening and beclouding all the “luminaries [form of ma·ʼohrʹ] of light [ʼohr] in the heavens.”—Ezek. 32:2, 7, 8.

LUTE

The Hebrew word sha·lishʹ seems to be related to a root signifying “three.” Hence, the plural form sha·li·shimʹ at 1 Samuel 18:6 has been variously translated as “instruments of three strings” (Ro), “three-stringed instruments” (Yg) and, as favored by some modern lexicons, “lutes.” (NW) The context of this verse suggests a comparatively light musical instrument, for it was played by Israelite women as they sang and danced in celebration of the victories of King Saul and of David.—1 Sam. 18:6, 7.

LUZ

[almond tree or almond wood].

1. The earlier name of the town of Bethel, evidently given to it by the Canaanite inhabitants. Jacob applied the name “Bethel” (house of God) to the site where he received a dream containing a divine revelation; a place where Abraham had previously camped. (Gen. 28:16-19; 35:6) Originally the site of Bethel was distinct from the town of Luz, being situated to the E of Bethel in the direction of Ai. (Gen. 12:8) It appears that the name “Bethel” eventually superseded that of Luz, at the latest by the time of the Israelite conquest of Canaan. (Judg. 1:22) Due to the rendering of Joshua 16:2 in the Authorized Version and the Revised Standard Version describing Ephraim’s boundary as running “from Beth-el to Luz,” some have assumed that these sites continued to be distinct as separate towns. However, other modern translations here read “Beth-el-luz” (JP), “Bethel-luz” (JB), “Bethel (that is, Luz)” (AT), or “Bethel belonging to Luz” (NW). After chapter one of the book of Judges the name “Luz” is no longer used.

The Hebrew word (luz) corresponding to the name of the town is also used at Genesis 30:37 with reference to the almond-tree staffs used by Jacob.—See BETHEL No. 1.

2. The name of a city built in “the land of the Hittites” by a man of Bethel (Luz) who cooperated with Israelite fighters of the house of Joseph in bringing about the fall of Bethel. Like Rahab and her family, he and his family were allowed to go unharmed. But, different from Rahab and perhaps indicating that the basis for his services rendered was not a genuine fear and appreciation of Jehovah, the God of Israel, the man did not seek to associate himself with Israel, preferring to go to Hittite country and there build his city, which he named Luz, doubtless in memory of his hometown. The Bible does not dignify him by naming him as it does Rahab. (Judg. 1:23-26) Some consider it likely that the name of the city at least is reflected in the ruins of Luweizeh, located about twelve miles (19 kilometers) SE of Sidon.

LYCAONIA

(Lyc·a·oʹni·a).

A region in Asia Minor where the Lycaonian language was spoken. (Acts 14:6-11) The exact boundaries of Lycaonia are uncertain and fluctuated considerably throughout its history. Basically, in the period during which Lycaonia figured in the Bible record, it lay in the southern part of the Roman province of Galatia and was bounded by Pisidia and Phrygia on the W, Cappadocia on the E and Cilicia on the S. This area consists of a treeless plain having limited water. In some parts the soil has a high salt content, contributing further to the barrenness of the region. Anciently, though, it was reasonably productive and furnished sufficient pasturage for a large number of sheep.

The apostle Paul visited Derbe and Lystra, two cities of Lycaonia, during the course of his first and