לֹד (lod)
lod
Lod
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun lod refers to a specific city located in the plain of Sharon, approximately eleven miles southeast of Joppa within the territory of Benjamin. In the Old Testament, it appears in four verses, primarily in Ezra and Nehemiah, where it is listed among the towns whose inhabitants returned from exile. The name itself carries the meaning of "travail" or labor, a semantic weight that contrasts with its later identification as Lydda (Ludda) in the New Testament.
While the biblical text treats lod simply as a geographic location and a home for returning exiles, its etymological root suggests a history marked by struggle or hard work. This ancient settlement served as a significant waypoint between the coastal plain and Jerusalem, linking the administrative centers of the Persian province with the religious heart of Judah. Its mention in Ezra 2:33 and Nehemiah 7:37 highlights its role in the post-exilic community's restoration.
Translators typically render lod as "Lod" or "Lydda," preserving the proper noun without attempting to translate the underlying concept of labor. The word’s presence in these lists underscores the tangible, earthly reality of the return from Babylon, where specific towns and families were accounted for rather than abstract theological concepts. The shift to the Greek Lydda in Acts 9:32 reflects the city's continued importance in early Christian tradition.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Lod appears in the Old Testament not as a scene of dramatic miracles, but as a home for families returning from exile. These lists of names and numbers remind us that God’s restoration happens in ordinary places. It was a real town with real people rebuilding their lives after years of displacement.
The name itself carries a sense of labor or struggle, yet these communities chose to stay and rebuild. Their presence shows that faithfulness often looks like showing up, working the land, and trusting God in the quiet days of reconstruction rather than in spectacular events.
Today, this word invites us to value the steady work of building community. Whether you are restoring a relationship or rebuilding your daily routine, your efforts matter to God. He sees the quiet faithfulness of those who plant seeds in uncertain soil.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Lod4×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לֹד֙2×
- לֹ֥ד1×
- לֹ֖ד1×
Key Verses
-
Nehemiah 11:35
Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.
This verse uniquely describes Lod as the valley of craftsmen, highlighting the specific economic role these returning exiles played in rebuilding the community.
-
I Chronicles 8:12
The sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod, with its towns;
The mention that Elpaal’s sons built Ono and Lod emphasizes active reconstruction rather than passive settlement after the exile.
-
Ezra 2:33
The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-five.
This census entry records 725 people from Lod, providing concrete evidence of the scale of return and the tangible reality of restoration.