לוּד (lud)
lud
Lud
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun lud refers to a person or a people group mentioned in three Old Testament passages, primarily within Genesis and Isaiah. In Genesis 10:22, it identifies Lud as the fourth son of Shem, placing him among the descendants of Noah’s family tree alongside figures like Aram and Elam. This genealogical listing establishes him as an ancestor figure for a specific nation.
The term also appears in Isaiah 66:19 and I Chronicles 1:23, where it denotes the descendants or the land associated with this lineage. Scholars often connect lud with Lydia, suggesting a geographical link to regions in northern Africa or Anatolia. The name itself is sometimes interpreted as meaning "strife," though the text primarily uses it as a proper identifier for this ancient people rather than describing their character.
Because these references are brief and embedded in lists of nations, the word carries significant historical weight without detailed narrative context. It serves as a marker of the widespread dispersion of Shem’s family, illustrating how the biblical authors accounted for various known peoples within their theological framework of human origins.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read the genealogies in Genesis or Chronicles, names like Lud can feel distant, like footnotes in a history book. Yet these lists are not merely records of ancient lineage; they are proof that God’s covenant with Noah extended to every family and nation on earth. By naming Lud alongside Elam and Aram, Scripture affirms the dignity of every people group as part of the single human family created by God.
This historical marker finds a surprising echo in Isaiah 66:19. Here, the prophet looks forward to a time when God’s message will reach even the distant lands associated with Lud. It reminds us that no region is too far removed from God’s care or His desire for His glory to be known. The dispersion of nations was never a scattering into chaos, but a planting of witnesses across the earth.
For your faith, this word invites you to see yourself in this grand narrative. You are part of a story that began with Noah and stretches to the ends of the earth. It encourages a global perspective on mission, reminding us that God is actively working among all peoples, calling them to declare His glory.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ Lud3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/ל֥וּד1×
- וְ/ל֣וּד1×
- וְ/ל֛וּד1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 10:22
The sons of Shem were: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.
This verse places Lud within the immediate family of Shem, establishing his identity as a foundational ancestor in the post-flood world.
-
I Chronicles 1:17
The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.
The chronicler repeats this lineage to reassure Israel of their place within the broader history of humanity and God's preservation of nations.
-
Isaiah 66:19
“I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
This occurrence shifts Lud from a static ancestor to a representative of distant nations who will hear God's fame and declare His glory.