hhoʹmet, at Leviticus 11:30. Some recent translations (RS; NW) render this “sand lizard.” The sand lizard is generally a small lizard inhabiting mainly desert areas. Its color resembles the yellowish shade of the desert sands. The lizard’s toes are fringed, keeping its feet from sinking in as it moves about. Though it cannot climb, it runs and burrows with extraordinary rapidity in sandy ground.

LOAD

See BURDEN.

LOAF

Bread loaves, generally made from barley or wheat flour (2 Ki. 4:42; John 6:9; compare Exodus 34:22 with Leviticus 23:17), were often circular. (Judg. 7:13; 1 Sam. 10:3; Jer. 37:21) In fact, one Hebrew word for “loaf” (kik·karʹ) literally means “a round,” that is, a round loaf. (1 Sam. 2:36) Of course, loaves were also formed into other shapes. An Egyptian papyrus document mentions over thirty different forms of bread.

Ancient specimens from Bible lands include relatively thin round, oval, triangular and wedge-shaped cakes or loaves and thick, long loaves. (See BREAD; CAKE.) However, the thick loaves, like those of the Western world, do not appear to have been common in the ancient Near East. Even today Oriental bread is baked in thin loaves, usually from half an inch to an inch (1.3 to 2.5 centimeters) in thickness and about seven inches (18 centimeters) in diameter.

Being relatively thin and, if unleavened, brittle, loaves of bread were broken rather than cut. So there is nothing special about Jesus, ‘breaking’ the loaf used at the institution of the Lord’s Evening Meal (Matt. 26:26), it being the customary way to partake of bread.—Matt. 14:19; 15:36; Mark 6:41; 8:6; Luke 9:16; Acts 2:42, 46, Kingdom Interlinear Translation.

LO-AMMI

(Lo-amʹmi) [not my people].

The name of the second son borne by Hosea’s wife Gomer. Jehovah commanded that the child be given this meaningful name to show that He had disowned faithless Israel. (Hos. 1:8, 9) It has been suggested that this boy was not Hosea’s offspring but a child of Gomer’s adultery (Hos. 1:2), for when Jezreel was born, it was said that Gomer “bore to him [Hosea] a son,” whereas regarding Lo-ammi it is merely said that “she proceeded to become pregnant and give birth to a son.”—Hos. 1:3, 8.

LOAN

Anything, especially money, given on condition of future return or the delivery of an equivalent.

Often very high interest was charged among nations of antiquity, and those unable to repay loans were treated harshly. Interest rates of one-fifth, one-third and of half the amount lent are known from ancient records. Roman law permitted the creditor to seize a defaulter by the throat and then to drag him before the judge; penalties might include imprisonment and, in certain cases, capital punishment.—Compare Matthew 18:28-30.

In ancient Israel, however, the situation was quite different. Ordinarily loans of money or foodstuffs were made to poor fellow Israelites who were the victims of financial reverses, and the Law prohibited exacting interest from them. For an Israelite to have accepted interest from a needy fellow Israelite would have meant profiting from that one’s adversity. (Ex. 22:25; Lev. 25:35-37; Deut. 15:7, 8; 23:19) Foreigners, though, could be required to pay interest. But even this provision of the Law may have applied to business loans only and not to cases of actual need. Often foreigners were in Israel as transient merchants and could reasonably be expected to pay interest, as they would also be lending to others on interest.—Deut. 23:20.

The Hebrew Scriptures censure the borrower who refuses to repay a loan (Ps. 37:21) and at the same time encourage lending to those in need. (Deut. 15:7-11; Ps. 37:26; 112:5) Says Proverbs 19:17: “He that is showing favor to the lowly one is lending to Jehovah, and his treatment He will repay to him.”

The case of Hannah illustrates that Jehovah repays generously. After ‘lending’ her only son Samuel to Jehovah for service at the sanctuary in fulfillment of her vow, Hannah was blessed, not with just another son, but with three sons and two daughters.—1 Sam. 1:11, 20, 26-28; 2:20, 21.

While on earth Christ Jesus reflected the generous spirit of his Father Jehovah and taught others to do likewise. Amplifying the matter of making loans, Jesus said: “If you lend without interest to those from whom you hope to receive, of what credit is it to you? Even sinners lend without interest to sinners that they may get back as much. To the contrary, continue . . . to lend without interest, not hoping for anything back; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind toward the unthankful and wicked.”—Luke 6:34, 35.

Jesus’ Jewish listeners were obligated by the Law to make interest-free loans to needy fellow Israelites. It was not unusual even for sinners to lend without interest to those who would be in position to make repayment. Such lending without interest might even be done with the intent of gaining some favor from the borrower in the future. On the other hand, one desiring to be an imitator of God would do more than a sinner, by loaning to needy persons whose economic situation was such that they might never be able to make repayment.

The application of Jesus’ words are, of course, limited by circumstances. For example, the obligation to care for the needs of family members takes a prior claim. It would therefore be wrong for anyone to make a loan that would interfere with his obligation to provide life’s necessities for his family. (Mark 7:11-13; 1 Tim. 5:8) Also, the attitude and circumstances of the prospective borrower enter the picture. Is he in need because of his being irresponsible, lazy and unwilling to accept work although jobs he is able to perform are available? If so, the words of the apostle Paul apply: “If anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat.”—2 Thess. 3:10; see DEBT, DEBTOR; INTEREST.

LOAVES OF PRESENTATION

See SHOWBREAD.

LOCK

A device for fastening a door or gate to restrict entrance. (Judg. 3:23, 24; Neh. 3:3, 6, 13-15) The lock of ancient times usually consisted of a bolt of wood that could slide sideways through a groove in a wooden upright attached to the door. To lock the door, the bolt was pushed into a socket in the doorpost and was secured by wooden or iron pins falling from the upright into holes in the bolt. To unlock the door, a key with corresponding pins was inserted to raise the pins, thus enabling the bolt to be brought back to the unlocked position. The socket or hollow into which the bolt was inserted is referred to by the Shulammite girl in recounting a dream she had in which her shepherd lover was kept away from her by means of a locked door.—Song of Sol. 5:2-5; see KEY.

LOCUST

Any of a variety of grasshoppers with short antennae or feelers, especially those that migrate in great swarms. Of the several Hebrew words rendered “locust,” ʼar·behʹ appears most frequently and is understood to refer to the migratory locust, the insect in its fully developed, winged stage. The locust measures two inches (c. 5 centimeters) or more in length. It is equipped with two pairs of wings, four walking legs and two much longer leaper legs with broad thighs. The wide, transparent back wings, when not in use, lie folded under the thick membranous front wings. By means of its leaper legs the insect is able to jump many times the length of its body. (See Job 39:20.) in Scripture the locust is at times