LAKKUM

(Lakʹkum).

A boundary site of Naphtali. (Josh. 19:32, 33) It is commonly linked with modern Khirbet el-Mansurah, located by the Jordan River just S of the Sea of Galilee.

LAMB

See SHEEP.

LAMBDA

[Λ, λ] (lambʹda).

The eleventh letter of the Greek alphabet, originating from the Hebrew laʹmedh. The English “l” is derived from this Greek letter, and is pronounced like it.

Accented, as a number, it denotes thirty (λ΄), and, with the subscript (,λ), 30,000.

LAME, LAMENESS

A physical handicap that prevents a person from walking normally. Lameness may date from birth due to congenital deformities (Acts 3:2; 14:8), but most cases are caused by accidents or diseases.

AARONIC PRIESTHOOD

A person afflicted with lameness could not serve in the Aaronic priesthood, although he was allowed to eat from the things provided for the priesthood for their sustenance. (Lev. 21:16-23) Jehovah set a high standard of physical fitness for his priesthood, for these represented him at his sanctuary before all the people. Christ the great High Priest was “loyal, guileless, undefiled, separated from the sinners.”—Heb. 7:26.

SACRIFICES

It was also forbidden, under the Law, to offer as a sacrifice any animal with a defect of lameness. (Deut. 15:21; Lev. 22:19, 20) This law was violated by the apostate Israelites, for which God reproved them, saying: “When you present a lame animal [for sacrificing] . . . : [you say] ‘It is nothing bad.’ Bring it near, please, to your governor. Will he find pleasure in you, or will he receive you kindly? . . . Can I take pleasure in it at your hand?” (Mal. 1:8, 13) The apostle evidently applies this requirement in a spiritual way to Christians, entreating them: “Present your bodies a sacrifice living, holy, acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason.”—Rom. 12:1.

JACOB’S LAMENESS

When Jacob was about ninety-seven years old, he had the experience of grappling all night with a materialized angel of God. He prevailed in detaining the angel until the angel gave him a blessing. During the contest, the angel touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh joint, throwing it out of place. This left Jacob so that he limped. (Gen. 32:24-32; Hos. 12:2-4) Jacob thereafter had a reminder that, although he had “contended with God [God’s angel] and with men so that [he] at last prevailed,” as the angel said, he did not in reality defeat a powerful angel of God. It was only by God’s purpose and permission that Jacob was allowed to contend with the angel, so as to provide proof of Jacob’s great appreciation of the need of God’s blessing.

CONSIDERATION

The Scriptures inculcate consideration for the lame. Job remarked that, even in his prosperous state, “feet to the lame one I was.” (Job 29:15) Jesus and his disciples had compassion for the sick and lame, performing many cures of such persons.—Matt. 11:4, 5; 15:30, 31; 21:14; Acts 3:1-10; 8:5-7; 14:8-10.

ILLUSTRATIVE AND FIGURATIVE USES

The Jebusites illustrated their boastful confidence in the security of their citadel when they taunted David: “‘You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame ones will certainly turn you away,’ they thinking: ‘David will not come in here.’” They may have actually placed such persons on the wall as defenders, as is stated by Josephus, and this may be the reason why David said: “Anyone striking the Jebusites, let him, by means of the water tunnel, make contact with both the lame and the blind, hateful to the soul of David!” These lame and blind ones were the symbol of the Jebusites’ insult to David and, more seriously, their taunt against the armies of Jehovah. David hated the Jebusites, along with their lame and blind, for such arrogance. He may actually have been calling the Jebusite leaders themselves ‘the lame and blind,’ in derision.—2 Sam. 5:6-8.

As to the statement in verse 8, “That is why they say: ‘The blind one and the lame one will not come into the house,’” several explanations have been offered. In the text this statement is not attributed to David, and may mean that others developed this proverbial saying with regard to those who, like the Jebusites, boasted or were overconfident of their secure position. Or, the saying might have meant, ‘No one who holds intercourse with disagreeable people like the Jebusites will enter.’ Others would render the text: “because the blind and the lame continued to say, He shall not come into this house,” or, “because they had said, even the blind and the lame, He shall not come into the house.”—AV, mar.

On a later occasion, Elijah asked the Israelites: “How long will you be limping upon two different opinions? If Jehovah is the true God, go following him; but if Baal is, go following him.” At that time the Israelites were claiming to worship Jehovah, but at the same time were worshiping Baal. Their course was unsteady and halting, like that of a lame man. During the contest that ensued, when the prophets of Baal were vainly trying from morning till noon to get their god to answer them, “they kept limping around the altar that they had made.” This may be a mocking description of the ritualistic dance or hobble of the fanatical Baal worshipers, or it may be that they limped due to their tiredness from the long, futile ritual.—1 Ki. 18:21-29.

Limping, lameness and stumbling are used in figures of speech to denote halting irregularity or unsteadiness in one’s course of life or purpose, or in his speech. Bildad, supposedly warning Job of dangers ahead for him, said of one taking a wicked course: “Disaster stands ready to make him limp.” (Job 18:12) In a similar figure David and Jeremiah spoke of their enemies as waiting for them to make an unsteady step, watching for them to limp, so that, as Jeremiah’s foes said, “we may prevail against him and take our revenge upon him.” (Jer. 20:10; Ps. 38:16, 17) The enemies of Jesus Christ wanted to see him stumble or limp in his speech so as to entrap him.—Matt. 22:15.

Proverbial usage

“As one that is mutilating his feet [which would make him lame], as one that is drinking mere violence, is he that is thrusting matters into the hand of someone stupid,” said wise King Solomon. Truly, the man employing a stupid person to handle any project for him is doing crippling violence to his own interests. He is certain to see his proposed work collapse, with damage to himself.—Prov. 26:6.

The Proverbs continue with a like illustration: “Have the legs of the lame one drawn up water? Then there is a proverb in the mouth of stupid people.” (Prob. 26:7) In ancient times, especially in cities built upon mounds, it was often necessary to climb down a ladder or a long stairway to bring water up from a well. There is as much likelihood of true, clear, wise words coming out of the mouth of a stupid person as there is of a lame man carrying up water from such a well; and a stupid person trying to speak or apply a proverb is as clumsy and ineffective as a lame man trying to carry water up a stairway.

God’s ancient nation

In speaking of the restoration of his people Jehovah promised to strengthen them to leave Babylon and to undertake the hazardous journey back to