Lexical Summary
Lud: Lud
Original Word:לוּד
Part of Speech:proper name, masculine and of a people
Transliteration:Luwd
Pronunciation:lood
Phonetic Spelling:(lood)
KJV: Lud, Lydia
NASB:Lud
Word Origin:[probably of foreign derivation]
1. Lud, the name of two nations
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Lud, Lydia
Probably of foreign derivation; Lud, the name of two nations -- Lud, Lydia.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originprobably of foreign origin
Definitiona son of Shem, also his desc. and their land
NASB TranslationLud (5).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
,
, AssyrianLuddu: —Genesis 10:22 =1 Chronicles 1:17 .
Isaiah 66:19, ;Ezekiel 27:10;Ezekiel 30:5 ( + q. v.), in both (); also plural a 'son' of Misraim,Genesis 10:13 ("" ) =1 Chronicles 1:11 ;Jeremiah 46:9 ("" , ) see above — On this African see DiGenesis 10:13, opposed to StaJavan 5 ff. compare WMMAs.Eur.115.
Topical Lexicon
Genealogical IdentityLud is introduced in the Table of Nations as a direct son of Shem (Genesis 10:22;1 Chronicles 1:17). His placement among Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, and Aram locates him firmly within the Semitic line that Scripture sets apart for its redemptive focus. Through Lud the Lord displays the breadth of Shem’s posterity, reaching far beyond the land of Israel and foreshadowing His purpose to bless “all the families of the earth” (compareGenesis 12:3).
Geographical Considerations
While the text never pinpoints Lud’s territory, later prophetic books place the people in the company of Mediterranean and North-African powers (Ezekiel 27:10; 30:5). Ancient sources suggest a connection with Lydia in western Asia Minor, famous for skilled archers; others tie the name to northern Africa through the related term “Ludim.” Scripture’s own grouping of Lud with Persia, Put, Cush, and Libya favors a trans-Mediterranean location that interacted freely with Egypt and the Near East. The weight of the biblical data shows a Semitic origin that expanded westward, demonstrating how rapidly the post-Flood families spread across the known world.
Military Reputation
Isaiah and Ezekiel portray Lud as a people of war.Isaiah 66:19 speaks of “Lud (who draw the bow),” whileEzekiel 27:10 names them among the mercenaries who gave commercial Tyre its “splendor.”Ezekiel 30:5 lists them among allies of Egypt doomed to “fall by the sword.” Archery and mercenary service form the chief biblical profile of Lud. Their martial expertise illustrates the rise of specialized warfare in the ancient world and provides a backdrop for prophetic oracles in which the Lord rules over every army, whether covenantal or foreign.
Prophetic Significance
1. Judgment: InEzekiel 30 the fall of Lud alongside Egypt underscores the certainty of divine retribution on proud nations.
2. Restoration Mission: InIsaiah 66:19, after God redeems a faithful remnant of Israel, He dispatches survivors “to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud… to proclaim My glory among the nations.” The same martial people who once supported ungodly powers become target recipients of the gospel proclamation, revealing God’s intention to turn warriors into worshipers.
3. Eschatological Reach: The pairing of Lud with distant isles (“the distant islands that have not heard of My fame”) anticipates the global scope of Christ’s Great Commission.
Theological and Ministry Reflections
• God’s Sovereignty over the Nations
The trajectory from Genesis genealogy to prophetic judgment and missionary hope demonstrates that no nation lies outside God’s redemptive storyline. The Lord both raises up and brings low, employing even foreign armies to accomplish His purposes.
• Evangelistic Implications
Isaiah’s inclusion of Lud in the end-time mission encourages believers to engage unreached, sometimes militant cultures with confidence that God has already written them into His plan. The conversion of antagonistic peoples magnifies the power of the gospel (Romans 1:16).
• Unity of Scripture
The consistency with which Lud appears—from Mosaic history to post-exilic prophecy—illustrates Scripture’s seamless narrative. What begins as a name in a genealogy blossoms into a fully developed people group woven into God’s judgments and promises.
• Warning against Worldly Alliances
Egypt’s collapse drags Lud down with it (Ezekiel 30:5), reminding readers that reliance on earthly might rather than the Lord invites ruin. Churches and believers must guard against forming strategic partnerships that compromise faithfulness to God’s covenant.
Summary
Lud stands as a Semitic people renowned for archery, entwined with major empires, judged for their alliances, yet ultimately counted among the nations destined to hear the glory of God. Their account urges the church to trust God’s dominion over history, to proclaim the gospel fearlessly across cultural and military barriers, and to await the day when “the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15).
Forms and Transliterations
וְל֛וּד וְל֣וּד וְל֤וּד וְל֥וּד וְלוּד֙ ולוד veLud wə·lūḏ wəlūḏ
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