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This guide is intended for visitors who want to learn more about the Bible. Please use the hyperlinks in the table above to navigate this page. If you have any comments or suggestions to make about this guide, please e-mail me by clicking on this link.

Laban was the son of Bethuel, the brother of Rebekah, nephew of Abraham and father of Leah and Rachel. He became father-in-law of Jacob, whom he had tricked into marrying Leah, though Jacob had wooed Rachel, who duly became his second wife. Subsequently Laban employed Jacob as his chief herdsman, but failed to pay him fairly. Laban's ill-treatment of his son-in-law at last persuaded Jacob to run away, with his family. But Laban pursued them, as Rachel had stolen his household gods (these were images or idols - Rachel hid them and Laban did not find them). Being warned by God in a dream not to harm Jacob, Laban left peaceably. Genesis 24.29-32, 50; 27.43; 29.5, 10, 13-30; 30.25-31.55; 46.18, 25

Lachish (the king of) was a petty tribal chieftain defeated by Joshua. Joshua 12.11

Lahmi was the brother of Goliath, killed by Elhanan according to the Chronicler. This account contradicts 2 Samuel 21.19, where Elhanan is recorded as the killer of Goliath. It may be that the Chronicler makes the change to support the alternative (more celebrated) account, in 1 Samuel 17.4-57, where David, rather than Elhanan, kills Goliath. 1 Chronicles 20.5

Lamech (1) was a descendant of Cain, the son of Methushael, father of Jabal, Jubal and Tubal-cain and husband of Adah and Zillah. Genesis 4.18-24

Lamech (2) was the son of Methuselah and father of Noah, who foretold that his son's life was to be auspicious. Genesis 5.25-3l; 1 Chronicles 1.3, Luke 3.36

Lasharon (the king of) was a petty tribal chieftain defeated by Joshua. Joshua 12.18

Lazarus (1), a fictitious character invented by Jesus in one of his parables, was an impoverished beggar. He lived outside the house of a wealthy man (traditionally known as Dives, from the Latin for “rich man”,) who ignored him. When the two men died, the rich man was tormented in hell, while Lazarus was comforted in the bosom of Abraham. Luke 16.19-31

Lazarus (2) was the brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany. Jesus raised him from the dead. Jesus's resulting popularity caused the high-priestly party to view Lazarus as a potential threat. John 11.1-12.11

Leah was the elder daughter of Laban, the sister of Rachel and first wife of Jacob, who was tricked by Laban into taking Leah as his wife rather than Rachel. Though the less well-loved of Jacob's two was the more fertile and bore six sons (Reuben, Simeon Judah, Issachar and Zebulun) and a daughter (Dinah). On her death, Leah was buried in the ancestral tomb bought by Abraham. Genesis 29.16-35; 30.9-21; 31.4,14-50; 33.1, 2; 34.1; 35.23, 26; 46.15-18; Ruth 4.11

Legion was the nickname given to a Gerasene demoniac cured by Jesus. The man was so named because he believed that he was possessed by a multitude of evil spirits. Mark 5.2-20; Luke 8.27-39

Lehabim was the third of the sons of Egypt. Genesis 10.13

Lemuel was the king of Massa, the supposed author of part of the book of Proverbs, which records wisdom he apparently learned from his mother. Proverbs 31.1-31

Letushim was a descendant of Abraham by Keturah, and the second son of Dedan. Genesis 25.3

Leummim was a descendant of Abraham by Keturah, and the third son of Dedan. Genesis 25.3

Levi (1) was the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the father of Gershon, Kohath and Merari. He was the ancestor of the Levites, the tribe from which the priests were appointed. Levi and Simeon were responsible for the slaughter of the Shechemites after Shechem's rape of Dinah. The name comes from the Hebrew word “lawah” (=joined). Genesis 29.34; 34.25-31; 35.23; 46.11; 49.5-7; Exodus 1.2; 6.16; Numbers 26.58, 59; 1 Chronicles 2.1; 6.1, 16; Hebrews 7.5, 9, 10

Levi (2) was a tax-collector, and the son of Alphaeus. He is usually referred to as Matthew. Matthew 9.9; 10.3; Mark 2.14; 3.18; Luke 5.27-32; 6.15; Acts 1.13

Levi (3) was the son of Melchi and the father of Matthat, an ancestor of Joseph in Luke's genealogy. Luke 3.24

Levi (4) was the son of Simeon and the father of Matthat, an ancestor of Joseph in Luke's genealogy. Luke 3.29

Libnah (the king of) was a petty tribal chieftain defeated by Joshua during the conquest of Canaan. Joshua 12.15

Libni was the elder of the two sons of Gershon, the grandson of Levi. Exodus 6.17; Numbers 3.18; 26.58; 1 Chronicles 6.17, 20

Linus was an associate of Paul. Linus passes on his personal greetings in the closing paragraphs of Paul's second letter to Timothy. 2 Timothy 4.21

Lois was the mother of Eunice and grandmother of Timothy, an early Christian convert. 2 Timothy 1.5

Lot was the son of Haran and nephew of Abraham, with whom he left his home city of Ur, and settled in Sodom in the Jordan valley. Here he was taken captive by the forces led by Chedorlaomer, but was freed by the intervention of Abraham. When Sodom was destroyed for its wickedness, Lot was warned of the destruction in advance and escaped with his family, but his wife, looking back on the destruction of the city, was turned to a pillar of salt. Lot settled in a cave outside Zoar, where his daughters ensured their posterity by making him drunk and having intercourse with him. Their children, Moab and Ben-ammi, were traditionally held to be the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites. Genesis 11.27; 12.4, 5; 13.1-12; 14.12-16; 19.1-38; Deuteronomy 2.9; Psalms 83.8; Luke 17.28, 29, 32; 2 Peter 2.7,8

Lotan was the eldest son of Seir, a descendant of Esau. Genesis 36.20

Lucius was the name of one, or perhaps two, associates of Paul. Acts refers to Lucius of Cyrene, one of the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch, while Paul also greets a Lucius in the closing paragraph of his letter to the Romans. Acts 13.1; Romans 16.21

Lud was the fourth son of Shem and grandson of Noah. Genesis 10.22; 1 Chronicles 1.17

Ludim was the eldest son of Egypt, a grandson of Ham. Genesis 10.13

Luke was a physician and companion of Paul, the author of the third gospel and of the Acts. Luke accompanied Paul on his voyage to Rome, when he was shipwrecked. His involvement in the hazards of Paul's ministry is also noted in the apostle's letter to Philemon. Luke 1.1-24.53; Acts 1.1-28.30; Colossians 4.14; 2 Timothy 4.11; Philemon 24

Lydia was a businesswoman of Thyatira, a seller of material and garments dyed with the imperial purple dye. She was Paul's first recorded convert in Europe. Acts 16.14, 15, 40

Lysanias was the tetrarch of Abilene at the time of the public ministry of John the Baptist. Luke 3.1

Lysias (whose full name is Claudius Lysias) was a Roman tribune who rescued Paul from a mob in Jerusalem and transferred him to the custody of the procurator, Felix. Claudius intended at first to scourge his prisoner, but was dissuaded from doing so by his discovery of Paul's Roman citizenship. Acts 21.31-23.30