לֹד
Lod, a place in Palestine
Definition
Lod (לֹד) is a proper noun referring to a town in the ancient territory of Benjamin, located in the coastal plain of Palestine. In the Old Testament, it is mentioned as a town rebuilt by the Benjamite Shemed (1 Chronicles 8:12) and later appears in the lists of returning exiles from the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 2:33, Nehemiah 7:37). In Nehemiah 11:35, it is grouped with Ono as a place where some of the people of Judah settled after the return, indicating its continued significance in the post-exilic period.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a geographical proper noun in the Old Testament, appearing in historical and genealogical contexts. It is found in the post-exilic books of Ezra and Nehemiah, where it is listed among the towns whose inhabitants returned from exile (Ezra 2:33, Nehemiah 7:37), and in the Chronicler's genealogy of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:12). In Nehemiah 11:35, it is noted as a settlement area alongside Ono. All four occurrences emphasize its role as a populated Israelite town.
Etymology
The etymology of לֹד (Lôd) is uncertain. It is derived from an unused Hebrew root of unknown signification. The name appears to be of ancient Canaanite origin, as the town is known from extra-biblical sources (e.g., as 'Lydda' in later Greek and Roman periods). Its meaning in the original Semitic context is lost, but it persisted as a place name through biblical and post-biblical history.
Semantic Range
Lod was a tangible location in the tribal allotment of Benjamin, situated in the western foothills. In the biblical narrative, its mention in the return-from-exile lists (Ezra, Nehemiah) underscores its importance as a re-established community in the restored Judah. Culturally, its pairing with Ono (Nehemiah 11:35) suggests it was part of a distinct district or valley region. The town is historically significant as the later Hellenistic/Roman city Lydda, a center in early Christianity (Acts 9:32-35).
Ono (אוֹנוֹ, H207) — A neighboring town often paired with Lod in the post-exilic period (Nehemiah 11:35).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →