לוֹט
a veil
Definition
The Hebrew noun לוֹט (lôwṭ) refers to a veil or covering. It is used specifically in Isaiah 25:7 to describe the 'covering' or 'veil' that is spread over all nations, a metaphor for the shroud of death, mourning, and spiritual blindness that God will ultimately destroy. While its basic sense is a physical covering, in its sole biblical occurrence, it carries a profound figurative meaning, representing a universal condition of grief and separation from God. The word does not denote a typical garment but a heavy, enveloping shroud.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 25:7. Here, it is employed in a prophetic, metaphorical context. The prophet Isaiah uses it not for a literal piece of cloth but as a symbol for the pervasive power of death and despair that affects all peoples. The usage is poetic and eschatological, pointing to a future divine action of removal and salvation.
Etymology
לוֹט (lôwṭ) is a noun derived from the root verb לוּט (lûṭ, H3874), which means 'to wrap up, cover, veil, or envelop.' This root conveys the action of covering something closely. The noun form, therefore, signifies the object that does the covering—a wrap, veil, or covering. The semantic connection is direct, moving from the action to the item that performs the action.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it encapsulates a core theme of Isaiah's prophecy: God's victory over the ultimate enemies of humanity. In Isaiah 25:7-8, the 'covering' (לוֹט) represents death and mourning, which God promises to 'swallow up forever' and 'wipe away tears.' Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading by highlighting the comprehensive and final nature of God's salvatory work. It moves the concept from a simple cloth to a powerful symbol of the curse that Christ ultimately defeats (1 Corinthians 15:54).
In the ancient Near East, heavy coverings or veils could symbolize mourning, isolation, and death. A shroud over the face was a potent image of finality and despair. Isaiah's audience would have intuitively understood the 'covering over all nations' not as a minor obstacle but as a universal condition of hopelessness, making God's promise to destroy it a message of unparalleled hope.
מַסְוֶה (masveh, H4533) — a lighter veil or disguise, often for the face (as in Genesis 38:14). צָעִיף (tsaʻîyph, H6809) — a woman's veil or shawl (as in Genesis 24:65). כְּסוּת (kᵉçûwth, H3682) — a general term for a covering, garment, or layer.
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.
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