LAISH (la'ish), (Heb.1::".32, /ah'yish, a lion).
1. A place in the north of Palestine (Judg. xviii :7, 14), about four miles from Paneas, at the head of the Jordan. It was taken by the Danites and included within their territory. It is called also Leshem and Dan (Josh. xix :47; Judg. xviii :7, 29 ; Jer. viii :16), now identified with Tell el-Kady, "the mound of the judge," to the north of the waters of Merom ( Josh. xi :5). (See DAN.) 2. A place mentioned by the prophet in his description of the Assyrian assault on Jerusalem; from its association it lay north of the city (Is. x :3o). The natne here tranalated "unto Laish," should probably be "Laishah." The passage would then read, "listen Laishah," etc. It corresponds to the inodern El-isawiyeh, a village a mile and a half northeast of Jerusalem (Robinson, Re searches, ii. io8).
3. A man of the town of Gallim, the father of Phalti, or Phaltiel, to whom Saul gave Michal, the wife of David ( I Sam. xxv :44 ; 2 Sam. iii: 15). (B. C. before to62.) LAKE (lak), (Gr. Ntuvn, lim'nay, a pool). The term occurs only in the N. T. regarding the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke v:1, 2; Viii:22, 23, 33), and the "lake of fire" (Rev. xix:2o; xx:io, 14, 15; xxi:8).
LAKITM (15'kum), (Heb. lak-koom', cas tle, defense), a place on the boundary of Naph tali, probably not far south of Lake Merom (Josh. xix:33).
LAMA (la'ma), (Gr. Nap,d, ; lanz nzah'), a term signifying why, quoted from Ps. xxii:i by Jesus on the cross (Matt. xxvii:46; Mark xv:34).
LAMB (larn), the translation of several Hebrew and Greek words: 1. The most frequent are keh-bes' (Heb..7,3;), transposed form keh'seb (.q;), and the feminines kib-saw' (71..4)Th, kab-saw' (741") and kis-baw' and respectively denote a male and female lamb from the first to the third year. In sacrifice young rams of corresponding age were offered in almost every sacrifice (Num. vi:14; Lev. iv:32). (See SACRIFICE.) 2. The equivalent Chaldee form for the above is int-mar' (Heb.1, Ezra vi:9, 17; vii:17).
3. Taw-leh'(Heb.7113. x Sam. vii:9; Is. lxv:25), a young sucking lamb; originally the young of any animal.
4. Kar (Heb. fi/unzfi), a fat ram, or more probably "wether," as the word is generally em ployed in opposition to ayil, which strictly denotes a "ram" (Deut. xxxii:14; Is. xxxiv:6).
5. Tseh-one' (Heb. 118'4, from unused root signi ;ying to migrate), rendered "lamb" in Exod. xii: 21, is properly a collective term denoting a "flock" of small cattle, sheep, and goats, in distinction from herds of the larger animals (Eccles. ii:7; Ezek. xlv:15).
6. Seh (Heb. 71V), in opposition to the above collective term, is applied to denote the individu als of a flock, whether sheep or goats (Gen. xxii:7,
8; Exod. xii:3, etc.).
7. In the New Testament we find ar-nee'on (Gr. dpplov, diminutive of dphy, ar-ane', which latter oc curs only in Luke x:3), a lambkin. (Mc. & Str. Bib. Cyc.) For all the principal sacrifices of ordinary oc casions a lamb might be used: as a male lamb for a burnt offering (Lev. ix :3; xxiii :la, 18; Num. vi :14; vii:15), a ewe lamb for a sin offering for others than the nation or rulers (Lev. iv : 32, 35; Num. vi :14), and a male or female lamb for a guilt offering (Lev. v :6; XIV :12, 21; Num. vi :12) or for a peace offering (Lev. iii :6, 7; xxiii: 19; Num. vii :17). In every case the lamb must be without blemish.
Figuratitie. (1) All the sheep offered in the ancient sacrifices represented Christ. He re sembled a lamb in his spotless purity (I Pet. i :19), and was typified by the paschal lamb. (2) He was like a lamb also in his gentleness and in his submission to unmerited suffering without mur mur or complaint (Is. liii :7 with Luke xxiii :25; Acts viii :32; I Pet. ii :21-23). (3) Finally, he, like a lamb, was sacrificed for guilt not his own. Hence he is called the LAMB OF GOD, which taketh away the sin of the world (John i :29, 36), the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. xiii :8), or simply the Lamb (Rev. v :6, 8, 12; v11:14, 17; XIV:1• 4)• (4) His people are likened to sheep and lambs, to represent their innocence, patience, harmlessness, usefulness, and exposure to troubles and enemies (Is. liii :7; John x:1-26, and xxi :15-17). (5) Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament the term lamb is at times used figuratively for child (Is. xl ; John xxi :i5). (6) Men in general are compared to sheep and lambs, to denote their stupidity, their weakness, exposure to danger, and need of government (1 Kings xxii :17; Hos. iv: 16; Is. x1:11), or for their innocency and harm lessness as to a particular sin (2 Sam. xxiv :17). (7) Sinners are likened to sheep, to mark their unthoughtfulness, their proneness to wander, their exposure to ruin, their inability to defend or re cover themselves, and their need to be saved, led, and nourished by Jesus the great Shepherd (Ps. xlix :14 ; Is. liii :6; I Pet. ii :25 ; Luke xv: ,I-6)• (8) The rams, goats, and lambs, denote the various classes of people in a country; great and powerful, or poor and weak, and less or more innocent (Is. xxxiv :6, 7, and lx :7; Ezek. xxxiv: 17 and xxxix :18).