LABAN

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY
    I. Laban and the servant of Abraham.
A. He extended hospitality to Abraham’s servant upon learning of his mission, namely, he had been sent by Abraham to find a bride for Isaac (Gen 24:29–33).
B. He encouraged his sister Rebekah (who had been selected) to accompany the servant back to Canaan and marry Isaac (Gen 24:50–61).
II. Laban and the grandson of Abraham—Jacob.
A. The trickery.
1. Years later, when Jacob (Rebekah’s son) visited the land of his mother, Laban agreed to give him his daughter Rachel in marriage if he would serve him seven years (Gen 29:18–20).
2. Jacob agreed, but seven years later, Laban secretly replaced Rachel with Leah (his older and less-attractive daughter) on the wedding night (Gen 29:23).
3. He then required Jacob to work yet another seven years for Rachel (Gen 29:26–28).
4. He provided each of his daughters with a maidservant, Zilpah for Leah, and Bilhah for Rachel (Gen 29:24, 29).
5. He urged Jacob to continue working for him, realizing the hand of God was upon him (Gen 30:25–28).
B. The trouble.
1. Friction later developed between them (Gen 31:1–2).
2. In great anger he caught up with Jacob in the hill country of Gilead after his son–in–law had left without telling him (Gen 31:22–23).
3. He was warned, however, by God en route not to harm Jacob (Gen 31:24).
4. He complained to Jacob concerning two matters (Gen 31:26–30).
a. That Jacob had left without even allowing Laban to say good-bye to his daughters and grandchildren.
b. That Jacob had stolen his household gods.
C. The truce.
He suggested a truce be arranged between them, ratified by a pile of stones (Gen 31:43–53).
STATISTICS
  Father: Bethuel (Gen 24:50; 28:5)
Daughters: Rachel and Leah (Gen 29:16)
Sister: Rebekah (Gen 24:29)
First mention: Genesis 24:29
Final mention: Genesis 46:25
Meaning of his name: “White, glorious”
Referred to: 50 times
Biblical books mentioning him: One book (Genesis)
Occupation: Livestock raiser (Gen 30:25–34)
Important fact about his life: He was Jacob’s father–in–law (Gen 29:21–30).

LAMECH (1)

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY
    I. His polygamy. A. His two wives.
He married Adah and Zillah (Gen 4:19).
B. His three sons (Gen 4:20–22).
1. Jabal was the father of those who would live in tents and raise livestock.
2. Jubal was the father of all who played the harp and flute.
3. Tubal-cain was the father of those who forged tools out of brass and iron.
II. His pride.
He bragged to his wives that he had killed a man who injured him, claiming he was seven times more important than was Cain, his famous ancestor (Gen 4:23–24).
STATISTICS
  Father: Methusael (Gen 4:18)
Spouses: Adah and Zillah (Gen 4:19)
Sons: Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain (Gen 4:20–22)
Daughter: Naamah (Gen 4:22)
Significant ancestors: Cain (Gen 4:17–18)
First mention: Genesis 4:18
Final mention: Genesis 4:24
Meaning of his name: “Overthrower, wild”
Referred to: Four times
Biblical books mentioning him: One book (Genesis)
Important fact about his life: He was the first recorded polygamist (Gen 4:19).

LAMECH (2)

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY
    I. Lamech the parent.
He was the father of Noah (Gen 5:28–29).
II. Lamech the prophet.
He predicted his son would comfort the family in the labor and painful toil of their hands caused by the ground God had cursed (Gen 5:29).
STATISTICS
  Father: Methuselah (Gen 5:25)
Son: Noah (Gen 5:28–29)
First mention: Genesis 5:25
Final mention: Luke 3:36
Meaning of his name: “Overthrower”
Referred to: Four times
Biblical books mentioning him: Three books (Genesis, 1 Chronicles, Luke)
Age at death: 777 (Gen 5:31)
Important fact about his life: He was Noah’s father (Gen 5:28–29).

LEAH

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY
    I. Leah and her spouse.
A. The unexpected bride.
1. She was Laban’s eldest daughter, plagued with weak eyes (Gen 29:16–17).
2. She was secretly substituted by Laban for Rachel on the night of Jacob’s wedding (Gen 29:23).
B. The unloved wife.
1. She was unloved by Jacob (Gen 29:31).
2. In spite of this, God loved and blessed her (Gen 29:31–35).
II. Leah and her sons.
She bore Jacob six of his 12 sons and his only recorded daughter.
III. Leah and her servant.
A. Laban gave Zilpah to Leah to help her (Gen 29:24).
B. Leah gave Zilpah to Jacob for the purpose of bearing children (Gen 30:9).
IV. Leah and her sister.
A. The malice.
Leah accused Rachel of stealing Jacob’s love from her (Gen 30:15).
B. The mandrakes.
1. Her son Reuben presented his mother with some mandrakes he had found (Gen 30:14).
2. Mandrakes were a leafy plant eaten by peasant women who supposed this would aid them in becoming pregnant.
3. After eating them, Leah slept with Jacob and Issachar was born (Gen 30:16–18).
V. Leah and her sepulchre.
Leah was later buried by Jacob along with Abraham and Sarah in the cave of Machpelah (Gen 49:30–31).
STATISTICS
  Father: Laban (Gen 29:16)
Spouse: Jacob (Gen 29:23)
Sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun (Gen 35:23)
Daughter: Dinah (Gen 30:21)
Sister: Rachel (Gen 29:16)
First mention: Genesis 29:16
Final mention: Ruth 4:11
Meaning of her name: “Weary”
Referred to: 34 times
Biblical books mentioning her: Two books (Genesis, Ruth)
Place of birth: Haran (Gen 29:4, 16)
Place of death: Hebron (Gen 49:30–31)
Important fact about her life: She bore Jacob six sons and one daughter (Gen 30:21; 35:23).

LEVI

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY
    I. The reprisal by Levi.
A. Levi was the third son of Jacob by Leah (Gen 29:34).
B. He was guilty along with his brother Simeon in the treacherous murder of some helpless pagans (Gen 34:25–29).
1. Why he did this.
This was done because the son of the pagan chief had seduced Levi’s sister Dinah and wanted to marry her (Gen 34:1–12).
2. How he did this.
He and his brothers pretended to agree, but insisted the pagans circumcise themselves first (Gen 34:15).
II. The reprimand of Levi.
On two separate occasions Levi’s father Jacob rebuked him for this.
A. Right after it happened (Gen 34:30).
B. When Jacob was on his deathbed in Egypt (Gen 49:5–7).
STATISTICS
  Father: Jacob (Gen 35:22–23)
Mother: Leah (Gen 35:22–23)
Sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari (Gen 46:11)
Brothers: Full brothers: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun (Gen 35:23); half brothers: Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher (Gen 35:24–26)
Sister: Dinah (Gen 30:21)
Significant descendants: Moses, Aaron, and Korah (Exod 6:16–21; Num 16:1)
First mention: Genesis 29:34
Final mention: Ezra 8:18
Meaning of his name: “Joined”
Referred to: 18 times
Biblical books mentioning him: Five books (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, 1 Chronicles, Ezra)
Place of birth: Haran (Gen 29:4, 14, 34)
Age at death: 137 (Exod 6:16)
Important fact about his life: He was Jacob’s third son, from whom the priestly line would come (Num 18:1–6).

LOT

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY
    I. Lot and Abraham.
A. His uncle raised him.
1. Lot was the son of Haran, brother of Abraham (Gen 11:27).
2. He was adopted and raised by Abraham after the death of Haran (Gen 11:28; 12:4).
3. He was taken by Abraham to the land of Canaan (Gen 12:5).
4. He later accompanied Abraham during his uncle’s trip to Egypt (Gen 13:1).
B. His uncle respected him.
1. Upon their return from Egypt to Canaan, a quarrel broke out between Abraham’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen concerning grazing rights (Gen 13:5–7).
2. Abraham offered Lot his choice of the land, not desiring to argue (Gen 13:8–9).
3. Lot foolishly chose that section of land located near the wicked city of Sodom (Gen 13:10–13).
C. His uncle rescued him.
1. Soon after this, Lot moved into Sodom, but was among those taken captive when a Mesopotamian king named Chedorlaomer defeated the city during a war (Gen 14:1–12).
2. Upon learning of this, Abraham defeated Chedorlaomer in a surprise attack with his 318 trained men and rescued Lot (Gen 14:13–16).
3. After this, Lot unwisely moved right back into Sodom and actually became a city leader (Gen 19:1).
II. Lot and two angels.
A. The purpose of the angels’ visit.
They warned Lot to leave Sodom, for God was planning to destroy that wicked city (Gen 19:12–13).
B. The perversion during their visit.
1. The blasphemy of the Sodomites (Gen 19:1–10).
a. The homosexual men of Sodom demanded that Lot turn his visitors over to them for sexual perversion.
b. At this time, Lot was so backslidden that he actually offered his two virgin daughters to the perverts in the place of the two angels.
2. The blinding of the Sodomites (Gen 19:9–11).
a. Spurning Lot’s offer, the perverted men attempted to break down the door to get at the angels.
b. The angels supernaturally blinded these vile men.
III. Lot and his family (Gen 19:12–38).
A. His future sons–in–law.
1. Lot was instructed to gather all his family members and flee the doomed city.
2. They ridiculed his warning, however, leaving only his two unmarried daughters and wife to flee with him.
3. These four were forced by the angels out of Sodom.
4. Unwilling to take refuge on a mountain as the angel first commanded, Lot asked and received permission to seek shelter in a small town near Sodom called Zoar.
B. His wife.
His wife disobeyed God’s command not to look upon the burning city. As she turned to view her former home, she perished (Gen 19:17, 26).
C. His unmarried daughters.
1. Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and climbed the mountain as originally commanded.
2. Fearing they would remain childless, the daughters caused Lot to be drunk, lay with him, and eventually bear two sons, Moab and Ben-ammi (Gen 19:31–38).
THEOLOGICAL SUMMARY
    I. Centuries later, Joshua was forbidden to initiate a war against the Moabites, for they were the descendants of Lot through the son born by his oldest daughter (Gen 19:37; Deut 2:9).
II. Jesus referred to Lot on two occasions.
A. He predicted conditions similar to those that prevailed in Lot’s time just before Sodom’s destruction to be repeated, just prior to the final destruction of the earth (Luke 17:28–30).
B. He used Lot’s wife as an example, warning against disobedience (Luke 17:32).
III. Peter also mentioned Lot.
A. He called him a righteous man, but concluded that he “vexed his righteous soul” by staying in Sodom (2 Pet 2:7–8).
B. He referred to his deliverance from Sodom as an example of how God can deliver us from our trials today (2 Pet 2:9).
STATISTICS
  Father: Haran (Gen 11:27)
Sons: Moab and Ben-ammi (Gen 19:31–38)
Daughters: He fathered his sons through two unnamed daughters (Gen 19:31–38).
First mention: Genesis 11:27
Final mention: 2 Peter 2:7
Meaning of his name: “Concealed, dark”
Referred to: 34 times
Biblical books mentioning him: Five books (Genesis, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Luke, 2 Peter)
Important fact about his life: He was Abraham’s nephew (Gen 12:4–5).

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