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R.S.V. translates `worthless and reckless fellows' which is nearer the sense of the
Hebrew.
In Numb. 21: 5 we have the record of the people of Israel complaining they had no
bread or water and saying `our soul loatheth this light bread', referring to the manna.
Here again the A.V. is not strong enough. In their backsliding the Israelites actually said
`we loathe this worthless food' (R.S.V.). What a shocking state of mind to get into,
describing the delicious food which the Lord provided for them freshly every day! This
but anticipated the Israel of later centuries to whom He Who was the true manna, the
Bread of Life, came and was rejected. As Isaiah foretold "He was despised and rejected
of men" (Isa. 53: 3).
LIGHTNESS. This word is now obsolete in the sense the A.V. uses it. God
condemns the false prophets `who cause My people to err by their lies, and by their
lightness' (Jer. 23: 32). "Recklessness" would be far better.
When Paul says in II Cor. 1: 17 "when I therefore was thus minded, did I use
lightness?', he means `was I vacillating when I wanted to do this?'.
LIST. This occurs four times in the A.V. meaning to desire or wish. "Whatsoever
they listed" (Matt. 17: 12) means "whatever they pleased". "The wind bloweth where it
listeth" (John 3: 8) can be rendered "where it pleases". In James 3: 4 "Whithersoever
the governor listeth" means "Wherever the will of the pilot directs".
LIVELY. This word does not mean spritely or active in the A.V. but living. Moses
received `the lively (living) oracles' from God (Acts 7: 38). I Pet. 1: 3 speaks of a
`lively (living) hope' and in 2: 5 we have `lively (living) stones'.
LUCRE. This word means `gain', but in the Scriptures it is only used in the sense of
dishonest gain. There is one occurrence of it in the O.T. in I Sam. 8: 3 where we are
told that the sons of Samuel, as judges, "walked not in his ways, but turned aside after
lucre, and took bribes and perverted judgment". The expression `filthy lucre' is found in
I Pet. 5: 2 where it means dishonest gain. There is no basis in the Scriptures for the habit
of referring to money as `filthy lucre'.
LUNATICK. Some of those brought to the Lord Jesus for healing are termed in the
A.V. `lunatick' (Matt. 4: 24; 17:. 15). The Greek word means `moon-struck', the
Latin equivalent being lunaticus, from which the English word is taken. Mental disorders
were thought to be influenced by the moon, but it is probable that epilepsy is referred to
in Matthew's Gospel rather than people suffering from insanity.