Libya

Biblical References

The Hebrew Bible calls the people of this region the Lubim. Translations render the word variously, for example as "Lubim," "Lubims," "Libyans," or "Libya," and the form varies from version to version and from verse to verse.

• 2 Chronicles 12:3: In the days of Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt invades Judah. The Lubim are part of the Egyptian army, along with the Sukkiim and the Cushites (Ethiopians).
• 2 Chronicles 16:8: The seer Hanani rebukes King Asa, reminding him that God had delivered the great host of the Ethiopians and the Lubim into his hand.
• Nahum 3:9: In the prophecy of judgment against Nineveh, the prophet cites the example of the Egyptian city of No-Amon (Thebes), which fell even though it had the strength of Ethiopia and Egypt and the help of Put and Lubim.
• Daniel 11:43: Describing a king who takes possession of the treasures of Egypt, the text says that "the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps."
• Acts 2:10: Among the places of origin of those gathered in Jerusalem at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost are "the parts of Libya about Cyrene." The Greek term is Libyē (Λιβύη).

Background

The ancient Greeks used the name "Libya" broadly for the African lands west of Egypt. Libyan tribes to the west of Egypt also appear frequently in Egyptian records. The Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt is known to have been founded by kings of Libyan descent. Its founder, Shoshenq I, is commonly identified with the biblical Shishak, and the presence of the Lubim in his army is often explained against this background.

In the New Testament period the chief city of the Libyan region was Cyrene, which is known to have had a Jewish community. The modern nation of Libya takes its name from this ancient place name, but its borders do not coincide with those of the biblical region.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

In the Old Testament the Lubim appear chiefly as a military force allied with Egypt. These passages contrast reliance on great powers and their allies with trust in God (2 Chronicles 16:8; Nahum 3:9).

In the New Testament people from the same region appear among the crowd that hears the gospel. People from Cyrene also appear elsewhere in the New Testament:

• Simon of Cyrene carried the cross of Jesus (Mark 15:21).
• Men of Cyrene preached the gospel to the Greeks in Antioch (Acts 11:20).
• Lucius of Cyrene was among the leaders of the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1).

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• Relationship to Put: Some translations, such as the Septuagint and the King James Version, render "Put" in passages such as Jeremiah 46:9 and Ezekiel 30:5 as Libya or Libyans. Opinion is divided, however, on the location of Put, with some identifying it with Libya and others placing it elsewhere. Moreover, some verses, such as Nahum 3:9, list Put and Lubim separately.
• The king of Daniel 11:43: Many commentators read the latter part of Daniel 11 as referring to the Seleucid king Antiochus IV. Some traditions, however, including dispensationalism, take 11:40 and following as prophecy concerning the end-time Antichrist. Depending on which reading is adopted, the Libyans in this verse are either a people subject to a historical ruler or participants in the events of the end times.