his three sons went down with Jacob (46:11) into Egypt, where he died at
the age of one hundred and thirty-seven years (Exodus 6:16).
(2.) The father of Matthat, and son of Simeon, of the ancestors of Christ
(Luke 3:29).
(3.) Luke 3:24.
(4.) One of the apostles, the son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27, 29),
called also Matthew (Matthew 9:9).
- LEVIATHAN a transliterated Hebrew word (livyathan), meaning
“twisted,” “coiled.” In Job 3:8, Revised Version, and marg. of Authorized
Version, it denotes the dragon which, according to Eastern tradition, is an
enemy of light; in 41:1 the crocodile is meant; in Psalm 104:26 it “denotes
any large animal that moves by writhing or wriggling the body, the whale,
the monsters of the deep.” This word is also used figuratively for a cruel
enemy, as some think “the Egyptian host, crushed by the divine power,
and cast on the shores of the Red Sea” (Psalm 74:14). As used in Isaiah
27:1, “leviathan the piercing [R.V. ‘swift’] serpent, even leviathan that
crooked [R.V. marg. ‘winding’] serpent,” the word may probably denote
the two empires, the Assyrian and the Babylonian. - LEVIRATE LAW from Latin levir, “a husband’s brother,” the name of an
ancient custom ordained by Moses, by which, when an Israelite died
without issue, his surviving brother was required to marry the widow, so
as to continue his brother’s family through the son that might be born of
that marriage (Genesis 38:8; Deuteronomy 25:5-10; comp. Ruth 3; 4:10).
Its object was “to raise up seed to the departed brother.” - LEVITE a descendant of the tribe of Levi (Exodus 6:25; Leviticus 25:32;
Numbers 35:2; Joshua 21:3, 41). This name is, however, generally used as
the title of that portion of the tribe which was set apart for the subordinate
offices of the sanctuary service (1 Kings 8:4; Ezra 2:70), as assistants to
the priests.
When the Israelites left Egypt, the ancient manner of worship was still
observed by them, the eldest son of each house inheriting the priest’s
office. At Sinai the first change in this ancient practice was made. A
hereditary priesthood in the family of Aaron was then instituted (Exodus
28:1). But it was not till that terrible scene in connection with the sin of
the golden calf that the tribe of Levi stood apart and began to occupy a