Lexical Summary Libué: Libya Original Word: Λιβύη Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Libya. Probably from lips; Libye, a region of Africa -- Libya. see GREEK lips NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originprobably from lips Definition "the west bank of the Nile," Libya, a region in N. Africa NASB Translation Libya (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3033: ΛιβύηΛιβύη, Λιβύης, ἡ, Libya, a large region of northern Africa, bordering on Egypt. In that portion of it which had Cyrene for its capital and was thence called Libya Cyrenaica (ἡ πρός Κυρήνην Λιβύη;, Josephus, Antiquities 16, 6, 1; ἡ Λιβύη ἡ κατά Κυρήνην (which see), Acts 2:10) dwelt many Jews (Josephus, Antiquities 14, 7, 2; 16, 6, 1; b. j. 7, 11; c. Apion. 2, 4 (where cf. Müller's notes)): Acts 2:10. The name refers to the North-African territory west of Egypt, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Sahara to the south. In the Greco-Roman world Libya embraced the coastal cities of Cyrenaica (chief among them Cyrene) and the surrounding hinterland. Its nearness to Alexandria gave the region continual exposure to Jewish diaspora movements and, later, to the spread of the gospel. Libya in the Old Testament Background Although the precise term “Libya” does not occur in the Hebrew canon, the people of the region appear under related names such as the Lubim or Put (for example, Nahum 3:9; Ezekiel 30:5; 38:5). These passages consistently place the Libyans among the African or western allies of Egypt, sometimes as mercenaries in Egypt’s armies, sometimes as objects of divine judgment. The prophetic literature thereby locates Libya on the periphery of Israel’s account yet still under the sovereign oversight of God who rules the nations. Libya at Pentecost (Acts 2:10) The solitary New Testament occurrence of Λιβύη falls within the list of Jewish pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost: “Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, visitors from Rome” (Acts 2:10). Three observations arise: 1. Libyans present were identified as Jews or proselytes, evidencing the far-reaching dispersion of Israel. Significance for the Unfolding Mission to the Nations Pentecost’s mention of Libya foreshadows the geographical progression in Acts—“Jerusalem … and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Rome will eventually receive an apostolic letter, but Libya lies between Jerusalem and Rome, forming a bridge that connects Semitic, African, and Greco-Roman cultures. The text subtly affirms that no cultural or continental barrier can hinder the outpouring of the Spirit. Prophetic Echoes and Eschatological Notes Old Testament prophecies that marshal Libya among end-time coalitions (Ezekiel 38:5) remind readers that nations named only once in the New Testament are nevertheless woven into the broader biblical narrative. The God who judged Libya’s ancient pride (Jeremiah 46:9) is the same God who graciously included Libyans in the inaugural outpouring of the Spirit, illustrating both His justice and mercy across redemptive history. Historical Expansion of the Church in North Africa Church tradition records outspoken Libyan and Cyrenian believers in the first century (Acts 11:20; 13:1). By the second and third centuries the region produced stalwarts such as Tertullian in nearby Carthage and the church fathers of Alexandria. Thus the single reference in Acts serves as an understated seed that later blossomed into a vibrant North-African Christianity, a movement that defended orthodoxy against heresies and gifted the wider church with theological depth. Practical and Ministry Applications • Expectant Prayer: Modern believers may pray for contemporary Libya with the confidence that God has already inscribed the nation in Scripture’s redemptive plotline. Libya’s cameo at Pentecost therefore serves as a strategic testimony: God gathers scattered peoples, empowers them by His Spirit, and sends them back to transform their homelands—an enduring pattern that continues until the Great Commission is complete. |
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