Liddah

At a Glance

Biblical town in Judea; New Testament setting for Peter’s healing of Aeneas.

Key Points

• Also called Lod and later Lydda
• Located in the coastal plain region of Judea
• Mentioned in Acts 9:32–35
• Associated with the healing of Aeneas and local response to the gospel

Description

Liddah, also called Lod, is a town in Judea that appears in biblical narrative and settlement lists. In the New Testament, Acts 9:32–35 records Peter’s visit to the believers there, his healing of Aeneas, and the resulting spread of faith in Lydda and Sharon. In the Old Testament, Lod is also named among post-exilic settlements. As a place entry, its primary value is geographical and narrative: it situates a real town within Israel’s history and the early church’s mission.

Biblical Context

In Acts 9, Peter travels through the region and comes to Liddah/Lod, where he finds Aeneas bedridden for years. Peter announces that Jesus Christ heals him, and the event leads many in the surrounding area to turn to the Lord. The town therefore serves as a setting for apostolic ministry and gospel expansion.

Historical Context

Liddah/Lod was a town on the coastal plain of Judah, later known as Lydda. It appears in biblical and post-exilic contexts and remained an important local settlement in the broader Sharon region.

Jewish and Ancient Context

As a Judean settlement, Lod belongs to the network of towns associated with Israel’s return from exile and later regional life in the land. Its later name, Lydda, reflects the continuity of the location across biblical and post-biblical periods.

Primary Key Texts

• Acts 9:32–35

Secondary Key Texts

• Ezra 2:33
• Nehemiah 7:37
• Nehemiah 11:35

Original Language Note

The name is related to the Hebrew/Aramaic place-name Lod, rendered in Greek as Lydda in the New Testament.

Theological Significance

Liddah is not itself a doctrine, but its New Testament mention shows how Christ worked through Peter’s ministry to confirm the gospel with healing and to draw people to faith.

Philosophical Explanation

Place names in Scripture are historically grounded markers. They remind readers that biblical revelation is tied to real locations, real people, and real events rather than abstraction alone.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not treat Liddah as a theological concept. It is a geographical entry, and its significance comes from the biblical events associated with it, especially Acts 9.

Major Views

There is no major doctrinal debate about the town itself; discussion usually concerns identification with Lod/Lydda and the interpretation of Acts 9.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry should remain a place-name entry and not be expanded into speculative historical or doctrinal claims beyond the biblical record.

Practical Significance

Liddah reminds readers that the gospel advanced in ordinary places and that God used real historical settings to display Christ’s power and mercy.

Related Entries

• Acts
• Peter
• Aeneas
• Sharon
• Lod

See Also

• Lydda
• Lod
• Acts 9
• Peter