Original Word: לוּז
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: luwz
Pronunciation: looz
Phonetic Spelling: (looz)
KJV: hazel
NASB: almond
Word Origin: [probably of foreign origin]

1. some kind of nut-tree, perhaps the almond

hazel

Probably of foreign origin; some kind of nut-tree, perhaps the almond -- hazel.

Word Origin
probably of foreign origin
Definition
almond tree, almond wood
NASB Translation
almond (1).

I. לוּז noun [masculine] almond-tree, almond-wood (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic לוּזָא, almond (Löw^{No. 319}), whence Arabic as loan-word (Frä¹⁴⁵ Lag^{BN 157 f.}), Ethiopic ); — Genesis 30:37 (J; + לִבְנֶה, עַרְמוֺן לַח) of rods stripped by Jacob.

Botanical Identity

לוּז designates a nut-bearing hardwood belonging to the almond–hazel family. The tree produces smooth, straight branches with a pale inner wood that contrasts sharply with its darker bark—an important detail for Jacob’s selective breeding technique.

Biblical Occurrence

Genesis 30:37: “Then Jacob took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees, peeled away the bark to expose the white inner wood, and placed the branches in the troughs, in the watering troughs where the livestock came to drink, so that they would breed in front of the branches.”

Here “almond” translates לוּז, standing beside poplar (לִבְנֶה) and plane (עֶרְמֹן).

Narrative Significance in Genesis 30

1. Means of Divine Provision: Jacob’s use of לוּז branches appears amid a broader narrative of God prospering him in Laban’s house. The quietly mentioned tree becomes a tool in the Lord’s providential care.
2. Contrast of Human Ingenuity and Sovereign Blessing: Jacob’s stratagem rests on observable natural color patterns, yet Genesis 31:9 attributes the resulting increase to God, underscoring His supremacy over both genetics and human craft.

Symbolic Thematics

• Early Awakening: The almond is the first tree to blossom in the Levant, a quality linked elsewhere to vigilance (Jeremiah 1:11) and resurrection hope (Ecclesiastes 12:5). Though a different Hebrew word is used in those passages, the agricultural reality behind almonds remains consistent, allowing the Genesis account to echo themes of new beginnings for Jacob’s household.
• Purity and Separation: The light inner wood revealed by peeling represents the outward manifestation of what is hidden, paralleling Jacob’s desire for distinctively marked offspring set apart from Laban’s flocks.

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient husbandry sometimes employed visual aids to influence mating, believing certain sights affected prenatal coloring. Almond wood, valued for durability and fuel, was readily available in northern Canaan and the upper Euphrates basin where Jacob sojourned.

Ministry Application

• Trusting Providence: Believers may exercise diligence and creativity, yet ultimate increase comes from God (1 Corinthians 3:7).
• Spiritual Discernment: Just as the peeled לוּז exposed a stark contrast, the Word exposes hidden motives (Hebrews 4:12) and calls the church to visible holiness.
• Early Faith Response: The almond’s premature bloom encourages readiness for the Lord’s leading, echoing Christ’s call to watchfulness (Mark 13:33).

Related Scriptures

Numbers 17:8; Ecclesiastes 12:5; Jeremiah 1:11; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Corinthians 3:7; Mark 13:33.

See Also

Almond (שָׁקֵד), Poplar, Plane Tree, Jacob, Providence, Vigilance.

וְל֣וּז ולוז veLuz wə·lūz wəlūzInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts