Abarim Publications' online Biblical Hebrew Dictionary
לוז
The verb לוז (luz) means to turn aside. In the Bible this word is used mostly negative, either as a turning away from wisdom (Proverbs 3:21, 4:21) or being a "twisted" person (Proverbs 3:32, 14:2). This verb yields two derivations:
- The feminine noun לזות (lazut) means deviation or crookedness and is used only in Proverbs 4:24.
- The masculine noun לוז (luz) means almond wood. The latter word is used only in Genesis 30:37, where Jacob strips branches of the crooked almond tree.
A similar connection between turning aside and a kind of tree may be found in the verb שׂטה (sata) and the noun שׁטה (shitta), meaning acacia.