Lexical Definition

‎בֵּית לֶחֶם‎ Bêyth Lechem (bayth leh'-khem) Bethlehem ^N:N--L
from ‎בַּיִת‎ and ‎לֶחֶם‎; house of bread

Bethlehem.

• § Beth-lehem = "house of bread (food)"
• Beth-Lechem, a place in Palestine

1) a city in Judah, birthplace of David
2) a place in Zebulun

See Greek: Βηθλεέμ

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם‎₄₁

proper name, of a location 1. in Judah (place of bread. (food), modern Arabic , place of meat), 2 hours south of Jerusalem; birth-place of David; — ‎בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם‎ Ruth 1:19 + 11 t.; ‎לָֿחֶם‎‎׳‎‎בּ‎ 1Sam 20:6 + 9 t.; ‎בֵּית לָ֑חֶם‎ Judg 12:8 + 11 t. + Gen 35:19; Gen 48:7, where ‎הוא בית לחם‎ is a gloss, see ‎אֶפְרָ֫תָה‎; ‎לָֿ֑חֶם‎ ‎׳‎‎בּ‎ 1Sam 17:15 + 3 t.; — as construct ‎לֶ֫חֶם‎ ‎׳‎‎בּ‎ ‎יְהוּדָה‎ Judg 17:7; Judg 17:8; Judg 17:9; Judg 19:1; Judg 19:2; Judg 19:18 (twice in verse); Ruth 1:1; Ruth 1:2; 1Sam 17:12 treated as proper name, masculine 1Chr 2:51; 1Chr 2:54; 1Chr 4:4 men of Bethlehem ‎׳‎‎אַנְשֵׁי בּ‎ Neh 7:26 = ‎׳‎‎בְּנֵי בּ‎ Ezra 2:21 — on ‎אֶפְרָ֫תָה‎ as name of Bethlehem, & confusion arising from gloss Gen 35:19; Gen 48:7 — modern Beit Laµm, 5 miles south of Jerusalem Rob^{BR i. 471} Bd^{Pal 123} Survey^{iii. 28, 83} Guérin^{Judée i. 120-206.}

2. ‎בֵּית לָ֑חֶם‎ in Zebulun Josh 19:15 perhaps also Judg 12:8; Judg 12:10 = Beit Laµm, 7 miles northwest of Nazareth Rob^{BR iii. 113} Survey^{i. 301}.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Bethlehem_1 • In Judah • City of David's birth and Jesus' birth.

Bethlehem, also called Ephrath or Ephrathah, was the city where David and Jesus were born, located in Judah. (Multiple references, see article for details)

• A location in Judah Tribe first mentioned at Gen.35.16;
• referred to as Bethlehem בֵּית לֶחֶם, or Bethlehemite בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי, or Lehem (KJV= Jashubi-lehem) יָשֻׁבִי לֶחֶם, or Ephrath or Ephrathah (KJV= Ephratah) אֶפְרָת, or Bethlehem Βηθλεέμ.
  

Bethlehem, also known as Ephrath or Ephrathah, is a city located in the hill country of Judah, approximately 5 miles south of Jerusalem. The name Bethlehem means "house of bread," while Ephrath or Ephrathah means "fruitful."

Bethlehem is first mentioned in the Bible as the burial place of Rachel, Jacob's wife (Genesis 35:19; 48:7). It was also the hometown of Ibzan, one of the judges of Israel (Judges 12:8, 10).

During the period of the judges, a Levite from Bethlehem became a priest for Micah's idolatrous shrine (Judges 17:7-9). Later, a Levite from Bethlehem traveled to Gibeah, where his concubine was mistreated, leading to a war between the Israelites and the Benjamites (Judges 19:1-2, 18).

The book of Ruth is set primarily in Bethlehem, where Naomi and her family were from (Ruth 1:1-2, 19, 22). Boaz, who married Ruth, was also from Bethlehem (Ruth 2:4; 4:11).

Bethlehem is most famously known as the hometown of King David (1 Samuel 16:1, 18; 17:12, 15; 20:6, 28). It was in Bethlehem that Samuel anointed David as the future king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:4). During David's reign, the city was referred to as the "city of David" (Luke 2:4, 11).

Several of David's mighty men, including Abishai and Elhanan, were from Bethlehem (2 Samuel 23:24; 1 Chronicles 11:26; 2 Samuel 21:19).

In the New Testament, Bethlehem is celebrated as the birthplace of Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:1, 5-6, 8, 16; Luke 2:4, 15; John 7:42). The Magi visited Jesus in Bethlehem, and King Herod ordered the massacre of the innocents there in an attempt to kill the newborn king (Matthew 2:16).

The prophet Micah foretold that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), and this prophecy is cited in Matthew 2:5-6.

All entries for Bethlehem or Lehem or Ephrath or Ephrathah: בֵּית לֶחֶם ☩ בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי ☩ יָשֻׁבִי לֶחֶם ☩ אֶפְרָת ☩ Βηθλεέμ