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

Extended Information

• a place in Zebulun

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_2 • Town in Zebulun, distinct from Bethlehem in Judah.

Bethlehem was a town allotted to the tribe of Zebulun, distinct from the more well-known Bethlehem in Judah. (Joshua 19:15)

• A location only mentioned at Jos.19.15;
• only referred to as Bethlehem בֵּית לֶחֶם.
  

Bethlehem, mentioned in Joshua 19:15, is a town distinct from the more famous Bethlehem in Judah. This Bethlehem was located in the territory allotted to the tribe of Zebulun during the division of the Promised Land.

The name Bethlehem means "house of bread" in Hebrew, suggesting that the area was known for its fertility or grain production. The town is listed among other cities in Zebulun's inheritance, such as Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem, indicating its geographical proximity to these places.

Zebulun's territory was located in the northern part of Canaan, in the region of Galilee. The exact location of this Bethlehem is uncertain, but it was likely situated within the boundaries of Zebulun, which stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River.

No other information about this Bethlehem is provided in the Bible, and it is not mentioned in any other historical or archaeological context. Its inclusion in the list of Zebulun's towns serves to distinguish it from the Bethlehem in Judah and to provide a more complete picture of the tribal allotments in the Promised Land.

All entries for Bethlehem: בֵּית לֶחֶם