Lexical Definition

‎לֶחֶם‎ lechem (lekh'-em) food ^H:N-M
from ‎לָחַם‎; See also ‎בֵּית לְעַפְרָה‎

(shew-) bread, [idiom] eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals.

• food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it)

1) bread, food, grain
1a) bread
1a1) bread
1a2) bread-corn
1b) food (in general)

See Greek: ἄριστον · ἄρτος · βίος · δεῖ · δεῖπνον · δοχή · δῶρον · ζωή · μασσάομαι · σῖτος · σῖτος · τράπεζα · τροφή

Extended Information

• : food(eating)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎לֶ֫חֶם‎₂₉₆ noun masculine^{1Sam 9:7} and (rarely) feminine^{Gen 49:20} (see below, and Dr^{1Sam 10:4}) bread, food (Phoenician ‎לחם‎ bread; Late Hebrew ‎לֶחֶם‎; Aramaic ‎לַחְמָא‎, , as Hebrew; Arabic flesh, meat, (compare Frä³⁰)); — absolute ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Gen 3:19 +; ‎לָ֑חֶם‎ Gen 31:54 +; ‎לֶ֑חֶם‎ Ps 14:4 + 2 t.; construct ‎לֶחֶם‎ Hos 9:4 +; suffix ‎לַחְמִי‎ Job 3:24 +, ‎לַחְמְךָ‎ Obad 1:7 +, ‎לַחְמָם‎ Hos 9:4b, + vHos 9:4a (for ᵑ0 ‎לָהֶם‎), We GASm Now, + etc.; —

1. a. bread, the ordinary food of early Hebrews (Benz^{Archaeology 84 ff} Now^{Archaeology i. 109 ff.}) Exod 21:14 (E), Num 21:5; Josh 9:5; Josh 9:12 (JE), Deut 8:3; Deut 23:5*; Exod 16:3 (P) +; ‎׳‎‎כִּכַּרלֿ‎ loaf of bread 1Sam 2:36 + (see ‎כִּכָּר‎ below ‎כרר‎), and without ‎ככר‎ (always with number) 1Sam 10:4; 1Sam 16:20 (see Dr), 1Sam 17:7; 1Sam 21:4*; 1Sam 25:18; 2Sam 16:1; 1Kgs 14:3; 2Kgs 4:42; ‎׳‎‎חַלַת ל‎ cake of bread 2Sam 6:19; Exod 29:23 + (see ‎חַלָּה‎ below I. ‎חלל‎); made from barley (‎שְׂעֹרִים‎); Judg 7:13; 2Kgs 4:42 (see also ‎לָחֶם‎ above); from wheat-flour (‎סֹלֶת חִטִים‎) Exod 29:2 (P); compare the mixture Ezek 4:9 made by baking (‎אפה‎) Isa 44:15; Isa 44:19; Lev 26:26 (H; compare Jer 37:21); ‎׳‎‎פַּתלֿ‎ a bit of bread 1Sam 2:36; 1Kgs 17:11; Prov 28:21, compare Ezek 13:19, as modest term for a hospitable meal Gen 18:5 (J), Judg 19:5; 1Sam 28:22; distinguished from meat (flesh), Gen 27:17 (J) 1Sam 25:11; 1Kgs 17:6 (twice in verse); Exod 16:8; Exod 16:12 (also vExod 16:3 above), Exod 29:32; Exod 29:34; Lev 8:31 (all P), Lev 23:18 (H), 1Chr 12:40*; Ps 78:20; Dan 10:3 = a meal 1Sam 20:27, ‎׳‎‎אָכַל ל‎ = take a meal Gen 31:54 (twice in verse); Gen 37:25; Gen 43:25; Gen 43:32 +; ‎אכל לַחְמִי‎ Ps 41:10* eat my bread, establishing an obligation, compare Obad 1:7 (read ‎׳‎‎אֹכְלֵי ל‎ according to Marti^{Kau AT}; strike out ‎׳‎‎ל‎ ᵐ5 Hi We, compare VB) ‎׳‎‎עשׂה ל‎ = make a feast Eccl 10:19 ‎׳‎‎מַטֵּה ל‎ staff of bread (as support of life), only late Ezek 4:16; Ezek 5:16; Ezek 14:13; Lev 26:26 (H), Ps 105:16 cf .‎׳‎‎מִשְׁעַן ל‎ Isa 3:1 (gloss); leavened bread is ‎חָמֵץ‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Lev 7:13 unleavened bread is ‎מַצּוֺת‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Exod 29:2 (both P); ‎(הַ)פָּנִים‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ bread of the face (of ‎׳‎‎י‎; i.e. in his presence, Di^{Lev 24:9} Dr^{1Sam 21:7*}); in the sanctuary 1Sam 21:7*; 1Kgs 7:48 = 2Chr 4:19; Exod 25:30; Exod 35:13; Exod 39:36, without ‎׳‎‎פ‎ Exod 40:23 (all P); = ‎הַתָּמִיד‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Num 4:7 (P), ‎קֹדֶשׁ‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ 1Sam 21:5* in Chronicles ‎הַמַּעֲרָ֑כֶת‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ 1Chr 9:32 compare 1Chr 23:29; Neh 10:34*, ‎׳‎‎ל‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ 2Chr 13:11 opposed to ‎חֹל‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ 1Sam 21:5*; ‎תְּנוּפִה‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Lev 23:17 wave-loaf; ‎(הַ)בִּכֻּרִים‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ vLev 23:20; 2Kgs 4:42 bread of first-fruits.
b. = bread-corn, the material from which bread is made, i.e. wheat, barley, etc.: Gen 41:54; Gen 41:55 (E), Gen 47:13; Gen 47:15; Gen 47:17 (twice in verse); Gen 47:19 (J), Gen 49:20 (poem in J), Isa 28:28; Isa 30:23; Isa 55:10; Jer 5:17; Ezek 48:18; Job 28:5; Prov 28:3; Ps 104:14 ‎הָאָרֶץ‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Num 15:19 (P), ‎׳‎‎ארץ ל‎ 2Kgs 18:32 = Isa 36:17.

2. food in general:
a. of man, Judg 13:16 (kid, vJudg 13:15) 1Sam 14:24 (twice in verse); 1Sam 14:28 (honey), 1Sam 28:20; 1Sam 30:12; Prov 22:9; Prov 27:27 (twice in verse) (goat's milk) +; ‎׳‎‎לְכָלבָּֿשָׂר נֹתֵן ל‎ Ps 136:25. ** b. of animals, Prov 6:8; Prov 30:25; Prov 65:25; Job 24:5 + Ps 147:9
c.** of God (in sacrifices): ‎אֱלֹהֵיהֶם‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ (compare RS^{Semitic i. 207, 2nd ed., 224}) Lev 21:6 compare vLev 21:8 vLev 21:17 vLev 21:21 vLev 21:22, Lev 22:25 (all H), compare Num 28:2 (P), Ezek 16:19; Ezek 44:7, and ‎מְגֹאָל‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Mal 1:7, also (‎׳‎‎לי‎) ‎אִשֶּׁה‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Lev 3:11; Lev 3:16; Num 28:24 (all P).

3. other phrases and figurative uses are:
a. ‎רֶשַׁע‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Prov 4:17 (accusative of congnate meaning with verb with ‎לָחַם‎), probably = food gained by wickedness ‎ׅ‎ || ‎(יִיִן חֲמָסִים‎, compare ‎שָׁ֑קֶר‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Prov 20:17, ‎כְּזָבִים‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Prov 23:3 ‎עַצְלוּת‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Prov 31:27 = bread of idleness, i.e. unearned; ‎חֻקִּי‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎Prov 30:8 (opposed to riches and poverty, see ‎חֹק‎); ‎לַחַץ‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ 1Kgs 22:27 = 2Chr 18:26, vid ‎לַחַץ‎ below; ‎הָעֲצָבִים‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Ps 127:2 see II. ‎עֶצָב‎; ‎אוֺנִים‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Hos 9:4, vid ‎אָוֶן‎. p.20 a; ‎אֲנָשִׁים‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Ezek 24:17; Ezek 24:22 of food offered to mourners, compare Jer 16:7 (where insert ‎׳‎‎ל‎ ᵐ5 Gf Gie); ‎שַׁלַּח לחמך עלפֿני המים‎ Eccl 11:1 usual interpration of benevolent giving (compare Now); De and others of sea-commerce in bread-stuffs, compare Prov 31:14.
b. figurative ‎לַחְמֵנוּ הֵם‎ Num 14:9 (JE) our food are they, i.e. we will devour, destroy, them (compare Deut 7:16); ‎׳‎‎דִּמְעָתִּי ל‎ Ps 42:4* compare Ps 80:6* (see ‎אכל‎ above); ‎׳‎‎ל‎ of evil deeds of wicked Job 20:14 ‎עֵץ בְּלַחְמוֺ‎ Jer 11:19 apparentlyfig.of destroying the prophet and his house, but read probably ‎בְּלֵחוֺ‎ in its freshness (i.e. untimely), so Hi Gf Che Gie (see ‎לֵחַ‎ below ‎לחח‎ above).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References