בֵּית H1035
Bethlehem — town in Judah south of Jerusalem, birthplace of David, meaning 'house of bread'
Beth Lechem ('house of bread') is the name of a town in the territory of Judah, situated about eight kilometers south of Jerusalem, that carries disproportionate theological weight for its small size. Its 41 occurrences span from the patriarchal narratives, where Rachel dies and is buried on the road to Ephrath 'which is Bethlehem' (Gen 35:19; 48:7), through the period of the judges (Judg 12:8-10; 17:7-9; 19:1-2), the idyllic fields of Ruth's harvest (Ruth 1:1, 19, 22), and the anointing of David as shepherd-king (1 Sam 16:1-4; 17:12, 15). Micah's prophecy that from Bethlehem Ephrathah would come a ruler 'whose origins are from of old' (Mic 5:1) established the town as the expected birthplace of the Messiah. A second, lesser-known Bethlehem in Zebulun is mentioned at Joshua 19:15.
Senses
1. Bethlehem — The proper place name Beth Lechem ('house of bread'), primarily designating the Judahite town associated with Rachel's burial (Gen 35:19), the Levite's concubine narrative (Judg 19), Ruth's fields (Ruth 1-4), David's origins (1 Sam 16-17), and the messianic expectation of Micah 5:1. Also called Ephrathah (Ruth 4:11; Mic 5:1). A second Bethlehem in Zebulun appears at Joshua 19:15. Spanish 'Belen,' French 'Bethleem,' German 'Bethlehem,' and the Arabic Beit Lahm all reflect continuous habitation and name transmission across millennia. 41×
AR["بَيْت-لَحْم", "بَيْتَ-لَحْم", "بَيْتَ-لَحْمَ", "بَيْتُ-لَحْمَ", "بَيْتِ-لَحْمَ", "مِن-بَيْتِ-لَحْمِ", "مِنْ-بَيْتَ-لَحْمَ"]·ben["বেথলেহম", "বৈথ-লেহেমের", "বৈথলেহম", "বৈৎলেহম", "বৈৎলেহম-", "বৈৎলেহম-থেকে", "বৈৎলেহমে", "বৈৎলেহমের", "বৈৎলেহেম-থেকে", "বৈৎলেহেমের"]·DE["Bet-Lechem", "Beth-Lechem", "Bethlehem", "[ביתלחם]", "von-Beit-Lechem", "von-Beth-Lechem"]·EN["Beit-Lechem", "Beth-Lechem", "Bethlehem", "Beyt-Lechem", "from-Beit-Lechem", "from-Beth-Lechem"]·FR["Beth-Lechem", "Beth-Léhem", "Bethléem", "Bethléhem", "de-Beit-Lechem", "de-Beth-Lechem"]·heb["בית לחם", "בית-לחם", "ביתלחם", "מ-בית לחם", "מ-בית-לחם"]·HI["बयत-लेचेम", "बयत-लेचेम-मेइन", "बयत-लेचेम-से", "बेतलहम", "बैत-लेचेम", "बैतलहम", "बैतलहम-के", "बैतलहम-से"]·ID["Betlehem", "dari-Betlehem", "ke-Betlehem"]·IT["Bet-Lehem", "Beth-Lechem", "Bethlehem", "Betlemme", "[ביתלחם]", "da-Beit-Lechem", "da-Beth-Lechem"]·jav["Betlehem", "Bètlehèm", "Bétlehem", "hé-Bètléhèm", "saking-Bètlehèm", "saking-Bètléhèm"]·KO["베들레헴", "베들레헴-의", "베들레헴에", "베들레헴에서", "베들레헴에서-", "베들레헴의", "베들레헴이다"]·PT["Beit-Lachem", "Beit-Lahem", "Beit-Lechem", "Beit-Lehem", "Beit-Lekhem", "Beyt-Lechem", "de-Beit-Lechem"]·RU["Бейт-Лехем", "Бейт-Лехема", "Бет-Лехема", "Вифлеем", "Вифлеем-", "в-Бейт-Лехем", "в-Бейт-Лехеме", "из-Бейт-Лехема", "из-Вейт-Лехема"]·ES["Belén", "Bet-Lehem", "Bet-Lejem", "Bet-Léjem", "de-Belén", "de-Bet-Léjem"]·SW["Beth-Lechem", "Bethlehemu", "kutoka-Bethlehemu", "wa-Bethlehemu"]·TR["-den-Beytlehem", "Beytlehem", "Beytlehem'den", "Beytlehem'in", "Beytlehem-de", "Beytlehem-den", "Beytlehem-e", "Beytlehmin"]·urd["بیت-لحم", "بیت-لحم-سے", "بیت-لحم-میں۔", "بیت-لحم-کے", "بیت-لحم۔"]
Gen 35:19, Gen 48:7, Josh 19:15, Judg 12:8, Judg 12:10, Judg 17:7, Judg 17:8, Judg 17:9, Judg 19:1, Judg 19:2, Judg 19:18, Judg 19:18 (+29 more)
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם41 n.pr.loc. 1. in Judah (place of bread (food), mod. Arabic بَيْت لَحْم, place of meat), 2 hours south of Jerusalem; birth-place of David;—בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם Ru 1:19 + 11 times; בּ׳־לֶחֶם 1 S 20:6 + 9 times; בֵּית לָ֑חֶם Ju 12:8 = 11 times + Gn 35:19; 48:7, where הוא בית לחם is a gloss, v. אֶפְרָ֫תָה" dir="rtl" >אֶפְרָ֫תָה, p. 68; בּ׳־לָ֑חֶם 1 S 17:15 + 3 times;—as cstr. בּ׳ לֶ֫חֶם…