Original Word: בֵּית לֶחֶם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Beyth Lechem
Pronunciation: bayth LEH-khem
Phonetic Spelling: (bayth leh'-khem)
KJV: Beth-lehem
NASB: Bethlehem
Word Origin: [from H1004 (בַּיִת - house) and H3899 (לֶחֶם - bread)]

1. house of bread
2. Beth- Lechem, a place in Israel

Beth-lehem

From bayith and lechem; house of bread; Beth- Lechem, a place in Palestine -- Beth-lehem.

see HEBREW bayith

see HEBREW lechem

Word Origin
from bayith and lechem
Definition
"place of bread," a city in Judah, also a city in Zebulun
NASB Translation
Bethlehem (41).

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 11t.; לָֿחֶם׳בּ 1 Samuel 20:6 9t.; בֵּית לָ֑חֶם Judges 12:8 11t. + Genesis 35:19; Genesis 48:7, where הוא בית לחם is a gloss, see אֶפְרָ֫תָה; לָֿ֑חֶם ׳בּ 1 Samuel 17:15 3t.; — as construct לֶ֫חֶם ׳בּ יְהוּדָה Judges 17:7,8,9; Judges 19:1,2,18 (twice in verse); Ruth 1:1,2; 1 Samuel 17:12; treated as proper name, masculine 1 Chronicles 2:51,54; 1 Chronicles 4:4; men of Bethlehem ׳אַנְשֵׁי בּ Nehemiah 7:26 = ׳בְּנֵי בּ Ezra 2:21; — on אֶפְרָ֫תָה as name of Bethlehem, & confusion arising from gloss Genesis 35:19; Genesis 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 Joshua 19:15; perhaps also Judges 12:8,10; = Beit Laµm, 7 miles northwest of Nazareth Rob^{BR iii. 113} Survey^{i. 301}.

Name and Location

Bethlehem, literally “House of Bread,” designates two towns in Scripture. The better-known site, Bethlehem Ephrathah (or Bethlehem of Judah), lies about six miles south-southwest of Jerusalem along the central mountain ridge. A smaller Bethlehem was allotted to the tribe of Zebulun in Lower Galilee (Joshua 19:15). Nearly every occurrence of the name refers to the Judean town.

Historical Setting in Genesis

Bethlehem first appears in the patriarchal narratives. Rachel died “on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)” (Genesis 35:19) and was buried there; Jacob later recalls the event in Genesis 48:7. Thus the town is linked with both sorrow and hope—Rachel’s grave became a landmark of Israel’s heritage (1 Samuel 10:2; Jeremiah 31:15).

Tribal Allocation and Settlement

By conquest it fell within Judah’s territory (Joshua 15:60) but was also associated with Ephrathites, a clan designation derived from Caleb’s wife Ephrath (1 Chronicles 2:19, 24, 50–51). Its small size (“little among the clans,” Micah 5:2) contrasts with its strategic location on the highland route connecting Hebron, Jerusalem, and the coastal plain.

Judges Era and the Book of Ruth

Bethlehem frames the narrative of Ruth. Elimelech’s family left “Bethlehem in Judah” during famine (Ruth 1:1) but Naomi and Ruth returned at barley harvest (Ruth 1:22). The threshing-floor scene (Ruth 3) and the marriage of Ruth and Boaz in the city gate (Ruth 4:1–11) highlight covenant faithfulness within Israel’s social structures. Their son Obed, “the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17), anchors Bethlehem in the messianic line.

Birthplace of David and the Royal House

Jesse the Bethlehemite raised eight sons there (1 Samuel 16:1). Samuel anointed David in Bethlehem, validating the Lord’s sovereign election over human preference (1 Samuel 16:4–13). The town later provided David with loyal “three of the thirty chief men” who risked their lives to draw water from “the well of Bethlehem” (2 Samuel 23:15–17), testifying to the city’s enduring place in royal memory.

Military and Political Events

During the divided monarchy, Rehoboam fortified Bethlehem (2 Chronicles 11:6). In Jeremiah’s day, Bethlehemite residents included “Pashhur son of Malchijah” who opposed the prophet (Jeremiah 20:1; Jeremiah 21:1). The post-exilic census lists “one hundred twenty-three men of Bethlehem” returning with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:21; Nehemiah 7:26), indicating continuity of population and worship life after exile.

Prophetic Significance

Micah 5:2 singles out Bethlehem as the birthplace of an eternal Ruler:

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.”

The prophecy ties Davidic expectations to a definitive future King, grounding messianic hope in a specific locale.

Bethlehem of Zebulun

Referenced only in Joshua 19:15 amid a list of Galilean towns, this Bethlehem never figures prominently in redemptive history, yet its mention underscores the name’s broader geographical use.

New Covenant Fulfillment

Matthew 2:1–6 and Luke 2:4–15 record Jesus Christ’s birth in Bethlehem of Judah, directly citing Micah 5:2 as fulfillment. Shepherds—likely tending temple flocks destined for sacrifice—received the angelic announcement there (Luke 2:8–20), reinforcing typological links between David’s vocation, sacrificial lambs, and the Lamb of God.

Spiritual Themes

1. Humility exalted: a “little” town chosen for world-changing events.
2. Covenant loyalty: exemplified by Ruth and Boaz against the backdrop of Bethlehem’s fields.
3. Royal lineage: Bethlehem anchors both Davidic monarchy and Christ’s kingship.
4. Provision: “House of Bread” becomes the birthplace of the Bread of Life (John 6:35).

Key References (Judean Bethlehem unless noted)

Genesis 35:19; 48:7

Joshua 15:60; 19:15 (Zebulun)

Judges 17:7–9; 19:1–18

Ruth 1:1, 19; 2:4; 4:11

1 Samuel 16:1–4, 13; 17:12, 15

2 Samuel 23:14–17

2 Chronicles 11:6

Ezra 2:21

Nehemiah 7:26

Micah 5:2

Jeremiah 41:17

Total Old Testament occurrences: approximately forty-one, the majority linked to Judah’s Bethlehem Ephrathah.

Archaeological Notes

Tell Beit Lahm, just south of modern Bethlehem, yields Middle Bronze Age layers consistent with settlement in the patriarchal period. Third-century Church tradition marks the grotto beneath the Church of the Nativity as Jesus’ birthplace, corroborated by continuous Christian veneration.

Ministry Applications

• God delights to work through the small and overlooked.
• Faithful obedience in ordinary settings (fields, wells, city gates) advances His redemptive plan.
• Prophecy demonstrates divine foreknowledge and a unified biblical storyline, inviting trust in the promised King born in Bethlehem.

לֶ֔חֶם לֶ֖חֶם לֶ֙חֶם֙ לֶ֛חֶם לֶ֣חֶם לָ֑חֶם לָ֔חֶם לָֽחֶם׃ לחם לחם׃ lā·ḥem Lachem lāḥem le·ḥem lechem leḥemInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts