Original Word: לָחוּם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: lachuwm
Pronunciation: leh-KHOOM
Phonetic Spelling: (law-khoom')
KJV: whileis eating, flesh
NASB: eating, flesh
Word Origin: [passive participle of H3898 (לָחַם - To fight)]

1. (properly) eaten, i.e. food
2. also flesh, i.e. body

while

Or lachum {law-khoom'}; passive participle of lacham; properly, eaten, i.e. Food; also flesh, i.e. Body -- while...is eating, flesh.

see HEBREW lacham

Word Origin
from lacham
Definition
intestines, bowels
NASB Translation
eating (1), flesh (1).

לְחוּם noun [masculine] perhaps intestines, bowels (meaning and √ not wholly certain, compare Nö^{ZMG xl. 886, 721}; from לחם = press together, according to Dl^{Prol. 193}); — only suffix: וּלְחֻמֿם כַּגְּלָלִים Zephaniah 1:17 their blood shall be poured out like water,and their bowels like dung Hi-St (ct. 2 Samuel 20:10), Dl^l.c. We ('ihr Mark'), Rothst^{Kau AT} Di^{Job 20:23}; Gr חֵילָם compare Job 20:12 (to which Now included); Now suggests also וְלֵחָם and their moisture (freshness, vigour, compare Deuteronomy 34:7); > and others who render flesh, ᵐ5 τὰς σάρκας (compare Arabic flesh, meat, see below לֶחֶם); וְיַמְטֵר עָלֵימוֺ בִּלְחוּמוֺ Job 20:23 to fill his belly, God sendeth into him his burning anger, and raineth it upon him, into his (very) bowels Hi Dl^l.c. Bae^KauAT (compare Di, and into his flesh De, see above); > distinguished from Zephaniah 1:17 Di (in translation) Da Hoffm Bu his food (as object of ימטר; read then לַחְמוֺ); ᵐ5 ὀδύνας, whence Me Sgfr חֲבָלִים, Schw^{ZAW x, 1890, 179} בַּלָּהָה; Nö^l.c. wrath, compare Syriac threaten.

Overview

Lāḥûm appears only twice in the Old Testament and always in contexts of divine judgment. In both passages the word is tied to the imagery of something being chewed or consumed—figuratively for the wicked in Job, literally for human flesh in Zephaniah. The rarity and severity of its usage invite reflection on God’s swift intervention against sin and on the fleeting nature of earthly security.

Job 20:23 – An Interrupted Feast

“When he has filled his stomach, God will vent His burning anger upon him and rain it down on him while he is eating.” (Job 20:23)

Zophar pictures the arrogant evildoer at the very moment of self-satisfaction. Lāḥûm underscores that the meal is still in his mouth; before he can swallow, wrath descends. The verse demonstrates:

• Suddenness of judgment – There is no warning period; satisfaction turns instantly to disaster.
• Futility of self-reliance – The wicked trusts his own “plenty,” yet God retains absolute control of timing and outcome.
• Moral order – Divine retribution is not random but proportionate to the fullness of the sinner’s pride (compare Numbers 11:33; Psalm 78:29-31).

Zephaniah 1:17 – Flesh Reduced to Refuse

“Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.” (Zephaniah 1:17)

Here lāḥûm refers to the flesh of rebellious Judah on the coming Day of the LORD. The word strengthens three related ideas:

• Total devastation – Not merely defeat but dehumanization; bodies are treated as refuse.
• Reversal of covenant privilege – The people once set apart now endure the fate of pagans because of persistent sin.
• Echo of earlier warnings – Jeremiah 9:22 and 16:4 used similar language; Zephaniah confirms that earlier prophetic threats were not hyperbole.

Theological Themes

Divine Justice

In both occurrences lāḥûm is attached to acts of judgment that spring from God’s holy character. He confronts individual arrogance (Job) and communal rebellion (Zephaniah) with equal certainty.

Ephemerality of Human Security

What is “chewed” cannot be held. Whether abundance (Job 20) or physical life itself (Zephaniah 1), all that seems solid can vanish in a moment under God’s hand.

Holiness and Covenant Accountability

Zephaniah shows that covenant status does not shield unrepentant people. Judgment starts with God’s house (1 Peter 4:17) and moves outward.

Ministry and Homiletical Applications

Call to Repentance

Both texts warn complacent hearts—whether prosperous unbelievers or negligent believers—that judgment may interrupt life without notice.

Perspective on Suffering

Job’s larger context reminds the faithful that not all suffering is punitive, yet lāḥûm affirms that some suffering is the direct consequence of wickedness. Discernment is required in pastoral counsel.

Sobriety in Prosperity

Believers enjoying abundance should heed Deuteronomy 8:10-19, remembering that prosperity is a stewardship, not a fortress.

Christological Connections

Contrasting Meals

The wicked in Job chokes on judgment-soaked food; Christ offers Himself as “the bread of life” (John 6:35). At His table, consuming leads not to ruin but to eternal life (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Redemptive Reversal

Zephaniah’s picture of flesh as dung foreshadows crucifixion imagery—despised and cursed—yet Jesus “became sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21), bearing the very fate the prophecy assigns to sinners.

Related Passages for Further Study

Numbers 11:33; Psalm 78:29-31 – Meals cut short by judgment

Jeremiah 9:22; 16:4 – Flesh treated as refuse

Luke 12:16-21 – Sudden loss amid plenty

Hebrews 10:26-31 – Fearful expectation of judgment

Summary

Lāḥûm serves as a vivid, sobering reminder that God’s judgment can descend in the very act of enjoyment and that unrepentant flesh is ultimately worthless. Yet by contrast it magnifies the gracious provision of the gospel, where true sustenance is found not in transient pleasures but in the incarnate Word who offers His own body for the life of the world.

בִּלְחוּמֽוֹ׃ בלחומו׃ וּלְחֻמָ֖ם ולחמם bil·ḥū·mōw bilchuMo bilḥūmōw ū·lə·ḥu·mām ulechuMam ūləḥumāmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts