לֶ֣חֶם

𐤋𐤇𐤌

lechem

the bread

from לָחַם; See also בֵּית לְעַפְרָה; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it); (shew-) bread, [idiom] eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals.

H3899

Leviticus 21:21 · Word #18

Lexicon H3899

Lemmaלֶחֶם
Lemma (Paleo)𐤋𐤇𐤌
Transliterationlechem
Strong'sH3899
In-contextthe bread

Morphology HNcbsc All morphology codes

Part of Speech N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea
Subtype c — Common — Common noun
Gender b — Both — Both (masculine and feminine)
Number s — Singular — Singular
State c — Construct — The noun is bound to the following word

SIBI-P1 H3899-27

bread-food

Rootלחם (l-ḥ-m)
Core Meaningsto fight, to battle, to consume, to devour
Semantic Rangebread, food in general, grain products, provisions, sacrificial bread, metaphorical sustenance
Conceptual Significanceלֶחֶם represents the staple sustenance of daily life in ancient Israel and often symbolizes provision, covenant fellowship (as in showbread), and divine sustenance. It can also signify livelihood or sustenance more broadly, forming a foundation for theological themes of dependence on YHWH for daily provision.
Morphological NotesCommon gender noun, singular absolute (HNcbsa). No pronominal suffix; functions as a simple singular substantive meaning bread or food.
Rendering RationaleThe noun לֶחֶם is a common singular absolute form meaning "bread" or "food." By rendering it "bread-food," the translation preserves its concrete sense as staple nourishment while subtly reflecting its likely connection to the root לָחַם (to fight, consume), conveying the idea of that which is consumed for sustenance.

AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)

Words from Root לחם (to fight, to battle, to consume, to devour)

SILEX Code Transliteration SIBI-P1
H3899-01 balachem in the bread
H3899-02 balechem in the bread
H4421-01 bamilechamah in the fighting

Word Usage (299 occurrences of H3899)

Location Form Transliteration Meaning
Genesis 3:19 לֶ֔חֶם lechem bread
Genesis 14:18 לֶ֣חֶם lechem bread
Genesis 18:5 לֶ֜חֶם lechem of bread