בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי (H1022) — Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי

𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤄𐤋𐤇𐤌𐤉

Bêyth hal-Lachmîy

H1022 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בית, לחם to dwell, establish house, build; to provide food, sustain

Definition

A native or inhabitant of Beit Lechem (Bethlehem); literally, 'person from the house of Lechem.' This term functions adjectivally or as a designation of origin, referring to people whose ancestry, residence, or identity is linked to the town of Beit Lechem. The definite article (ה) is inserted before the place name, marking specificity: 'the Bethlehemite.'

Semantic Range

native of Beit Lechem, inhabitant of Bethlehem, person from the house of Lechem, Bethlehemite in genealogical or narrative identification

Root / Etymology

Compound formed from the noun בֵּית ('house of') + לֶחֶם ('bread, food'), meaning 'house of bread/food,' plus the article ה and the suffix י denoting person of origin or association. Thus, בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי literally means 'the one from the house of bread' or 'the person of Beit Lechem (Bethlehem).' The formation follows typical Hebrew patterns for gentilics (denoting people by place of origin). Root: ב-י-ת ('house/dwelling') and ל-ח-ם ('bread/food').

Historical & Contextual Notes

The form בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי is used in genealogical and narrative contexts to identify individuals by their connection to Beit Lechem, a significant town in Judahite territory. For instance, it appears as an epithet for certain individuals such as Elhanan (2 Samuel 21:19) to distinguish them from others with similar names. The form with the definite article is unusual among place-derived gentilic forms, possibly indicating either formality or specificity. In later tradition, 'Bethlehemite' acquired special resonance due to links with King David and later, in Christian tradition, with Jesus. However, in its biblical usage, it simply designates someone from the town, without reference to later theological identities or meanings. The primary designation is geographic and sometimes, by association, ethnic (as when connected with Judahite or Israelite ancestry), but not religious. The term is distinct from related gentilics such as יְרוּשָׁלְמִי ('Jerusalemite'), and, like many Hebrew gentilics, is more often used in formal writing, legal, or genealogical contexts than in direct speech. English translations usually render the term as 'Bethlehemite,' but this rendering may obscure the nuance of the definite article and the patronymic/gentilic form in Hebrew.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

patrial from בֵּית לֶחֶם with the article inserted; a Beth-lechemite, or native of Bethlechem; Bethlehemite.

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Root Family

בנה (b-n-h) — to build, construct, establish (family)

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H1004	בַּיִת	in the houses
H1005	בַּיִת	the built-house
H1006	בַּיִת	the house
H1007	בֵּית אָוֶן	house-of
H1008	בֵּית־אֵל	in house of
H1009	בֵּית אַרְבֵּאל	house of
H1010	בֵּית בַּעַל מְעוֹן	house-of
H1011	בֵּית בִּרְאִי	and in the house of
H1012	בֵּית בָּרָה	house of
H1013	בֵּית־גָּדֵר	house-of
H1014	בֵּית גָּמוּל	house of
H1015	בֵּית דִּבְלָתַיִם	house-of
H1016	בֵּית־דָּגוֹן	house-of
H1017	בֵּית הָאֱלִי	house of
H1018	בֵּית הָאֵצֶל	house of
H1020	בֵּית הַיְשִׁימוֹת	house-of
H1021	בֵּית הַכֶּרֶם	house-of
H1023	בֵּית הַמֶּרְחָק	house-of
H1024	בֵּית הַמַּרְכָּבוֹת	and house of
H1025	בֵּית הָעֵמֶק	house of
H1026	בֵּית הָעֲרָבָה	house-of
H1027	בֵּית הָרָם	house-of
H1028	בֵּית הָרָן	house of
H1029	בֵּית הַשִּׁטָּה	house-of
H1030	בֵּית הַשִּׁמְשִׁי	house-of
H1031	בֵּית חׇגְלָה	house of
H1032	בֵּית חוֹרוֹן	house-of
H1033	בֵּית כַּר	to the built-house of
H1034	בֵּית לְבָאוֹת	and house-of
H1035	בֵּית לֶחֶם	in the house of
H1036	בֵּית לְעַפְרָה	in the built-house of
H1038	בֵּית מַעֲכָה	house of
H1039	בֵּית נִמְרָה	house of
H1041	בֵּית עַזְמָוֶת	house of
H1042	בֵּית עֲנוֹת	and house of
H1043	בֵּית עֲנָת	and house-of
H1044	בֵּית עֵקֶד	house-of
H1046	בֵּית פֶּלֶט	and house of
H1047	בֵּית פְּעוֹר	house of
H1048	בֵּית פַּצֵּץ	and house-of
H1049	בֵּית צוּר	house of
H1050	בֵּית רְחוֹב	house-of
H1051	בֵּית רָפָא	house of
H1052	בֵּית שְׁאָן	in the built-house of
H1053	בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ	in the built-house of
H1054	בֵּית תַּפּוּחַ	and house of
H1121	בֵּן	sons
H1122	בֵּן	son
H1123	בֵּן	sons of
H1124	בְּנָא	the ones building
H1125	בֶּן־אֲבִינָדָב	son
H1126	בֶּן־אוֹנִי	son
H1127	בֶּן־גֶּבֶר	son
H1128	בֶּן־דֶּקֶר	son
H1129	בָּנָה	he built
H1130	בֶּן־הֲדַד	son
H1131	בִּנּוּי	Built-Up One
H1132	בֶּן־זוֹחֵת	and son of
H1133	בֶּן־חוּר	son
H1134	בֶּן־חַיִל	to a son of
H1135	בֶּן־חָנָן	son
H1136	בֶּן־חֶסֶד	son
H1137	בָּנִי	Built-one
H1138	בֻּנִּי	Built One
H1139	בְּנֵי־בְּרַק	and sons of
H1140	בִּנְיָה	and the built-structure
H1141	בְּנָיָה	Yahweh has built
H1142	בְּנֵי יַעֲקָן	among sons of
H1145	בֶּן־יְמִינִי	son
H1146	בִּנְיָן	constructed structure
H1147	בִּנְיָן	the built structure
H1151	בֶּן־עַמִּי	son
H1323	בַּת	daughters
H1324	בַּת	daughter of
H1337	בַּת רַבִּים	daughter of
H1339	בַּת־שֶׁבַע	daughter of
H1340	בַּת־שׁוּעַ	to a daughter of
H205	אָוֶן	and building-stone
H2995	יַבְנְאֵל	and God-Builds
H2996	יַבְנֶה	Yabneh, Building-place
H2997	יִבְנְיָה	Yah Has Built
H2998	יִבְנִיָּה	Yah Builds
H358	אֵילוֹן בֵּית חָנָן	house of
H3845	לִבְנִי	to my son
H4011	מִבְנֶה	like the built-structure of
H4012	מְבֻנַּי	Built-Up One
H4996	נֹא	his son
H5524	סֻכּוֹת בְּנוֹת	daughters of
H5854	עַטְרוֹת בֵּית יוֹאָב	house of
H62	אָבֵל בֵּית־מֲעַכָה	house of
H68	אֶבֶן	your building-stones
H69	אֶבֶן	building-stone of
H72	אֶבֶן הָעֵזֶר	building-stone of
H8401	תֶּבֶן	the straw residue
H8403	תַּבְנִית	in building-pattern of
H885	בְּאֵרֹת בְּנֵי־יַעֲקַן	sons of
H935	בּוֹא	daughter of
H956	בּוּת	and daughter of
H995	בִּין	son of
H996	בֵּין	son

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H1022-01`	בֵּֽית	beyt	`HNgmsa`	Beth	house of	4
`H1022-02`	הַלַּחְמִ֔י	halachemi	`HNgmsa`	lehemite	the Beit-Lechemite	4

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H1022-01`	1 Samuel 16:1	בֵּֽית	beyt	`HNgmsa`	house of	house of
`H1022-02`	1 Samuel 16:1	הַלַּחְמִ֔י	halachemi	`HNgmsa`	the Bethlehemite	the Beit-Lechemite
`H1022-01`	1 Samuel 16:18	בֵּ֣ית	beyt	`HNgmsa`	Beth-	house of
`H1022-02`	1 Samuel 16:18	הַלַּחְמִי֒	halachemi	`HNgmsa`	lehemite	the Beit-Lechemite
`H1022-01`	1 Samuel 17:58	בֵּ֥ית	beyt	`HNgmsa`	of Bethlehem	house of
`H1022-02`	1 Samuel 17:58	הַלַּחְמִֽי	halachemi	`HNgmsa`	the Bethlehemite	the Beit-Lechemite
`H1022-01`	2 Samuel 21:19	בֵּ֣ית	beyt	`HNgmsc`	Beth	house of
`H1022-02`	2 Samuel 21:19	הַלַּחְמִ֗י	halachemi	`HNgmsa`	lehemite	the Beit-Lechemite

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