← H3902 H3904 →

לַחְמָס

𐤋𐤇𐤌𐤎

Lachemas

H3903 noun

SILEX Entry

Root לחם to eat, consume, provide food, struggle (contend)

Definition

Lachmas (לַחְמָס) is a place name of uncertain meaning and location, most likely referring to a site in southern ancient Israel, referenced in biblical lists of territorial allotments. The exact identification is unclear, and the meaning of the name is uncertain, though often associated etymologically with bread or food. The lexical value is proper noun: a locality or settlement's name.

Semantic Range

proper noun (place name); possibly 'place of food' or 'place of bread' (if derived from root לחם); uncertain as to concrete meaning beyond identification as a locale

Root / Etymology

Root/Etymology: The term appears to derive from the root ל-ח-ם (לחם), which means 'bread' or 'food.' However, the word as found in the biblical text (לַחְמָס) seems to be either a scribal corruption or a variant spelling of לַחְמָם (Lachmam), itself derived from לֶחֶם (leḥem, 'bread; food'). Thus, the name possibly originally meant 'place of bread/food,' but the specific form in the biblical manuscripts is uncertain and thought by many lexicographers to represent a textual error or transcription variant. Actual place name meaning is uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Historical & Contextual Notes: לַחְמָס (Lachmas) is mentioned only once, in Joshua 15:40, in a list of towns in the territory allotted to the tribe of Judah (Judahites) in the southern part of ancient Israel. Many scholars believe לַחְמָס is a result of scribal error for לַחְמָם (Lachmam), with both versions attested in different manuscript traditions. The name's possible connection with לֶחֶם ('bread; food') fits the pattern of settlement names reflecting agricultural fertility, but no further description is available. The location cannot be conclusively identified with any known archaeological site. English translations usually render it as a place name, transliterated as 'Lachmas,' 'Lachmam,' or 'Lahmam.' In contrast to the well-attested place name Bethlehem (בֵּית לֶחֶם), the meaning and history of לַחְמָס are obscure. The use is strictly proper-nominal, with no attested shift in meaning across time periods, as the name occurs in a single context and period (Iron Age territorial lists). It should not be confused with later terms or places such as Bethlehem, or with the common noun לֶחֶם.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably by erroneous transcription for לַחְמָם; from לֶחֶם; food-like; Lachmam or Lachmas, a place in Palestine; Lahmam.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

לחם (l-ḥ-m) — eat, consume, provide food, bread, contend/struggle

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1035 בֵּית לֶחֶם bread
H3433 יָשֻׁבִי לֶחֶם bread
H3894 לָחוּם his edible portion
H3898 לָחַם in his waging-war
H3899 לֶחֶם in the bread

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3903-01 וְ/לַחְמָ֖ס velachemas HC/Np Lahmas and Lachmas 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3903-01 Joshua 15:40 וְ/לַחְמָ֖ס velachemas HC/Np Lahmas and Lachmas
← H3902 Hebrew Lexicon H3904 →