Bethlehem
בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם · bet le.chem · H1035GΒηθλεέμ · Bēthleem · G09653 other spellings53 mentions in 15 books, most in Judges (8)
Where it is
31.71° N, 35.21° E
Coordinates and map: OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding · CC BY 4.0 · drawn without map tiles
Mentioned most in
Counted from 53 references · STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
About this place
Bethlehem, also known as Ephrath or Ephrathah, is a city located in the hill country of Judah, approximately 5 miles south of Jerusalem. The name Bethlehem means "house of bread," while Ephrath or Ephrathah means "fruitful."
Bethlehem is first mentioned in the Bible as the burial place of Rachel, Jacob's wife (Genesis 35:19; 48:7). It was also the hometown of Ibzan, one of the judges of Israel (Judges 12:8, 10).
During the period of the judges, a Levite from Bethlehem became a priest for Micah's idolatrous shrine (Judges 17:7-9). Later, a Levite from Bethlehem traveled to Gibeah, where his concubine was mistreated, leading to a war between the Israelites and the Benjamites (Judges 19:1-2, 18).
The book of Ruth is set primarily in Bethlehem, where Naomi and her family were from (Ruth 1:1-2, 19, 22). Boaz, who married Ruth, was also from Bethlehem (Ruth 2:4; 4:11).
Bethlehem is most famously known as the hometown of King David (1Sa.16.1, 18; 17:12, 15; 20:6, 28). It was in Bethlehem that Samuel anointed David as the future king of Israel (1Sa.16.4). During David's reign, the city was referred to as the "city of David" (Luke 2:4, 11).
Several of David's mighty men, including Abishai and Elhanan, were from Bethlehem (2Sa.23.24; 1Ch.11.26; 2Sa.21.19).
In the New Testament, Bethlehem is celebrated as the birthplace of Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:1, 5-6, 8, 16; Luke 2:4, 15; Jhn.7.42). The Magi visited Jesus in Bethlehem, and King Herod ordered the massacre of the innocents there in an attempt to kill the newborn king (Matthew 2:16).
The prophet Micah foretold that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), and this prophecy is cited in Matthew 2:5-6.
Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Every mention
53 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
Genesis3 mentions
Genesis 35:16They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor.Genesis 35:19Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem).Genesis 48:7As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to…
Judges8 mentions
Judges 12:8After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.Judges 12:10Ibzan died, and was buried at Bethlehem.Judges 17:7There was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he lived there.Judges 17:8The man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem Judah, to live where he could find a place, and he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he traveled.Judges 17:9Micah said to him, “Where did you come from?” He said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem Judah, and I am looking for a place to live.”Judges 19:1In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a concubine out of Bethlehem…Judges 19:2His concubine played the prostitute against him, and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehem Judah, and was there for four months.Judges 19:18He said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem Judah. I am going to Yahweh’s house; and…
Ruth6 mentions
Ruth 1:1In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons.Ruth 1:2The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. They came into the country of Moab and…Ruth 1:19So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. When they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was excited about them, and they asked, “Is this Naomi?”Ruth 1:22So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.Ruth 2:4Behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “May Yahweh be with you.” They answered him, “May Yahweh bless you.”Ruth 4:11All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house…
1 Samuel8 mentions
1 Samuel 16:1Yahweh said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite…1 Samuel 16:4Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”1 Samuel 16:18Then one of the young men answered and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a…1 Samuel 17:12Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons. The man was an elderly old man in the days of Saul.1 Samuel 17:15Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.1 Samuel 17:58Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, you young man?” David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”1 Samuel 20:6If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem, his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’1 Samuel 20:28Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.
2 Samuel6 mentions
2 Samuel 2:32They took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke on them at Hebron.2 Samuel 21:19There was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite’s brother, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.2 Samuel 23:14David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.2 Samuel 23:15David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”2 Samuel 23:16The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David; but he would not drink…2 Samuel 23:24Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty: Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
1 Chronicles8 mentions
1 Chronicles 2:51Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader.1 Chronicles 2:54The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites.1 Chronicles 4:4Penuel was the father of Gedor and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.1 Chronicles 4:22and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. These records are ancient.1 Chronicles 11:16David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem at that time.1 Chronicles 11:17David longed, and said, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”1 Chronicles 11:18The three broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, took it, and brought it to David; but David would not drink any of…1 Chronicles 11:26The mighty men of the armies also include Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
2 Chronicles1 mention
Jeremiah1 mention
Matthew5 mentions
Matthew 2:1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,Matthew 2:5They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,Matthew 2:6‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah; for out of you shall come a governor who shall shepherd my people, Israel.’”Matthew 2:8He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him.”Matthew 2:16Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding…
Luke2 mentions
Luke 2:4Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,Luke 2:15When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
What the dictionary says
House of bread.
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Read the article →Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding · CC BY 4.0 · www.openbible.info/geo/