STRONGS NUMBER H3899

H3899. lechem

לֶ֫חֶם‎₂₉₆ noun masculine^{1 Samuel 9:7} and (rarely) feminine^{Genesis 49:20} (see below, and Dr^{1 Samuel 10:4}) bread, food (Phoenician לחם‎ bread; Late Hebrew לֶחֶם‎; Aramaic לַחְמָא‎, , as Hebrew; Arabic flesh, meat, (compare Frä³⁰)); — absolute ׳ל‎ Genesis 3:19 +; לָ֑חֶם‎ 31:54 +; לֶ֑חֶם‎ Psalm 14:4 2t.; construct לֶחֶם‎ Hosea 9:4 +; suffix לַחְמִי‎ Job 3:24 +, לַחְמְךָ‎ Obadiah 7 +, לַחְמָם‎ Hosea 9:4b, + 9:4a (for לָהֶם ᵑ0‎), We GASm Now, + etc.; —

1. a. bread, the ordinary food of early Hebrews (Benz^{Archaeology 84 ff} Now^{Archaeology i. 109 ff.}) Exodus 21:14 (E), Numbers 21:5; Joshua 9:5, 12 (JE), Deuteronomy 8:3; 23:5; Exodus 16:3 (P) +; ׳כִּכַּרלֿ‎ loaf of bread 1 Samuel 2:36 + (see כִּכָּר‎ below כרר‎), and without ככר‎ (always with number) 10:4; 16:20 (see Dr), 17:7; 21:4; 25:18; 2 Samuel 16:1; 1 Kings 14:3; 2 Kings 4:42; ל ׳חַלַת‎ cake of bread 2 Samuel 6:19; Exodus 29:23 + (see חַלָּה‎ below

I. חלל‎); made from barley (שְׂעֹרִים‎); Judges 7:13; 2 Kings 4:42 (see also לָחֶם‎ above); from wheat-flour (חִטִים סֹלֶת‎) Exodus 29:2 (P); compare the mixture Ezekiel 4:9; made by baking (אפה‎) Isaiah 44:15, 19; Leviticus 26:26 (H; compare Jeremiah 37:21); ׳מַּתלֿ‎ a bit of bread 1 Samuel 2:36; 1 Kings 17:11; Proverbs 28:21, compare Ezekiel 13:19, as modest term for a hospitable meal Genesis 18:5 (J), Judges 19:5; 1 Samuel 28:22; distinguished from meat (flesh), Genesis 27:17 (J) 1 Samuel 25:11; 1 Kings 17:6 (twice in verse); Exodus 16:8, 12 (also 16:3 above), 29:32, 34; Leviticus 8:31 (all P), 23:18 (H), 1 Chronicles 12:40; Psalm 78:20; Daniel 10:3; = a meal 1 Samuel 20:27, ל ׳אָכַל‎ = take a meal Genesis 31:54 (twice in verse); 37:25; 43:25, 32 +; לַחְמִי אכל‎ Psalm 41:10 eat my bread, establishing an obligation, compare Obadiah 7 (read ל ׳אֹכְלֵי‎ according to Marti^{Kau AT}; strike out ᵐ5 ׳ל‎ Hi We, compare VB) ל ׳עשׂה‎ = make a feast Ecclesiastes 10:19; ל ׳מַטֵּה‎ staff of bread (as support of life), only late Ezekiel 4:16; 5:16; 14:13; Leviticus 26:26 (H), Psalm 105:16; cf .ל ׳מִשְׁעַן‎ Isaiah 3:1 (gloss); leavened bread is ׳ל חָמֵץ‎ Leviticus 7:13; unleavened bread is ׳ל מַצּוֺת‎ Exodus 29:2 (both P); ׳ל (הַ)מָּנִים‎ bread of the face (of ׳י‎; i.e. in his presence, Di^{Leviticus 24:9} Dr^{1 Samuel 21:7}); in the sanctuary 21:7; 1 Kings 7:48 2 Chronicles 4:19; Exodus 25:30; 35:13; 39:36, without ׳פ‎ 40:23 (all P); = ׳ל הַתָּמִיד‎ Numbers 4:7 (P), ׳ל קֹדֶשׁ‎ 1 Samuel 21:5; in Chronicles ׳ל הַמַּעֲרָ֑כֶת‎ 1 Chronicles 9:32; compare 23:29; Nehemiah 10:34, ׳מ ׳ל‎2 Chronicles 13:11 opposed to ׳ל חֹל‎ 1 Samuel 21:5; ׳ל תְּנוּפִה‎ Leviticus 23:17 wave-loaf; ׳ל (הַ)בִּכֻּרִים‎ 23:20; 2 Kings 4:42 bread of first-fruits.

b. = bread-corn, the material from which bread is made, i.e. wheat, barley, etc.: Genesis 41:54-55, (E), 47:13, 15, 17 (twice in verse); 47:19 (J), 49:20 (poem in J), Isaiah 28:28; 30:23; 55:10; Jeremiah 5:17; Ezekiel 48:18; Job 28:5; Proverbs 28:3; Psalm 104:14; ׳ל הָאָרֶץ‎ Numbers 15:19 (P), ל ׳ארץ‎ 2 Kings 18:32 = Isaiah 36:17.

2 food in General:

a. of man, Judges 13:16 (kid, 13:15) 1 Samuel 14:24 (twice in verse); 14:28 (honey), 28:20; 30:12; Proverbs 22:9; 27:27 (twice in verse) (goat's milk) +; ל נֹתֵן ׳לְכָלבָּֿשָׂר‎ Psalm 136:25.

b. of animals, Proverbs 6:8; 30:25; Prov 65:25; Job 24:5 + Psalm 147:9

c. of God (in sacrifices): ׳ל אֱלֹהֵיהֶם‎ (compare RS^{Semitic i. 207, 2nd ed., 224}) Leviticus 21:6 compare 21:8; 21:17; 21:21; 21:22, 22:25 (all H), compare Numbers 28:2 (P), Ezekiel 16:19; 44:7, and ׳ל מְגֹאָל‎ Malachi 1:7, also (׳לי‎) ׳ל אִשֶּׁה‎ Leviticus 3:11, 16; Numbers 28:24 (all P).

3 other phrases and figurative uses are:

a. ׳ל רֶשַׁע‎ Proverbs 4:17 (accusative of congnate meaning with verb with לָחַם‎), probably = food gained by wickedness ׅ‎ "" חֲמָסִים (יִיִן‎, compare ׳ל שָׁ֑קֶר‎ 20:17, ׳ל כְּזָבִים‎ 23:3; ׳ל עַצְלוּת‎ 31:27 = bread of idleness, i.e. unearned; ׳ל חֻקִּי‎30:8 (opposed to riches and poverty, see חֹק‎); ׳ל לַחַץ‎ 1 Kings 22:27 2 Chronicles 18:26, vid לַחַץ‎ below; ׳ל הָעֲצָבִים‎ Psalm 127:2 see II. עֶצָב‎; ׳ל אוֺנִים‎ Hosea 9:4, vid אָוֶן‎. p.20 a; ׳ל אֲנָשִׁים‎ Ezekiel 24:17, 22 of food offered to mourners, compare Jeremiah 16:7 (where insert ᵐ5 ׳ל‎ Gf Gie); המים עלפֿני לחמך שַׁלַּח‎ Ecclesiastes 11:1 usual interpration of benevolent giving (compare Now); De and others of sea-commerce in bread-stuffs, compare Proverbs 31:14.

b. figurative הֵם לַחְמֵנוּ‎ Numbers 14:9 (JE) our food are they, i.e. we will devour, destroy, them (compare Deuteronomy 7:16); ל ׳דִּמְעָתִּי‎ Psalm 42:4; compare 80:6 (see אכל‎ above); ׳ל‎ of evil deeds of wicked Job 20:14; בְּלַחְמוֺ עֵץ‎ Jeremiah 11:19 apparentlyfig.of destroying the prophet and his house, but read probably בְּלֵחוֺ‎ in its freshness (i.e. untimely), so Hi Gf Che Gie (see לֵחַ‎ below לחח‎ above).