לֶחֶם

H3899. lechem
לֶ֫חֶם296 noun masculine1Sa 9:7 and (rarely) feminineGen 49:20 (see below, and Dr1Sa 10:4) bread, food (Phoenician לחם bread; Late Hebrew לֶחֶם; Aramaic לַחְמָא, , as Hebrew; Arabic flesh, meat, (compare Frä30)); — absolute ׳ל Gen 3:19 +; לָ֑חֶם Gen 31:54 +; לֶ֑חֶם Psa 14:4 Psa 14:2t.; construct לֶחֶם Hos 9:4 +; suffix לַחְמִי Job 3:24 +, לַחְמְךָ Obadiah 7 +, לַחְמָם Hos 9:4b, + Hos 9:4a (for לָהֶם ᵑ0), We GASm Now, + etc.; —
1. a. bread, the ordinary food of early Hebrews (BenzArchaeology 84 ff NowArchaeology i. 109 ff.) Exo 21:14 (E), Num 21:5; Jos 9:5, Jos 9:12 (JE), Deu 8:3; Deu 23:5; Exo 16:3 (P) +; ׳כִּכַּרלֿ loaf of bread 1Sa 2:36 + (see כִּכָּר below כרר), and without ככר (always with number) 1Sa 10:4; 1Sa 16:20 (see Dr), 1Sa 17:7; 1Sa 21:4; 1Sa 25:18; 2Sa 16:1; 1Ki 14:3; 2Ki 4:42; ל ׳חַלַת cake of bread 2Sa 6:19; Exo 29:23 + (see חַלָּה below
I. חלל); made from barley (שְׂעֹרִים); Jdg 7:13; 2Ki 4:42 (see also לָחֶם above); from wheat-flour (חִטִים סֹלֶת) Exo 29:2 (P); compare the mixture Eze 4:9; made by baking (אפה) Isa 44:15, Isa 44:19; Lev 26:26 (H; compare Jer 37:21); ׳מַּתלֿ a bit of bread 1Sa 2:36; 1Ki 17:11; Pro 28:21, compare Eze 13:19, as modest term for a hospitable meal Gen 18:5 (J), Jdg 19:5; 1Sa 28:22; distinguished from meat (flesh), Gen 27:17 (J) 1Sa 25:11; 1Ki 17:6 (twice in verse); Exo 16:8, Exo 16:12 (also Exo 16:3 above), Exo 29:32, Exo 29:34; Lev 8:31 (all P), Lev 23:18 (H), 1Ch 12:40; Psa 78:20; Dan 10:3; = a meal 1Sa 20:27, ל ׳אָכַל = take a meal Gen 31:54 (twice in verse); Gen 37:25; Gen 43:25, Gen 43:32 +; לַחְמִי אכל Psa 41:10 eat my bread, establishing an obligation, compare Obadiah 7 (read ל ׳אֹכְלֵי according to MartiKau AT; strike out ᵐ5 ׳ל Hi We, compare VB) ל ׳עשׂה = make a feast Ecc 10:19; ל ׳מַטֵּה staff of bread (as support of life), only late Eze 4:16; Eze 5:16; Eze 14:13; Lev 26:26 (H), Psa 105:16; cf .ל ׳מִשְׁעַן Isa 3:1 (gloss); leavened bread is ׳ל חָמֵץ Lev 7:13; unleavened bread is ׳ל מַצּוֺת Exo 29:2 (both P); ׳ל (הַ)מָּנִים bread of the face (of ׳י; i.e. in his presence, DiLev 24:9 Dr1Sa 21:7); in the sanctuary 1Sa 21:7; 1Ki 7:48 2Ch 4:19; Exo 25:30; Exo 35:13; Exo 39:36, without ׳פ Exo 40:23 (all P); = ׳ל הַתָּמִיד Num 4:7 (P), ׳ל קֹדֶשׁ 1Sa 21:5; in Chronicles ׳ל הַמַּעֲרָ֑כֶת 1Ch 9:32; compare 1Ch 23:29; Neh 10:34, ׳מ ׳ל2Ch 13:11 opposed to ׳ל חֹל 1Sa 21:5; ׳ל תְּנוּפִה Lev 23:17 wave-loaf; ׳ל (הַ)בִּכֻּרִים Lev 23:20; 2Ki 4:42 bread of first-fruits.
b. = bread-corn, the material from which bread is made, i.e. wheat, barley, etc.: Gen 41:54-55, (E), Gen 47:13, Gen 47:15, Gen 47:17 (twice in verse); Gen 47:19 (J), Gen 49:20 (poem in J), Isa 28:28; Isa 30:23; Isa 55:10; Jer 5:17; Eze 48:18; Job 28:5; Pro 28:3; Psa 104:14; ׳ל הָאָרֶץ Num 15:19 (P), ל ׳ארץ 2Ki 18:32 = Isa 36:17.
2 food in General:
a. of man, Jdg 13:16 (kid, Jdg 13:15) 1Sa 14:24 (twice in verse); 1Sa 14:28 (honey), 1Sa 28:20; 1Sa 30:12; Pro 22:9; Pro 27:27 (twice in verse) (goat's milk) +; ל נֹתֵן ׳לְכָלבָּֿשָׂר Psa 136:25.
b. of animals, Pro 6:8; Pro 30:25; Prov 65:25; Job 24:5 + Psa 147:9
c. of God (in sacrifices): ׳ל אֱלֹהֵיהֶם (compare RSSemitic i. 207, 2nd ed., 224) Lev 21:6 compare Lev 21:8; Lev 21:17; Lev 21:21; Lev 21:22, Lev 22:25 (all H), compare Num 28:2 (P), Eze 16:19; Eze 44:7, and ׳ל מְגֹאָל Mal 1:7, also (׳לי) ׳ל אִשֶּׁה Lev 3:11, Lev 3:16; Num 28:24 (all P).
3 other phrases and figurative uses are:
a. ׳ל רֶשַׁע Pro 4:17 (accusative of congnate meaning with verb with לָחַם), probably = food gained by wickedness ׅ || חֲמָסִים (יִיִן, compare ׳ל שָׁ֑קֶר Pro 20:17, ׳ל כְּזָבִים Pro 23:3; ׳ל עַצְלוּת Pro 31:27 = bread of idleness, i.e. unearned; ׳ל חֻקִּיPro 30:8 (opposed to riches and poverty, see חֹק); ׳ל לַחַץ 1Ki 22:27 2Ch 18:26, vid לַחַץ below; ׳ל הָעֲצָבִים Psa 127:2 see II. עֶצָב; ׳ל אוֺנִים Hos 9:4, vid אָוֶן. p.20 a; ׳ל אֲנָשִׁים Eze 24:17, Eze 24:22 of food offered to mourners, compare Jer 16:7 (where insert ᵐ5 ׳ל Gf Gie); המים עלפֿני לחמך שַׁלַּח Ecc 11:1 usual interpration of benevolent giving (compare Now); De and others of sea-commerce in bread-stuffs, compare Pro 31:14.
b. figurative הֵם לַחְמֵנוּ Num 14:9 (JE) our food are they, i.e. we will devour, destroy, them (compare Deu 7:16); ל ׳דִּמְעָתִּי Psa 42:4; compare Psa 80:6 (see אכל above); ׳ל of evil deeds of wicked Job 20:14; בְּלַחְמוֺ עֵץ Jer 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).