בלחם
Bethlehem or Beit-Lechem literally means ‘house of bread.’ Beit-Lechem is where Rachel, the wife of Jacob was buried. The account of Ruth meeting her kinsman redeemer occurs in Beit-Lechem. David, the King of Isra’el, lived in Beit-Lechem. The prophet Micah prophesied that the ‘future ruler of Isra’el’ would be born in the small village of Beit-Lechem and Yeshua, the King of Kings fulfilled Micah’s prophecy.
“So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Efrat (that is, Beit-Lechem)” (Genesis 35:19).
“But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat, so small among the clans of Y’hudah, out of you will come forth to me the future ruler of Isra’el, whose origins are far in the past, back in ancient times” (Micah 5:2).
“All the people at the gate and the leaders said, “We are witnesses. May Adonai make the woman [Ruth] who has come into your house like Rachel and like Le’ah, who between them built up the house of Isra’el. Do worthy deeds in Efrat; become renowned in Beit-Lechem” (Ruth 4:11).
“David went back and forth from Sha’ul to pasture his father’s sheep at Beit-Lechem“ (1 Samuel 17:15).
“So Yosef, because he was a descendant of David, went up from the town of Natzeret in the Galil to the town of David, called Beit-Lechem, in Y’hudah, to be registered, with Miryam, to whom he was engaged, and who was pregnant” (Luke 2:4-5).
“No sooner had the angels left them and gone back into heaven than the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go over to Beit-Lechem and see this thing that has happened, that Adonai has told us about” (Luke 2:15).
“Meanwhile, when Herod realized that the Magi had tricked him, he was furious and gave orders to kill all the boys in and around Beit-Lechem who were two years old or less, calculating from the time the Magi had told him” (Matthew 2:16).
Hebrew Word Pictures
ב Bet – A House and means ‘house’ or ‘family.’
ל Lamed – Shepherd’s Staff and means ‘to urge forward.’
ה Chet – A Fence and means ‘to protect.’
ם Mem – Water and means ‘chaos’ or ‘mighty.’
The Hebrew Word Picture for beit lechem – family urged forward to protect chaos.
“Doesn’t the Tanakh say that the Messiah is from the seed of David and comes from Beit-Lechem, the village where David lived?” (John 7:42).
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