לֶ֫חֶם₂₉₆ noun masculine^{1Samuel 9:7} and (rarely) feminine^{Genesis 49:20} (see below, and Dr^{1Samuel 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 Genesis 31:54 +; לֶ֑חֶם Psalm 14:4 2t.; construct לֶחֶם Hosea 9:4 +; suffix לַחְמִי Job 3:24 +, לַחְמְךָ Obadiah 7 +, לַחְמָם Hosea 9:4b, + Hosea 9:4a (for ᵑ0 לָהֶם), 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; Deuteronomy 23:5; Exodus 16:3 (P) +; ׳כִּכַּרלֿ loaf of bread 1 Samuel 2:36 + (see כִּכָּר below כרר), and without ככר (always with number) 1 Samuel 10:4; 1 Samuel 16:20 (see Dr), 1 Samuel 17:7; 1 Samuel 21:4; 1 Samuel 25:18; 2 Samuel 16:1; 1 Kings 14:3; 2 Kings 4:42; ׳חַלַת ל 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 (סֹלֶת חִטִים) 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 Exodus 16:3 above), Exodus 29:32,34; Leviticus 8:31 (all P), Leviticus 23:18 (H), 1 Chronicles 12:40; Psalm 78:20; Daniel 10:3; = a meal 1 Samuel 20:27, ׳אָכַל ל = take a meal Genesis 31:54 (twice in verse); Genesis 37:25; Genesis 43:25,32 +; אכל לַחְמִי Psalm 41:10 eat my bread, establishing an obligation, compare Obadiah 7 (read ׳אֹכְלֵי ל according to Marti^{Kau AT}; strike out ׳ל ᵐ5 Hi We, compare VB) ׳עשׂה ל = make a feast Ecclesiastes 10:19; ׳מַטֵּה ל staff of bread (as support of life), only late Ezekiel 4:16; Ezekiel 5:16; Ezekiel 14:13; Leviticus 26:26 (H), Psalm 105:16; cf .׳מִשְׁעַן ל Isaiah 3:1 (gloss); leavened bread is חָמֵץ ׳ל Leviticus 7:13; unleavened bread is מַצּוֺת ׳ל Exodus 29:2 (both P); (הַ)מָּנִים ׳ל bread of the face (of ׳י; i.e. in his presence, Di^{Leviticus 24:9} Dr^{1Sam 21:7}); in the sanctuary 1 Samuel 21:7; 1 Kings 7:48 2Chronicles 4:19; Exodus 25:30; Exodus 35:13; Exodus 39:36, without ׳פ Exodus 40:23 (all P); = הַתָּמִיד ׳ל Numbers 4:7 (P), קֹדֶשׁ ׳ל 1 Samuel 21:5; in Chronicles הַמַּעֲרָ֑כֶת ׳ל 1 Chronicles 9:32; compare 1 Chronicles 23:29; Nehemiah 10:34, ׳ל ׳מ2Chronicles 13:11 opposed to חֹל ׳ל 1 Samuel 21:5; תְּנוּפִה ׳ל Leviticus 23:17 wave-loaf; (הַ)בִּכֻּרִים ׳ל Leviticus 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), Genesis 47:13,15,17 (twice in verse); Genesis 47:19 (J), Genesis 49:20 (poem in J), Isaiah 28:28; Isaiah 30:23; Isaiah 55:10; Jeremiah 5:17; Ezekiel 48:18; Job 28:5; Proverbs 28:3; Psalm 104:14; הָאָרֶץ ׳ל Numbers 15:19 (P), ׳ארץ ל 2 Kings 18:32 = Isaiah 36:17.

2 food in General:

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

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

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

3 other phrases and figurative uses are:

a. רֶשַׁע ׳ל Proverbs 4:17 (accusative of congnate meaning with verb with לָחַם), probably = food gained by wickedness ׅ "" (יִיִן חֲמָסִים, compare שָׁ֑קֶר ׳ל Proverbs 20:17, כְּזָבִים ׳ל Proverbs 23:3; עַצְלוּת ׳ל Proverbs 31:27 = bread of idleness, i.e. unearned; חֻקִּי ׳לProverbs 30:8 (opposed to riches and poverty, see חֹק); לַחַץ ׳ל 1 Kings 22:27 2Chronicles 18:26, vid לַחַץ below; הָעֲצָבִים ׳ל Psalm 127:2 see II. עֶצָב; אוֺנִים ׳ל Hosea 9:4, vid אָוֶן. p.20 a; אֲנָשִׁים ׳ל Ezekiel 24:17,22 of food offered to mourners, compare Jeremiah 16:7 (where insert ׳ל ᵐ5 Gf Gie); שַׁלַּח לחמך עלפֿני המים 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 לַחְמֵנוּ הֵם Numbers 14:9 (JE) our food are they, i.e. we will devour, destroy, them (compare Deuteronomy 7:16); ׳דִּמְעָתִּי ל Psalm 42:4; compare Psalm 80:6 (see אכל above); ׳ל of evil deeds of wicked Job 20:14; עֵץ בְּלַחְמוֺ 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).