What is Bethlehem in the Bible?
The city of David and the birthplace of Jesus.
Bethlehem is the name of two towns in the Bible. The well-known one is Bethlehem of Judah, also called Ephrath or Bethlehem Ephratah (Genesis 35:19; Micah 5:2).
Bethlehem in the Bible
Rachel was buried on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19). Naomi returned there from Moab with Ruth, and Boaz came from there (Ruth 1:22; Ruth 2:4). Samuel came to Bethlehem at the LORD's word (1 Samuel 16:4).
It was David's city, where he fed his father's sheep (1 Samuel 17:15; 1 Samuel 20:6). While a Philistine garrison held the town, David longed for water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate, and three mighty men broke through to bring it to him (2 Samuel 23:14-16). Chronicles names Salma and Hur as the father of Bethlehem (1 Chronicles 2:51; 1 Chronicles 4:4).
Micah foretold that a ruler in Israel would come out of it (Micah 5:2), and the Gospels record that Jesus was born there (Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4). Herod killed the children of Bethlehem two years old and under (Matthew 2:16). A second Bethlehem appears in a list of twelve cities with Kattath, Nahallal, Shimron and Idalah (Joshua 19:15), part of the territory allotted to the tribe of Zebulun.
- Name meaning
- House of bread
- Name origin
- Hebrew
- Role
- Town in Judah
- First mention
- Genesis 35:19
- Appearances in the Bible
- 38 mentions
Bethlehem in the Bible
Chapters that mention Bethlehem
Coloring pages with Bethlehem
Questions about Bethlehem
What is Bethlehem in the Bible?
Bethlehem is the name of two towns in the Bible. The well-known one is Bethlehem of Judah, also called Ephrath or Bethlehem Ephratah (Genesis 35:19; Micah 5:2). Rachel was buried on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19). Naomi returned there from Moab with Ruth, and Boaz came from there (Ruth 1:22; Ruth 2:4). Samuel came to Bethlehem at the LORD's word (1 Samuel 16:4). It was David's city, where he fed his father's sheep (1 Samuel 17:15; 1 Samuel 20:6). While a Philistine garrison held the town, David longed for water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate, and three mighty men broke through to bring it to him (2 Samuel 23:14-16). Chronicles names Salma and Hur as the father of Bethlehem (1 Chronicles 2:51; 1 Chronicles 4:4). Micah foretold that a ruler in Israel would come out of it (Micah 5:2), and the Gospels record that Jesus was born there (Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4). Herod killed the children of Bethlehem two years old and under (Matthew 2:16). A second Bethlehem appears in a list of twelve cities with Kattath, Nahallal, Shimron and Idalah (Joshua 19:15), part of the territory allotted to the tribe of Zebulun.
What does the name Bethlehem mean?
The name Bethlehem means “House of bread”. Origin: Hebrew.
Where is Bethlehem first mentioned in the Bible?
Bethlehem is first mentioned in Genesis 35:19.
How many times is Bethlehem mentioned in the Bible?
Number of mentions in the Bible: 38.