"Bethlehem, indecl., a town in Palestine. See PhotoGuide."
Definition and meaning
Bethlehem, indecl., a town in Palestine. See PhotoGuide.
In the original Greek the word is written: Βηθλέεμ
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of bethleem (G965) across the King James Bible.
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;(because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
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Common questions
Strong's G965 (bethleem) is a Greek word that means: Bethlehem, indecl., a town in Palestine. See PhotoGuide. It appears 8 times in the King James Bible.
The word bethleem (G965) appears 8 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G965 is bethleem, a Greek word defined as: Bethlehem, indecl., a town in Palestine. See PhotoGuide.. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
bethleem is a Greek word found in the New Testament.