from לֶחֶם; foodful; (or perhaps erroneous transcription) for בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי; Lachmi, an Israelite; or rather probably a brief form; Lahmi. See also יָשֻׁבִי לֶחֶם.
Transliteration:Lachmîy
Pronunciation:lakh-mee'
Detailed Word Study
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew term לַחְמִי (Lachmî), Strong's H3902, is derived from the root לֶחֶם (lechem, `{{H3899}}`), which primarily means "bread" or "food." Therefore, the most direct interpretation of לַחְמִי would be "my bread," or adjectivally, "foodful" or "belonging to bread." However, the usage of this particular form in the biblical text is highly unusual and debated. Strong's notes suggest several possibilities: it could be a proper name meaning "foodful," or perhaps an erroneous transcription for בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי (Beth-ha-Lachmi), meaning "the Bethlehemite," or even a brief form of another name like יָשֻׁבִי לֶחֶם (Jasub-Lehem, likely related to `{{H3435}}` and `{{H3899}}`). This inherent ambiguity in its etymological connection points to a significant textual challenge rather than a straightforward semantic range.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The word לַחְמִי (Lachmî) appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in [[1 Chronicles 20:5]]. The verse reads: "And there was again war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair struck down Lachmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam."
This single occurrence presents a notable textual difficulty when compared with its parallel account in [[2 Samuel 21:19]]. The latter passage states: "And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam."
The discrepancies between these two accounts are significant:
1. **The Victim:** [[2 Samuel 21:19]] states Elhanan killed "Goliath the Gittite" (`{{H1555}}`). [[1 Chronicles 20:5]] states he killed "Lachmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite."
2. **Elhanan's Epithet:** [[2 Samuel 21:19]] identifies Elhanan as "the Bethlehemite" (בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי). This phrase is conspicuously absent in [[1 Chronicles 20:5]], where "Lachmi" appears instead.
Scholarly consensus often views "Lachmi" in [[1 Chronicles 20:5]] as a textual corruption or misreading. Several theories exist:
* **Textual Corruption of "Bethlehemite":** Many scholars propose that "Lachmi" in Chronicles is a corruption of "Beth-ha-Lachmi" (the Bethlehemite) from the Samuel account. If the original text of Chronicles read "Elhanan the Bethlehemite struck down Goliath," a scribal error could have split "Beth-ha-Lachmi" into "Lachmi" and then interpreted the remaining "Beth" as "brother" (אָח, 'ach), leading to "Lachmi the brother of Goliath." This is supported by the fact that Elhanan is indeed called "the Bethlehemite" in Samuel.
* **Conflation of Accounts:** Another view suggests that the Chronicler, aware of the iconic defeat of Goliath by David, sought to preserve David's unique victory while acknowledging Elhanan's heroic deed against a similar giant. By identifying Elhanan's victim as "Lachmi, the brother of Goliath," the text attempts to reconcile the two narratives without diminishing David's role.
* **Distinct Individual:** A minority view maintains that Lachmi was indeed a separate giant, a brother of Goliath, and that both accounts are accurate, describing two distinct events. However, the exact parallels in wording and the presence of "Beth-ha-Lachmi" in Samuel make this less likely for most scholars.
Regardless of the precise textual history, the occurrence of H3902 highlights a complex issue in biblical textual criticism, where parallel accounts offer differing details, prompting careful analysis of transmission and interpretation.
### Related Words & Concepts
The most directly related word is לֶחֶם (lechem, `{{H3899}}`), meaning "bread" or "food." This root is foundational to understanding the potential meaning of "Lachmi" as "my bread" or "foodful."
Other related concepts and terms include:
* **בֵּית לֶחֶם (Beth Lechem):** Bethlehem, meaning "house of bread," a highly significant biblical city, especially in the context of the proposed textual variant "Beth-ha-Lachmi" (the Bethlehemite).
* **`{{H1555}}` (Goliath):** The famous Philistine giant, central to the narrative in which Lachmi appears.
* **`{{H459}}` (Elhanan):** The Israelite warrior credited with striking down either Goliath or Lachmi.
* **Textual Criticism:** The field of study concerned with establishing the original or most reliable text of ancient documents, highly relevant to the analysis of H3902.
* **Parallel Passages:** The comparison between [[1 Chronicles 20:5]] and [[2 Samuel 21:19]] exemplifies the importance of examining parallel accounts in biblical study.
* **Rephaim:** The class of giants to which Goliath and potentially Lachmi belonged, representing formidable adversaries of Israel.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of לַחְמִי (Lachmî) is not derived from its inherent meaning, which is obscure due to its single, problematic occurrence. Instead, its theological weight emerges from the textual challenge it presents.
1. **Divine Inspiration and Human Transmission:** The discrepancy surrounding "Lachmi" underscores the reality that while the Bible is divinely inspired, its transmission occurred through human hands, leading to occasional variations or difficulties in the text. This does not undermine inspiration but highlights the need for careful textual study and humility in interpretation.
2. **Trustworthiness of Scripture:** For believers, the ability of scholarship to identify and grapple with such textual issues, often reconciling them or understanding their origins, reinforces confidence in the overall trustworthiness of the biblical record. It demonstrates that the core message and theological truths remain intact despite minor textual variations.
3. **God's Deliverance through Human Agents:** If Lachmi is indeed a distinct individual, his defeat by Elhanan, like Goliath's defeat by David, serves as a testament to God empowering His people to overcome seemingly insurmountable foes. It reinforces the theme that God works through His chosen servants to bring about victory and deliverance.
4. **The Nature of Biblical Narrative:** The "Lachmi" problem invites deeper reflection on the nature of biblical historical writing. It suggests that the biblical authors, particularly the Chronicler, sometimes synthesized or interpreted earlier traditions, not necessarily to create outright falsehoods, but to convey theological truths or reconcile different accounts in their own context.
### Summary
לַחְמִי (Lachmî, `{{H3902}}`) is a Hebrew term whose primary meaning is rooted in לֶחֶם (lechem, `{{H3899}}`), "bread" or "food." However, its sole appearance in [[1 Chronicles 20:5]] as the name of a giant slain by Elhanan, "Lachmi the brother of Goliath," presents a significant textual difficulty when compared to the parallel account in [[2 Samuel 21:19]], which states Elhanan, "the Bethlehemite," killed "Goliath the Gittite." Scholarly consensus largely views "Lachmi" as a textual corruption or misreading of "Beth-ha-Lachmi" (the Bethlehemite) from the Samuel account, or a deliberate interpretive choice by the Chronicler to distinguish Elhanan's feat from David's iconic victory over Goliath. Thus, the significance of H3902 lies less in its direct semantic contribution and more in its role as a key example in biblical textual criticism, highlighting the complexities of textual transmission and the scholarly pursuit of understanding the most accurate and coherent biblical narrative. It implicitly affirms the Bible's overall reliability while acknowledging the human element in its preservation.
TRV