English · KJV
H3903

לַחְמָס

Lachmâç /lakh-maws'/ Ask about this word
Rootprobably by erroneous transcription for לַחְמָם · from לֶחֶם
Meaningfood-like; Lachmam or Lachmas, a place in Palestine
KJV usageLahmam.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Lachmâç — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word Lachmâç, represented by H3903, refers to Lahmam or Lachmas, a place in Palestine. The name is potentially derived from a root meaning food-like and may be an erroneous transcription for another term. It appears only 1 time in 1 unique verse in the Bible, indicating its role as a specific geographical marker.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The single biblical reference to H3903 occurs in a list of cities located in the Shephelah, or lowland, region of Judah. In the book of Joshua, it is named as part of the inheritance allotted to the tribe of Judah. The verse simply lists it alongside other towns: "And Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish" Joshua 15:40, providing a geographical record rather than a narrative context.

Related Words & Concepts

The context of H3903 connects it directly to the other cities listed in the same verse:

  • H3522 Kabbôwn: Meaning hilly, this is the name of a place in Palestine called Cabbon. It is listed immediately before Lahmam in the record of Judah's inheritance Joshua 15:40.
  • H3798 Kithlîysh: Meaning wall of a man, this is the name of a place in Palestine called Kithlish. It is listed directly after Lahmam, completing the trio of cities mentioned in that part of the verse Joshua 15:40.

Theological Significance

The significance of H3903 is primarily historical and geographical rather than theological. Its inclusion in Scripture serves to document the fulfillment of God's promise regarding the land.

  • Territorial Allotment: Its presence in Joshua 15:40 helps to define the precise boundaries and settlements of the tribe of Judah, underscoring the orderly division of the promised land.
  • Historical Record: The mention of Lahmam provides a concrete detail that grounds the biblical account in a specific time and place.
  • Geographical Context: Being listed with Cabbon and Kithlish provides a geographical cluster that aids in understanding the settlement patterns within a specific region of Judah.

Summary

In summary, H3903 is the proper name of a town, Lahmam. Its sole appearance in the Bible is in Joshua 15:40, where it functions as a geographical and historical data point. While not carrying overt theological weight on its own, its inclusion is significant as part of the larger scriptural record detailing the fulfillment of the land covenant to the tribes of Israel.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 1 occurrence, inflected in 1 grammatical form — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • לַחְמָס

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H3522 כַּבּוֹן from an unused root meaning to heap up; hilly; Cabon, a place in Palestine; Cabbon. H3798 כִּתְלִישׁ lemma כְּתִלִישׁ first two vowels, corrected to כִּתְלִישׁ; from כֹּתֶל and אִישׁ; wall of a man; Kithlish, a place in P

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

1 verse, all in Joshua — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.