Bethlehem

Bethlehem — "house of bread" — is the town of King David and the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah, where Christ was born.

Overview

• Bethlehem is a small town just south of Jerusalem in the territory of Judah; its Hebrew name means "house of bread."
• It was the home and anointing-place of King David — and the prophet Micah foretold that Israel's ruler would come from it (Micah 5.1).
• There Jesus Christ was born (the Nativity; Luke 2.1-20; Matthew 2.1-6) — the "house of bread" giving forth the "Bread of Life."

Summary

Bethlehem, a modest town in the land of Judah a few miles from Jerusalem, holds an outsized place in salvation history. It was the setting of the book of Ruth and the birthplace and anointing-place of King David, so that it became known as "the city of David." Centuries later the prophet Micah named it as the origin of the coming ruler: "out of thee shall one come forth to me, to be a ruler of Israel; and his goings forth were... from eternity" (Micah 5.1) — a prophecy both the magi and Herod's scribes knew (Matthew 2.1-6). It was fulfilled when Jesus was born there of the Virgin Mary (Luke 2.1-20). The Fathers delight that the "house of bread" cradled the One who would call Himself the Bread of Life, and that the King born in David's town came not to a palace but to a manger. Cross-link The Nativity of Christ, King David, Prophecies Fulfilled in Christ, Judah.

Sources

[^1]: Micah 5.1 (Brenton) — the prophecy that Israel's ruler would come forth from Bethlehem. [^2]: Luke 2.1-20; Matthew 2.1-6 (WEB) — the birth of Christ in Bethlehem.