International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

beth'-le-hem-it (beth ha-lachmi): An inhabitant of Bethlehem, a town in Judah, 5 miles South of Jerusalem. Jesse is so named in 1 Samuel 16:18; 1 Samuel 17:58, and Elhanan in 2 Samuel 21:19. The children of Bethlehem are referred to in Ezra 2:21 Nehemiah 7:26; 1 Esdras 5:17.