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Glite Dictionary
Bethlehem Ephrathah

Bethlehem Ephrathah

9.9
A small town near Jerusalem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus and early home of David
  • proper noun
translation icon : Belén Efratá
  • Jesus was born in Bethlehem Ephrathah.

Examples

  • The prophecy mentioned Bethlehem Ephrathah as the birthplace of the Messiah.

  • Many pilgrims travel to Bethlehem Ephrathah to visit significant religious sites.

  • Archaeologists have studied Bethlehem Ephrathah for insights into ancient Judea.

  • The prophet Micah foretold the importance of Bethlehem Ephrathah in biblical texts.

  • Jesus was born in Bethlehem Ephrathah, which holds great significance in Christianity.

  • Many pilgrims travel to Bethlehem Ephrathah to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

  • The prophet Micah foretold the importance of Bethlehem Ephrathah as the birthplace of the Messiah.

Synonyms

Bethlehem
vsBethlehem Ephrathah
61 5.0

A small town near Jerusalem known as the birthplace of Jesus and early home of King David

uses the older form that adds an ancient locality name
Bayt Lahm
vsBethlehem Ephrathah
9.6

A small town near Jerusalem in the West Bank, traditionally the birthplace of Jesus and called Bethlehem

uses the traditional English form with a historical place reference
Bethlehem-Judah
vsBethlehem Ephrathah
9.4

A small town near Jerusalem where King David grew up and Christians say Jesus was born

omits the extra riverbank detail and focuses on traditional birthplace claim

Surface Forms

Bethlehem Ephrathah main

Morphology

Bethlehem + Ephrathah

This is a proper-name toponym where 'Ephrathah' is an ancient epithet attached to the place name 'Bethlehem'; the specific referent and its cultural/historical associations (birthplace of Jesus, David’s early home) are encyclopedic facts rather than compositional meanings. Even if a B1 learner knows both constituent words, they would not be able to derive this specific historical/place meaning from the parts, so the expression is opaque without prior cultural or biblical knowledge.

Etymology

Bethlehem Ephrathah combines the name Bethlehem, which means 'house of bread', with Ephrathah, an older local name, giving the picture of a small, fruitful town. This simple image helps explain why the town near Jerusalem is known in the Bible as the 'birthplace' of Jesus and the early 'home' of David.