Bible Lexicons

לַחְמִי see לַחְמִי בֵּית a Bethlehemite, p. 118, A. But לַחְמִי [Lahmi] also is found as the name of a man, 1 Chronicles 20:5, in which place the author of the Chronicles has taken up the words of 2 Samuel 21:19, וַיַּךְ אֶלְחָנָן בֶּן־יַעֲרֵי אֹרְגִים בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי אֵת גָּלְיַת הַגִּתִּי “Elhanan, the son of Jaare-Oregim (this last word is doubtful, and has perhaps been inserted from the end of the verse), a Bethlehemite, slew Goliath of Gath;” and mistaking the sense [see note], has sought to reconcile it with the account of David having slain Goliath, and has thus written conjecturally, וַיַּךְ אֶלְחָנָן בֶּן־יָעִיר אֶת־לַחְמִי אֲחִי גָלְיַת הַגִּתִּי “Elhanan, the son of Jair, slew Lachmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath.” Lachmi therefore, the brother of Goliath, is a fictitious person. [Note. An inspired writer must never be charged with mistaking the sense of a passage; whatever difficulties we may find, we must never forget that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.”]