What does לֶחֶם · בַּד · חָיָה · אָדָם mean in the Bible?
לֶחֶם · בַּד · חָיָה · אָדָם is a Hebrew phrase meaning "Not by bread alone does the human being live — the definitive statement of divine-word dependence".
Hebrew · H3899, H905, H2421, H120
לֹא עַל-הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם
Food (for man or beast), especially bread , or grain (for making it) · properly, separation ; by implication, a part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart , only , besides · to live , whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive · ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind , etc.)
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
לֶחֶםH3899food (for man or beast), especially bread , or grain (for making it)
Pronunciationleḥem
Staple sustenance representing basic human need; metaphorically signifies livelihood, covenant provision, and dependence on God.
Open lexicon entry →בַּדH905properly, separation ; by implication, a part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart , only , besides
Pronunciationbad
Root meaning of separation extending to isolated units: limbs, branches, bars—hence "alone" or "only
Open lexicon entry →חָיָהH2421to live , whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive
Pronunciationchayah
Encompasses both physical survival and spiritual vitality; God's exclusive power to revive and restore life.
Open lexicon entry →אָדָםH120ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind , etc.)
Pronunciationʾādām
Humanity defined by earthly origin: from dust (ʾădāmâ), emphasizing creatureliness and mortality rather than divinity.
Open lexicon entry →What does לֹא עַל-הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם (lo al ha-lechem levaddo yichyeh ha-adam) mean in the Bible?
לֶחֶם · בַּד · חָיָה · אָדָם is a Hebrew phrase meaning "Not by bread alone does the human being live — the definitive statement of divine-word dependence".
Full entry for לֹא עַל-הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם (H3899, H905, H2421, H120) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H3899, H905, H2421, H120?
H3899, H905, H2421, H120 is connected to 1,318 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. Not by bread alone does the human being live — the definitive statement of divine-word dependence
Strong'sH3899, H905, H2421, H120
Lexical occurrences1,318 versesSource Gloss
Not by bread alone does the human being live — the definitive statement of divine-word dependence
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
לֹא עַל-הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם is built from these roots: