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כְּתַב

𐤊𐤕𐤁

kᵉthab

H3790 verb

SILEX Entry

Root כתב to write, inscribe, record

Definition

Inscription, written document, written text. כְּתַב in Aramaic refers primarily to the act or product of writing, especially in formal, official, or legal contexts. It denotes something that is written, whether as a record, inscription, or written communication, rather than the act of writing itself. The semantic range includes anything written—letters, edicts, legal documents, decrees, inscriptions, or records.

Semantic Range

inscription, written document, official record, decree, letter, text

Root / Etymology

The word כְּתַב derives from the root כתב, which fundamentally means 'to write.' As a noun form in Aramaic, כְּתַב refers to the product resulting from the act of writing.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, particularly Daniel and Ezra, כְּתַב is the standard term for a written document or inscription, often in the context of official royal edicts, decrees, or letters (e.g., Ezra 5:7, Daniel 6:9). It is distinct from Hebrew סֵפֶר (sefer, 'scroll; book'), which more typically denotes a scroll or extended written work. The context in which כְּתַב is used is typically administrative or legal, referring to documents of record, not personal correspondence or literary works. In later Aramaic and post-biblical usage, כְּתַב continues to serve as the common term for writing or script. English translations typically render this as 'writing,' 'written document,' or 'inscription,' but may obscure the formal and official connotations the word carried in its setting. The term rarely, if ever, implies the writing implement or medium; it refers to what is inscribed, not the process. In the Persian and Hellenistic periods, official correspondence and inscriptions played a significant administrative role, and כְּתַב reflects this bureaucratic-literary environment. In contrast to the Hebrew noun כְּתוֹבֶת (address, inscription), Aramaic כְּתַב emphasizes the end product—the document or text itself.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to כָּתַב; {to grave, by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe)}; write(-ten).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כתב (k-t-v) — write, inscribe, record

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3789 כָּתַב in the written ones
H3791 כָּתָב in a written document
H3792 כְּתָב the written record
H3793 כְּתֹבֶת and inscribed-mark of
H4385 מִכְתָּב in a written document

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3790-03 כְּתִ֣יב ketiv AVQp3ms written he wrote 2
H3790-04 כָתְבָֽה khatevah AVqrfsa wrote Write her 1
H3790-07 וְ/כָֽתְבָן֙ vekhatevan AC/Vqrfpa and wrote writing ones 1
H3790-05 כְתַ֔ב khetav AVqp3ms he wrote written document 1
H3790-06 נִכְתֻּ֥ב nikhetuv AVqi1cp we might write we will write 1
H3790-01 כְּ֠תַב ketav AVqp3ms made-a-decree Write! 1
H3790-02 כְּתַ֛בוּ ketavu AVqp3mp wrote they wrote 1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3790-07 Daniel 5:5 וְ/כָֽתְבָן֙ vekhatevan AC/Vqrfpa and wrote writing ones
H3790-04 Daniel 5:5 כָתְבָֽה khatevah AVqrfsa wrote Write her
H3790-01 Daniel 6:26 כְּ֠תַב ketav AVqp3ms made-a-decree Write!
H3790-05 Daniel 7:1 כְתַ֔ב khetav AVqp3ms he wrote written document
H3790-02 Ezra 4:8 כְּתַ֛בוּ ketavu AVqp3mp wrote they wrote
H3790-03 Ezra 5:7 כְּתִ֣יב ketiv AVQp3ms written he wrote
H3790-06 Ezra 5:10 נִכְתֻּ֥ב nikhetuv AVqi1cp we might write we will write
H3790-03 Ezra 6:2 כְּתִ֥יב ketiv AVQp3ms written he wrote
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