Lexical Summary kethab: inscription, document, needed Original Word: כְּתָב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance prescribing, writing(Aramaic) corresponding to kathab -- prescribing, writing(-ten). see HEBREW kathab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to kethab Definition a writing NASB Translation document (3), inscription (7), needed (1), written (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs כְּתָב noun masculineDaniel 5:7 writing ; — absolute כְּתָ֑ב Ezra 7:22 (Baer כְּתַב, but see K§ 57 near the end Str); construct ׳כ Ezra 6:18; emphatic כְּתָבָאDaniel 5:8 +, הָ֯ Daniel 5:7,15; — 1 writing, inscription (on wall) Daniel 5:7,8,15,16,17,24,25. 2. a. written decree Daniel 6:9; Daniel 6:10; Daniel 6:11. b. written requirement Ezra 6:18; Ezra 7:22. Topical Lexicon Range of Meaning Kəṯāḇ denotes a written script, inscription, or document. In the inspired Aramaic portions of Ezra and Daniel it describes civil decrees, temple regulations, and the supernatural writing that appeared on Belshazzar’s wall. The term always assumes a visible, authoritative text whose contents must be heeded. Occurrences and Literary Setting Ezra 6:18; Ezra 7:22; Daniel 5:7, 8, 15, 16, 17, 24, 25; Daniel 6:8, 9, 10. Ten occurrences belong to Daniel’s narrative of Babylonian and Medo-Persian court life, two to post-exilic temple administration in Ezra. Every text lies within the exilic or early restoration period when God’s people were subject to imperial law yet sustained by divine revelation. Historical Background During the sixth and fifth centuries B.C., the Babylonian and Persian empires relied heavily on written law codes and royal archives. Sealed letters determined taxation (Ezra 7:22) and worship practices (Ezra 6:18). In Daniel, kəṯāḇ underscores how irrevocable “the law of the Medes and Persians” was (Daniel 6:8-10). By stressing the permanence of such records, Scripture contrasts transient human decrees with the unchanging word of God. The Writing on the Wall (Daniel 5) In Daniel 5, kəṯāḇ is clustered eight times around the mysterious hand that interrupted Belshazzar’s blasphemous feast: Here the term marks a divine verdict written in human language but inaccessible without prophetic insight. The king’s wise men could not decipher it, demonstrating that worldly wisdom fails without revelation. Royal Decrees and Administrative Authority In Ezra 6:18 the Persian authorities authorize the restored temple’s priestly duties “according to the book of Moses,” showing that Gentile edicts could support covenant faithfulness. In Daniel 6, a hostile decree forbids prayer to anyone but the king; Daniel continues praying toward Jerusalem three times a day despite “the written decree” (Daniel 6:10). The clash between imperial kəṯāḇ and the higher law of God illustrates the believer’s obligation to obey God rather than men when commands conflict. Implications for Scripture Kəṯāḇ reminds readers that God communicates through writing and guards His purposes through providentially ordered documents. The Babylonian edict that doomed Belshazzar validated Daniel’s prophetic message and foretold the kingdom’s fall that very night (Daniel 5:30-31). Likewise, Persian records preserved temple funding and protected Jewish worship (Ezra 6:18). These texts affirm God’s sovereignty over history and His ability to use secular paperwork to advance redemption. Lessons for Ministry 1. Treat written Scripture as the decisive authority, superior to any cultural or governmental decree. Related Concepts Sefer (“scroll”), Kathab (“to write”), Dath (“law”), Megillah (“roll”), Grapho (Greek “to write”). Forms and Transliterations וּכְתָבָ֥א וכתבא כְּתָבָ֑א כְּתָבָ֖א כְּתָבָ֜א כְּתָבָ֣ה כְּתָבָא֙ כְתָֽב׃ כְתָבָ֖א כְתָבָ֤ה כִּכְתָ֖ב ככתב כתב׃ כתבא כתבה cheTav chetaVa chetaVah kə·ṯā·ḇā ḵə·ṯā·ḇā kə·ṯā·ḇāh ḵə·ṯā·ḇāh ḵə·ṯāḇ ḵəṯāḇ kəṯāḇā ḵəṯāḇā kəṯāḇāh ḵəṯāḇāh ketaVa ketaVah kichTav kiḵ·ṯāḇ kiḵṯāḇ ū·ḵə·ṯā·ḇā uchetaVa ūḵəṯāḇāLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 6:18 HEB: דִּ֣י בִירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם כִּכְתָ֖ב סְפַ֥ר מֹשֶֽׁה׃ NAS: in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book KJV: which [is] at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book INT: in Jerusalem is written the book of Moses Ezra 7:22 Daniel 5:7 Daniel 5:8 Daniel 5:15 Daniel 5:16 Daniel 5:17 Daniel 5:24 Daniel 5:25 Daniel 6:8 Daniel 6:9 Daniel 6:10 12 Occurrences |
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