3796. kothel

Lexical Summary

kothel: wall, walls

Original Word: כֹּתֶל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: kothel
Pronunciation: koh'-thel
Phonetic Spelling: (ko'-thel)
KJV: wall
NASB: wall, walls
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to compact]

1. a wall (as gathering inmates)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

wall

From an unused root meaning to compact; a wall (as gathering inmates) -- wall.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
wall (of a house)
NASB Translation
wall (2), walls (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[כֹּ֫תֶל] noun [masculine] wall of house (Late Hebrew כּוֺתֶל, Aramaic כּוֺתְלָא); — only suffix כָּתְלֵנוּ Songs 2:9.

כְּתַל (K^{§ 54, 3a) ε) and c)})

noun [masculine] wall (Biblical Hebrew כֹּתֶל, √ כתל); — construct ׳כ Daniel 5:5; plural emphatic כֻּתְלַיָּא Ezra 5:8.

Topical Lexicon

General Meaning

כֹּתֶל designates a structural wall built of stone or brick, providing separation and security. Unlike the more common חוֹמָה (fortification) or גָּדֵר (fence), כֹּתֶל appears only once in the Old Testament text, suggesting a nuanced or poetic choice of vocabulary.

Context in Song of Songs 2:9

“My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! He stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice” (Song of Songs 2:9).

1. Physical Setting: A private residence with a solid wall, small window openings, and a decorative lattice.
2. Literary Function: The wall creates both distance and anticipation; love is present yet partially veiled.
3. Spiritual Insight: Read covenantally, the wall portrays the remaining veil between the Bridegroom and His people during the present age—He is near, attentive, and soon to manifest Himself fully.

Biblical Theology of Walls

1. Protection and Identification
• Numbers 22:24; Proverbs 25:28—walls symbolize disciplined boundaries.
• Nehemiah 6:15—rebuilt walls testify to divine restoration.
2. Separation Awaiting Reconciliation
• Ephesians 2:14 describes the “dividing wall of hostility” removed in Christ, an answer to the longing embedded in Song of Songs 2:9.
3. Eschatological Safety
• Isaiah 60:18; Revelation 21:12–14 envision walls that secure a redeemed city, fulfilling every provisional picture.

Historical and Cultural Background

• Domestic walls in Iron Age Israel averaged two to three feet thick, constructed of unhewn stones with mud or lime mortar.
• Windows were narrow slots cut high for ventilation and privacy; lattices of wood or reeds filtered light while permitting conversation.
• In later Jewish usage כֹּתֶל became the common word for the Western Wall (Kotel) of the Second Temple complex, the last visible remnant of Herodian expansion. Although post-biblical, this association underscores the term’s enduring link to prayerful longing.

Prophetic and Messianic Echoes

The Beloved’s stance “behind our wall” foreshadows the Messiah’s first coming in concealed humility (John 1:14) and His promise of visible return (Revelation 22:20). The moment captures the “already/not yet” tension that threads through redemptive history.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Intimacy Pursued: Followers are invited to seek personal communion, confident that the Lord is already near.
• Barriers Examined: Self-made partitions—fear, unconfessed sin, or misplaced priorities—must yield to His approach (Psalm 139:23-24).
• Watchful Expectation: Like the bride, congregations cultivate anticipation, living in holiness and mission while awaiting the Bridegroom (Titus 2:13-14).

Related Terms and Passages

חֹמָה (wall, fortification): Joshua 6:5; Psalm 51:18

גָּדֵר (fence, hedge): Isaiah 5:5

אַרְגּוּב (lattice): Judges 5:28

Each word complements כֹּתֶל, enriching the scriptural imagery of boundaries, security, and nearness.

See Also

Nehemiah 1–6; Psalm 48:12-13; 2 Corinthians 5:7-8

Forms and Transliterations

כָּתְלֵ֔נוּ כתלנו kā·ṯə·lê·nū kateLenu kāṯəlênū

Englishman's Concordance

Songs 2:9
HEB: עוֹמֵד֙ אַחַ֣ר כָּתְלֵ֔נוּ מַשְׁגִּ֙יחַ֙ מִן־
NAS: behind our wall, He is looking
KJV: behind our wall, he looketh forth
INT: is standing behind our wall is looking through

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 3796
1 Occurrence

kā·ṯə·lê·nū — 1 Occ.