3797. kethal
Lexical Summary
kethal: Wall

Original Word: כְּתַל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: kthal
Pronunciation: keh-THAL
Phonetic Spelling: (keth-al')
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H3796 (כּוֹתֶל - wall)]

1. wall

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
wall

(Aramaic) corresponding to kothel -- wall.

see HEBREW kothel

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to kothel
Definition
a wall.

Topical Lexicon
Overview of Biblical Usage

כְּתַל appears twice in the Aramaic portions of the Old Testament, both times translated “wall” in English. Each occurrence lies within a distinct Persian–era narrative—Ezra’s report on the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 5:8) and Daniel’s account of Belshazzar’s feast (Daniel 5:5). While linguistically brief, the term anchors two pivotal moments: the restoration of true worship in Jerusalem and the imminent fall of proud Babylon.

Narrative Contexts

1. Ezra 5:8 situates the word in a letter from regional officials to King Darius: “Timber is being laid in the walls. The work is being done diligently and prospering in their hands”. The walls here frame the temple structure, symbolizing both physical stability and renewed covenant faithfulness after exile.
2. Daniel 5:5 records, “Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall opposite the lampstand in the royal palace”. The palace wall becomes the canvas for divine judgment, transforming an object of royal security into a harbinger of collapse.

Historical and Architectural Significance

In Near-Eastern city planning, walls defined sacred space, demarcated civil order, and conveyed the authority of those who built them. The Ezra passage highlights Persian royal permission granting Judah the right to fortify the temple precinct, a public sign that the God of Israel remained present among His people. Conversely, Daniel sets the scene within Babylon’s massive fortifications—defenses historically lauded as impenetrable—yet the writing on that very wall foretells the empire’s overnight defeat (Daniel 5:30–31). Thus, כְּתַל embodies the tension between human engineering and divine sovereignty.

Symbolic and Theological Themes

Protection and Presence: Throughout Scripture, walls often represent shelter provided by the Lord (Psalm 125:2; Isaiah 26:1). In Ezra, the temple walls proclaim God’s protective presence returning to Zion.

Warning and Judgment: Daniel’s wall bears the message “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN,” declaring the measured, weighed, and divided kingdom. The wall turns into a prophetic witness exposing hidden sin (compare Habakkuk 2:11).

Separation and Reconciliation: Walls can also signify divisions that God intends to overcome. The New Testament draws on this imagery: “For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14). Daniel’s collapsing Babylon anticipates this greater reconciliation accomplished in Christ.

Intertestamental and New Testament Echoes

Jewish tradition remembered the “writing on the wall” as a paradigm of impending judgment, a theme picked up in Revelation where Babylon becomes a symbol of worldly opposition to God (Revelation 18). Meanwhile, Ezra’s walls foreshadow the secure city of Revelation 21, whose foundations and walls reflect the glory of God and welcome all whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Ministry and Pastoral Applications

• Rebuilding: Congregations engaged in physical or spiritual renovation may look to Ezra 5:8 for encouragement that diligent labor under God’s favor prospers despite external scrutiny.
• Discernment: Daniel 5 challenges believers to read the “signs on the wall” of cultural decadence and to proclaim God’s verdict with humility and clarity.
• Security in Christ: While human fortifications fail, the true fortress is found in the Lord (Psalm 46:1). Teaching on כְּתַל can direct hearers to rest in the walls of salvation God establishes (Isaiah 60:18) and to participate in breaking down relational walls through the gospel.

Conclusion

Though only twice employed, כְּתַל bridges two contrasting scenes—construction and collapse—each reinforcing the biblical conviction that safety and permanence belong not to human achievement but to the Lord who builds, warns, and redeems.

Forms and Transliterations
בְּכֻתְלַיָּ֑א בכתליא כְתַ֥ל כתל bə·ḵuṯ·lay·yā bechutlaiYa bəḵuṯlayyā cheTal ḵə·ṯal ḵəṯal
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Ezra 5:8
HEB: וְאָ֖ע מִתְּשָׂ֣ם בְּכֻתְלַיָּ֑א וַעֲבִ֥ידְתָּא דָ֛ךְ
NAS: are being laid in the walls; and this
KJV: is laid in the walls, and this
INT: and beams laid the walls work and this

Daniel 5:5
HEB: גִּירָ֕א דִּֽי־ כְתַ֥ל הֵיכְלָ֖א דִּ֣י
NAS: on the plaster of the wall of the king's
KJV: the plaister of the wall of the king's
INT: the plaster forasmuch of the wall palace forasmuch

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3797
2 Occurrences


bə·ḵuṯ·lay·yā — 1 Occ.
ḵə·ṯal — 1 Occ.

3796
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