Lexical Summary miktab: Writing, inscription, document Original Word: מִכְתָּב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance writing From kathab; a thing written, the characters, or a document (letter, copy, edict, poem) -- writing. see HEBREW kathab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kathab Definition writing NASB Translation letter (1), writing (7). Brown-Driver-Briggs מִכְתָּב noun masculine2Chronicles 21:12 writing; — absolute ׳מ Deuteronomy 10:4 + 5t.; construct מִכְתַּב Exodus 32:16 2t.; — 1 = handwriting וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹהִים הוּא Exodus 32:16. 2 = thing written, Exodus 39:30 (accusative of congnate meaning with verb with כָּתַב), Deuteronomy 10:4; specifically a royal enactment or edict (= כְּתָב כתם 4), 2 Chronicles 35:4 "" כְּתָב, 2 Chronicles 36:22 = Ezra 1:1; a prophetic writing 2Chronicles 21:12. 3 in a title, לְחִזְקִיָּהוּ ׳מ Isaiah 38:9 Writing of Hezekiah. Topical Lexicon Overview The Hebrew noun מִכְתָּב (mikhtab) denotes a tangible piece of writing—an inscription, document, or letter. Across its nine appearances in the Old Testament the word traces a span of revelation from the hand-engraved covenant tablets at Sinai to royal edicts that shape post-exilic restoration. Each occurrence highlights the covenantal God who speaks, inscribes, and preserves His word for His people. Sinai: Divine Writing that Founds the Nation Exodus 32:16 and Deuteronomy 10:4 describe the tablets as “the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets”. Here mikhtab is uniquely divine, underscoring both the supernatural origin and the permanence of the Ten Commandments. Theologically, the term witnesses to verbal, plenary inspiration; practically, it reminds the church that moral law rests on God’s own inscription rather than human convention. Priestly Inscription: Holiness on Display Exodus 39:30 records the engraving of the golden plate fastened to the high priest’s turban: “Holy to the LORD.” By calling this engraving a mikhtab, the narrative links priestly mediation to the same divine authority evident at Sinai. Worship and holiness, therefore, are grounded in God’s written declaration, not in ritual ingenuity. Prophetic Letter: Elijah’s Posthumous Rebuke In 2 Chronicles 21:12 a mikhtab arrives from Elijah confronting King Jehoram’s apostasy. Though sent after Elijah’s translation, the letter carries prophetic authority, proving that the written word can transcend the prophet’s earthly presence. Scripture’s sufficiency remains operative even when the human messenger is absent—a principle vital for both preaching and pastoral counsel. Liturgical Order: Written Directives for Corporate Worship Josiah’s Passover reforms rely on a mikhtab that organizes Levitical divisions (2 Chronicles 35:4). The verse illustrates how written instructions safeguard orderly, God-centered worship. Local congregations likewise benefit from clear, biblically governed structures that guard against confusion and novelty. Imperial Decrees: Cyrus and the Providence of God The final Judean exile learns of Cyrus’s edict “in writing” (2 Chronicles 36:22; Ezra 1:1). By calling the decree a mikhtab, the Chronicler and Ezra elevate a Persian document into the flow of redemptive history. The same Lord who inscribed the law now moves a pagan king’s pen, confirming that “the king’s heart is a watercourse in the hand of the LORD” (Proverbs 21:1). Personal Psalm: Hezekiah’s Testimony Isaiah 38:9 introduces Hezekiah’s song of thanksgiving as a mikhtab. The term frames private devotion in the same category as covenant and decree, affirming that individual testimonies—when anchored in truth—can edify the wider community of faith. Theological and Ministry Implications 1. Revelation Is Both Spoken and Inscribed: Mikhtab events show that God commits His word to durable form for memory, obedience, and transmission. Christological Foreshadowing The tablets point to Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word; the high-priestly plate anticipates His perfect holiness; Cyrus’s decree prefigures the gospel mandate issued to all nations. In every mikhtab the ultimate Author is the Lord who, “in the fullness of time,” writes the new covenant on hearts (Jeremiah 31:33), fulfilling in Christ what stone and scroll only anticipated. Application for the Church • Treasure the written Scriptures as God’s abiding mikhtab. Forms and Transliterations בְּמִכְתָּ֖ב במכתב וְהַמִּכְתָּ֗ב וּבְמִכְתַּ֖ב ובמכתב והמכתב כַּמִּכְתָּ֣ב כמכתב מִכְתַּ֤ב מִכְתַּב֙ מִכְתָּ֔ב מִכְתָּ֖ב מכתב bə·miḵ·tāḇ bemichTav bəmiḵtāḇ kam·miḵ·tāḇ kammichTav kammiḵtāḇ michTav miḵ·taḇ miḵ·tāḇ miḵtaḇ miḵtāḇ ū·ḇə·miḵ·taḇ ūḇəmiḵtaḇ uvemichTav vehammichTav wə·ham·miḵ·tāḇ wəhammiḵtāḇLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 32:16 HEB: אֱלֹהִ֖ים הֵ֑מָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּ֗ב מִכְתַּ֤ב אֱלֹהִים֙ NAS: work, and the writing was God's KJV: of God, and the writing [was] the writing INT: were God's like and the writing writing was God's Exodus 32:16 Exodus 39:30 Deuteronomy 10:4 2 Chronicles 21:12 2 Chronicles 35:4 2 Chronicles 36:22 Ezra 1:1 Isaiah 38:9 9 Occurrences |
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