כְּתָב (ka.tav)
ka.tav
writing
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 14 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun kethav refers to a written document, edict, or record. In the Hebrew Bible it appears fourteen times, primarily in the historical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, with additional occurrences in Esther. It denotes the physical text itself—whether a royal decree, an official register, or a letter—rather than the abstract act of writing.
Its usage highlights the authority embedded in the written word. In Nehemiah, for example, kethav describes the copy of the law that Ezra read to the assembly (Nehemiah 8:1), establishing it as the standard for community life. Similarly, in Esther, it refers to the king’s sealed edicts (Esther 3:12; 4:6), underscoring that once a document is finalized and signed, its power becomes irreversible.
The term distinguishes the tangible record from oral tradition. It often appears in contexts where accuracy and preservation are critical, such as when records are read aloud or compared against other scrolls. This focus on the fixed text reflects a culture where written agreements held legal and social weight, ensuring that commands and laws remained consistent over time.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word kethav points to the tangible reality of a written document, whether it is a royal decree or a sacred record. In the ancient world, once words were fixed on parchment and sealed with authority, they carried weight that could not be easily undone. This concept reminds us that God’s promises are not fleeting thoughts but enduring truths recorded for our stability.
When we read of Ezra holding the copy of the law or Esther receiving the king’s edicts, we see how written words preserve identity and guide community life. For you today, this offers comfort: your faith rests on a foundation that has been carefully preserved and shared across generations. You can trust that what is recorded in Scripture remains true and reliable.
This focus on the fixed text encourages us to value accuracy and honesty in our own lives. Just as ancient scribes worked to ensure the integrity of important documents, we are invited to let God’s written word shape our daily decisions with clarity and purpose.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 14 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- according to/ writing/ its3×
- the/ writing2×
- according to/ writing/ their2×
- in/ writing of1×
- in/ writing1×
- document[s]/ their1×
- document/ their1×
- by/ [the] writing of1×
- and/ [the] writing of1×
- a writing1×
- [the] writing of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- כִּ/כְתָבָ֔/הּ3×
- כִּ/כְתָבָ֖/ם2×
- כְתָבָ֛/ם2×
- הַ/כְּתָ֗ב2×
- כְּתָֽב\־1×
- כְתָ֞ב1×
- וּ/כְתָב֙1×
- בִּ/כְתָ֛ב1×
- בִּ/כְתָ֗ב1×
- בִּ/כְתָ֖ב1×
Key Verses
-
Esther 3:12
Then the king’s scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s local governors, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king’s ring.
The writing here becomes an instrument of irreversible power once sealed by the king’s ring, showing how documents cemented decisions in Persian law.
-
Esther 8:8
Write also to the Jews as it pleases you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring; for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may not be reversed by any man.”
Mordecai reminds Esther that a decree written in the king's name cannot be reversed, highlighting the finality of official written records.
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Daniel 10:21
But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth. There is no one who holds with me against these but Michael your prince.
The phrase 'writing of truth' suggests that divine realities are inscribed permanently, offering stability amidst spiritual conflict.
-
Esther 9:27
the Jews established and imposed on themselves, on their descendants, and on all those who joined themselves to them, so that it should not fail that they would keep these two days according to what was written and according to its appointed time every year;
The Jews established their observance according to what was written, showing how recorded history becomes the basis for ongoing faith practice.