Lexical Summary
kethab: script, writing, edict
Original Word:כָּתָב
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:kathab
Pronunciation:keh-thawb'
Phonetic Spelling:(kaw-thawb')
KJV: register, scripture, writing
NASB:script, writing, edict, text, decree, letter, register
Word Origin:[fromH3789 (כָּתַב - written)]
1. something written, i.e. a writing, record or book
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
register, scripture, writing
Fromkathab; something written, i.e. A writing, record or book -- register, scripture, writing.
see HEBREWkathab
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
kathabDefinitiona writing
NASB Translationdecree (1), edict (2), letter (1), register (1), registration* (2), regulation (1), script (4), text (2), writing (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Ezra 4:7 (late Aramaic; Biblical Aramaic Syriac
); — absolute
1 Chronicles 28:19 4t.; construct
Ezekiel 13:9 4t.; suffix
Esther 1:22 2t.;
Ezra 2:62 3t.; —
writing:register, enrolement,Ezekiel 13:9;Ezra 2:62 =Nehemiah 7:64.
=mode of writing, character, letter,Ezra 4:7and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic (characters; so probably, see BeRy Ryle, compare Late Hebrew HoffmZAW i.(1881), 334 ff.); compareEsther 1:22;Esther 3:12;Esther 8:9 (twice in verse).
=letter, 2 Chron 2:10;Esther 9:27.
2Chronicles 35:4 ("" ),Esther 3:14;Esther 8:8,13; more fullyEsther 4:8.
1 Chronicles 28:19;Daniel 10:21, i.e. a book of truth.
Topical Lexicon
Scope of Meaning and UsageThe noun denotes any fixed inscription—plans, registers, letters, decrees, or chronicles. The contexts in which it appears range from royal architecture to community genealogies, from imperial edicts to prophetic archives. Across its fifteen occurrences the term highlights the enduring place of written testimony in preserving, authenticating, and transmitting the will of God for His people.
Temple Blueprint and Inspired Design
(1 Chronicles 28:19)
David hands Solomon “the plan… in writing from the hand of the LORD”. The verse locates the origin of the blueprint not in human genius but in divine revelation. A written document becomes the tangible medium through which covenant worship is safeguarded for future generations, illustrating how Scripture itself functions—God-breathed truth entrusted to faithful builders.
Statecraft and Diplomatic Correspondence
(2 Chronicles 2:11;Ezra 4:7)
When Hiram of Tyre and later Persian officials correspond with Israel’s leaders, they “answer in writing.” Written communications establish accountability between rulers and serve as binding records. They also reveal God’s sovereignty over international affairs: even pagan courts ultimately further His redemptive purposes (cf. Ezra’s later success despite earlier hostile letters).
Genealogical Registers and Priestly Purity
(Ezra 2:62;Nehemiah 7:64)
Post-exilic aspirants to the priesthood must locate their names in the “genealogical record.” Absence from the register disqualifies them. The episode underscores the sanctity of lineage for mediatorial service and showcases writing as a guardian of holiness within the covenant community.
Administrative Order for Revival Worship
(2 Chronicles 35:4)
Josiah’s Levites are told to stand “according to the word of the LORD through the writing of David… and Solomon.” Centuries after their composition, written instructions still direct the reform of worship, demonstrating the sufficiency and enduring authority of divinely preserved documents.
Persian Edicts, Providence, and Preservation
(Esther 1:22; 3:12, 14; 4:8; 8:8, 13; 9:27)
The book of Esther features a succession of royal letters that swing from genocide to deliverance. Every reversal hinges on what is “written,” sealing irrevocable policy in a legal system where “a decree written in the king’s name… may not be revoked” (Esther 8:8). The narrative magnifies God’s unseen hand guiding secular paperwork to protect His covenant people, prefiguring the Gospel’s triumph over death through a “certificate of debt… nailed to the cross” (Colossians 2:14).
Prophetic Rolls and Divine Accountability
(Ezekiel 13:9)
False prophets are warned they will not be “recorded in the register of the house of Israel.” The register functions as heaven’s audit trail, declaring that illegitimate ministry will be erased while faithful servants remain inscribed (cf.Luke 10:20;Revelation 20:12).
The Book of Truth and Cosmic History
(Daniel 10:21)
The angel speaks of “what is written in the Book of Truth,” an eternal ledger containing God’s decreed events. The reference affirms that history unfolds according to a pre-written plan, reinforcing the reliability of prophecy and the ultimate triumph of the kingdom.
Theological Threads
1. Revelation: Writing secures divine disclosure from generation to generation.
2. Authority: A written word carries binding power over kings, priests, and commoners alike.
3. Preservation: God’s providence guards both the medium (scrolls, edicts) and the message.
4. Judgment and Assurance: Inclusion or exclusion from heavenly registers foreshadows eternal destinies.
Ministry Implications
• Uphold the written Word as the final rule of faith and practice, just as post-exilic priests and reforming kings did.
• Maintain accurate church records—membership rolls, doctrinal statements—as echoes of biblical registers safeguarding purity and order.
• Engage in faithful documentation of God’s works today—journals, testimonies, published theology—trusting that written testimony continues to edify the body and bear witness to truth.
Christological Reflection
Every occurrence of the term anticipates the climactic “It is written” embodied in Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:4). He fulfills the Law, validates prophetic Scripture, and inscribes believers’ names in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The Old Testament emphasis on written authority finds its consummation in the incarnate Word—who both interprets and completes the divine writings and whose Spirit now inscribes God’s law on human hearts (Jeremiah 31:33;2 Corinthians 3:3).
Forms and Transliterations
בִּכְתָ֔ב בִּכְתָ֖ב בִּכְתָ֗ב בִּכְתָ֛ב בכתב הַכְּתָ֗ב הכתב וּבִכְתָ֤ב וּכְתָב֙ ובכתב וכתב כְּתָֽב־ כְתָ֞ב כְתָבָ֛ם כִּכְתָבָ֔הּ כִּכְתָבָ֖ם ככתבה ככתבם כתב כתב־ כתבם bichTav biḵ·ṯāḇ biḵṯāḇ cheTav chetaVam hak·kə·ṯāḇ hakkəṯāḇ hakkeTav ḵə·ṯā·ḇām ḵə·ṯāḇ kə·ṯāḇ- ḵəṯāḇ kəṯāḇ- ḵəṯāḇām ketav kichtaVah kichtaVam kiḵ·ṯā·ḇāh kiḵ·ṯā·ḇām kiḵṯāḇāh kiḵṯāḇām ū·ḇiḵ·ṯāḇ ū·ḵə·ṯāḇ ūḇiḵṯāḇ ucheTav ūḵəṯāḇ uvichTav
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