γράφω G1125
To write, compose, or inscribe; of authoring documents, citing Scripture with 'it stands written,' and recording in texts or books.
Grapho is the standard Greek verb for the act of writing, but in the New Testament it carries a peculiar theological weight. When Jesus answers Satan with 'it is written' (gegraptai, Matt 4:4, 7, 10), the perfect tense signals not merely past inscription but present, enduring authority—what was written still stands. This formulaic citation device accounts for roughly a third of all New Testament occurrences and is strikingly consistent across translations: Spanish 'Escrito está,' French 'il est écrit,' German 'es steht geschrieben' all preserve both the perfect aspect and the reverential tone. Beyond this formula, grapho covers ordinary letter-writing (Paul's epistles), legal inscription (the charge on the cross, Matt 27:37), and even the cosmic hyperbole of John 21:25—the world itself could not contain the books that 'would be written.'
1. to write, compose (a letter or document) — To write or compose a letter, document, or decree: The active sense of authoring written communication—Moses writing commandments, Paul composing epistles, Pilate issuing a title for the cross. Luke 1:3 has the evangelist deliberately choosing to 'write an orderly account,' and Luke 16:6–7 shows a debtor hastily rewriting a bill. Spanish alternates between 'escribí' (I wrote) and 'escribe' (write!), French uses 'écrire,' and German 'schreiben'—all treating this as the straightforward, unmarked sense of putting words to a medium. 84×
AR["أَكتُب","أَكْتُبْ","اُكْتُبْ","كَتَبتُ","كَتَبْتُ"]·ben["আমি-লিখেছি","আমি-লিখেছিলাম","আমি-লিখেছিলাম,","লিখলাম","লিখেছি","লিখেছিলাম","লেখ"]·DE["schreiben","schreibt"]·EN["I-wrote","did-I-write","write","wrote"]·FR["écrire"]·heb["כְּתֹב","כָּתַבְתִּי"]·HI["मैंने-लिखा","मैंने-लिखा-है","मैने-लिख","लिख","लिखा","लिखा-मैंने"]·ID["Aku-menulis","Aku-telah-menulis","aku-menulis","aku-telah-menulis","aku-telah-tulis","aku-tulis","menulis","tulislah"]·IT["scrivere"]·jav["Kawula-nyerat","Sampun-kawula-serat","kawula-nyerat","kula-nyerat","kula-nyerat,","kula-sampun-serat","nyerat","sampun-kawula-serat","serat"]·KO["내-가-썼다","내가-썼다","내가-썼으니","써라","썼노라","썼다"]·PT["Escrevi","Escrevi-vos","escreve","escrevi","escrevi-te","escrevi-vos"]·RU["Написал","написал","написал,","напиши","я-написал"]·ES["Escribí","escribe","escribí","os-escribí"]·SW["Niliandika","Niliwaandikia","andika","kuandika","niliandika","niliandika,","niliwaandikia","nimeandika","nimewaandikia","sijaandika"]·TR["Yazdım","yaz","yazdım"]·urd["لکھ","لکھا","لکھا-ہے","میں-نے-لکھا","میں-نے-لکھا،"]
Mark 10:4, Luke 1:3, Luke 16:6, Luke 16:7, Acts 25:26, Rom 15:15, 1 Cor 4:14, 1 Cor 5:9, 1 Cor 5:11, 1 Cor 9:15, 1 Cor 14:37, 2 Cor 2:3 (+38 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. it is/stands written (Scripture citation) — It is/stands written (Scripture citation formula): The theologically charged perfect passive gegraptai, used to introduce authoritative Scripture. Jesus deploys it three times against Satan's temptations (Matt 4:4, 6, 7, 10), and it appears throughout rabbinic-style argumentation in the Epistles. The perfect tense is crucial: it signals that what was once inscribed remains in force as a permanent decree. Spanish 'Escrito está' and German 'es steht geschrieben' both mirror the stative-resultative force—not 'it was written' (past and done) but 'it stands written' (past act, present authority). 67×
AR["-","كُتِبَ","لِأَنَّهُ-مَكْتُوبٌ","مَكتوبٌ","مَكْتُوبًا","مَكْتُوبٌ"]·ben["লেখা-আছে","লেখা-আছে,"]·DE["schreiben","schreibt"]·EN["It-has-been-written","has-it-been-written","it-has-been-written"]·FR["écrire"]·heb["כָּתוּב","נִכְתָּב"]·HI["लिख-है","लिखा-है","लोग"]·ID["Ada-tertulis","Tertulis,","ada-tertulis","telah-tertulis","tertulis","tertulis,"]·IT["scrivere"]·jav["Sampun-kaserat,","Sinerat","kaserat","kaserat,","sampun-kaserat","sampun-kaserat,","sampun-kaseratan","sinerat"]·KO["기록되어-있느냐","기록되어-있다","기록되었다","기록되었으니"]·PT["Está-escrito","Está-escrito,","está-escrito"]·RU["Написано,","написано"]·ES["Escrito-está","Está-escrito","escrito-está","está-escrito","ha-sido-escrito"]·SW["-","Imeandikwa","haikuandikwa","ilivyoandikwa","imeandikwa","imeandikwa,"]·TR["Yazılmıştır","yazılmıştır"]·urd["لِکھا-ہے","لکھا-ہے","لکھا-ہے-"]
Matt 2:5, Matt 4:4, Matt 4:6, Matt 4:7, Matt 4:10, Matt 11:10, Matt 21:13, Matt 26:24, Matt 26:31, Mark 1:2, Mark 7:6, Mark 9:12 (+38 more)
3. written, having been written (recorded text) — Written or having been written (recorded text): Passive participles and aorist passives describing the resultant state of a text—something that exists in written form. Luke 4:17 has Jesus finding 'the place where it was written,' and Revelation repeatedly refers to names 'written in the book of life' (Rev 20:15; 21:27). The focus is not on the act of writing but on the completed inscription as a fixed record. Spanish 'escrito/escritas' (written, f.pl.) and the participial forms across languages all point to the document or inscription as a finished artifact. 39×
AR["الـ-مَكْتُوبَةُ","المَكتوبُ","مَكتوب","مَكتوبًا","مَكتوبٌ","مَكْتوبٌ","مَكْتوبَ","مَكْتُوبًا","مَكْتُوبٌ","مَكْتُوبَةً"]·ben["পাথর","লিখিত","লেখা","লেখা,"]·DE["schreiben","schreibt"]·EN["having-been-written","written"]·FR["écrire"]·heb["הַכָּתוּב","כְּתוּבִים","כָּתוּב"]·HI["लिखा-हुआ","लिखा-हुआ,","लिखी-हुई","लिखी-हुईं","लिखे-हुए"]·ID["tertulis","tertulis,","yang-tertulis"]·IT["scrivere"]·jav["ingkang-dipunserat:","ingkang-kaserat","ingkang-kaserat,","kaserat","kaserat,","sampun-sinerat","sinerat","sinerat,"]·KO["기록되어","기록되어-있지","기록된","기록된-것이었고","기록된-바","기록된-바와-같이","써서"]·PT["escrita","escrito","escritos"]·RU["записаны","написанное","написанное,","написанную","написано","написано,"]·ES["escrita","escritas","escrito","escrito,"]·SW["andikwa","imeandikwa","kilichoandikwa","kimeandikwa","lililoandikwa","lililoandikwa,","limeandikwa","limeandikwa,","pameandikwa","yaliandikwa","yaliyoandikwa"]·TR["yazılmış","yazılmış-olan","yazılmıştır","yeni"]·urd["لِکھا-ہُوا","لکھا","لکھا ہوا","لکھا-ہوا","لکھا-ہوا-","لکھا-ہے","لکھی-ہوئی","لکھیں","لکھے-ہوئے"]
Matt 27:37, Luke 4:17, Luke 18:31, Luke 20:17, Luke 21:22, Luke 22:37, Luke 24:44, John 2:17, John 6:31, John 6:45, John 10:34, John 12:14 (+27 more)
4. to be written, to be recorded — To be written or recorded (potential or purpose): Passive infinitives and subjunctives expressing the possibility or purpose of writing. John 21:25 declares that if everything Jesus did were written down, the world could not contain the books. First Thessalonians 5:1 says there is no need 'for anything to be written to you.' This rare sense shifts focus from author or text to the hypothetical act of inscription itself—what might or might not be committed to writing. Spanish 'escribiros' and 'fueran escritas' both preserve this subjunctive, unrealized quality. 2×
AR["أنْ-يُكْتَبَ","كُتِبَتْ"]·ben["লেখা-হতে","লেখা-হয়"]·DE["schreiben"]·EN["to-be-written","were-written"]·FR["écrire"]·heb["יִכָּתְבוּ","לְהִכָּתֵב"]·HI["लिखने","लिखे-जाएँ"]·ID["ditulis"]·IT["scrivere"]·jav["dipun-serat.","kaserat"]·KO["기록되면","쓰여지는-것을."]·PT["escrever-se","fossem-escritas"]·RU["было-записано","писать"]·ES["escribiros","fueran-escritas"]·SW["kuandikiwa","yangeandikwa"]·TR["yazılmasına","yazılsaydı"]·urd["لِکھی-جائیں","لکھے-جانے-کی"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)G4592 1. sign, miraculous sign (77×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
γράφω [ᾰ], future -ψωRefs 5th c.BC+aorist ἔγραψα, Epic dialect γράψα Refs 8th c.BC+: perfect γέγραφα Refs 5th c.BC+:—middle, future γράψομαι Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἐγραψάμην Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, future γρᾰφήσομαι Refs 5th c.BC+, etc.: aorist ἐγράφην [ᾰ], Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect γέγραμμαι (also in middle sense, see near the end), 3rd.pers. singular ἔγραπται Refs 3rd c.AD+; participle…