Charakter originally meant an engraving tool or the mark made by such a tool—a stamp, impress, or exact reproduction. By extension it came to mean the precise representation or exact image of something. The author of Hebrews applies it to Christ's relationship to God the Father: the Son is 'the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.' This powerful metaphor asserts that Jesus is not merely similar to God or representative of God, but the precise, perfect expression of God's very being—like a seal that perfectly reproduces the image engraved in the signet.