H3791 H3791
Writing: a written document, letter, or decree; a script or writing system; a register or official record.
The Hebrew noun ketav belongs to the post-exilic vocabulary of scribal administration, appearing almost exclusively in Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Chronicles. It names the tangible products of writing in an empire run on royal decrees and official correspondence. When Haman's edict goes out 'according to the script of each province' (Esth 3:12), ketav designates the writing system itself — the characters and orthographic conventions of diverse peoples under Persian rule. Spanish escritura and German Schrift both mirror this dual meaning of 'writing' as both the act's product and its system. The word also serves the bureaucratic world of genealogical registers: those who could not find their ketav of enrollment were excluded from the priesthood (Ezra 2:62; Neh 7:64). Ezekiel's striking use — false prophets excluded from 'the register of the house of Israel' (Ezek 13:9) — extends the concept from civil records to the divine ledger of covenant belonging.
Senses
1. written document or letter — A written document, letter, decree, or inscription — any composed text considered as a discrete written artifact. Seven occurrences cover David's written plan for the Temple ('all this in writing from the hand of the LORD,' 1 Chr 28:19), Huram's letter to Solomon (2 Chr 2:11), and the royal edicts of Esther (Esth 3:14; 4:8; 8:8). Spanish escrito and French écrit capture the generic 'a piece of writing.' The range extends from personal correspondence to irrevocable Persian imperial decrees — all unified by being physical documents that carry authoritative content. 7×
AR["الْكِتَابِ", "بِ-كِتَابٍ", "بِكِتَابَةٍ", "فِي-كِتَابِ", "كِتَابًا", "كِتَابِ"]·ben["-চিঠিতে", "-লিখিতের", "-লিপিতে", "-লেখার", "লিখিতভাবে", "লিখিতের", "লেখা"]·DE["[בכתב]", "der-schrieb", "schrieb"]·EN["a-writing", "in-writing", "in-writing-of", "the-writing", "writing-of-"]·FR["écrit"]·heb["ב-כתב", "ה-כתב", "כתב"]·HI["-में-लेख", "जो", "दस्तावेज़-की", "में-लेख", "लिखित"]·ID["dalam-kitab", "dalam-tulisan", "dengan-surat", "surat-itu", "tulisan"]·IT["[בכתב]", "scritto"]·jav["ing-kitab", "ing-serat", "mawi-serat", "seratan", "seratan-"]·KO["그-글의", "글-", "글이", "에-글로", "에-기록에", "에-편지"]·PT["a-escrita", "em-escrito", "escrita-de-", "escrito", "na-escrita-da", "o-escrito", "por-escrito"]·RU["в-Писании", "в-письме", "написанного", "написанного-", "написанное", "письма", "письменно"]·ES["el-escrito", "en-escrito", "en-escritura-de", "escrito", "escrito-de", "por-escrito"]·SW["katika-maandiko", "kwa-barua", "kwa-maandishi", "maandishi", "ya-maandishi", "ya-sheria"]·TR["kitabında", "yazı-", "yazılı", "yazının-", "yazısının-", "yazıyla"]·urd["تحریر", "تحریر-میں", "تحریر-کی", "لکھت-میں", "کتاب-میں"]
2. script or writing system — A script or writing system — the set of characters used by a particular language or people. Six occurrences cluster in the Persian-period books where multilingual empire demanded attention to orthographic diversity: 'the writing of the document was written in Aramaic' (Ezra 4:7), and the repeated formula 'according to the script of each province and the language of each people' (Esth 1:22; 3:12; 8:9). Spanish escritura and German Schrift serve double duty for both 'writing' and 'script,' while French écriture similarly spans the range. Josiah's reforming decree is also described as ketav — the 'writing' or prescribed form of David and Solomon (2 Chr 35:4). 6×
AR["بِكِتَابَةِ", "كَ-كِتَابَتِهَا", "كَ‒كِتَابَتِهِمَا", "وَ-كِتَابَةُ"]·ben["-লেখায়", "আর-লিখন", "তাদের-লেখা-অনুসারে", "তার-লিপি-অনুসারে"]·DE["Schrift", "[בכתב]", "und-schrieb"]·EN["according-to-its-script", "according-to-its-writing", "according-to-their-writing", "according-to-writing-of", "and-writing-of"]·FR["et-écrit", "écrit"]·heb["ב-כתב", "ו-כתב", "כ-כתב-ה", "כ-כתב-ם"]·HI["उसकी-अपनी-लिपि-में", "उसकी-लिपि-के-अनुसार", "उसकी-लिपि-में", "और", "लिखित निर्देशों-के अनुसार", "लिखित-में"]·ID["dan-tulisan", "menurut-tulisan", "menurut-tulisannya"]·IT["e-scritto", "scritto"]·jav["ing-Aram", "miturut-serat", "miturut-seratan-ipun"]·KO["그것의-문자대로", "그리고-글", "대로-그것들의-글에", "대로-그들의-글로", "에-글"]·PT["conforme-escrita-dela", "conforme-escrita-sua", "e-a-escrita-de", "pelo-escrito-de"]·RU["и-написание", "письмом-её", "по-написанному-их", "по-писанию", "по-письму-её"]·ES["conforme-a-su-escrito", "conforme-a-su-escritura", "según-escrito-de", "según-su-escritura", "y-escritura-de"]·SW["biּktab", "kila", "na-maandishi", "na-watu"]·TR["ve-yazisi", "yazılarına-göre-", "yazısına-göre", "yazısına-göre-"]·urd["اس-کی-تحریر-میں", "ان-کی-تحریر-کے-مطابق", "اور-تحریر", "تحریر-کے-مطابق"]
3. register or record — A register, enrollment record, or official genealogical list. Three occurrences point to the administrative function of written records as instruments of social belonging: returning exiles who could not locate 'their register' of priestly lineage were excluded from holy service (Ezra 2:62; Neh 7:64), and Ezekiel warns that false prophets shall not be 'in the register of the house of Israel' (Ezek 13:9). Spanish registro and the phrase 'their writing' in English translations both attempt to convey that ketav here means not just any text but a certified list determining inclusion or exclusion from a community. 3×
AR["سِجِلَّهُم", "كِتابَهُمْ", "وَفِي-سِجِلِّ"]·ben["আর-নকশায়", "তাদের-লেখা", "লেখা-তাদের"]·DE["Schrift", "[ובכתב]"]·EN["and-in-register-of", "their-register", "their-writing"]·FR["et-écrit", "écrit"]·heb["ו-ב-כתב", "כתב-ם"]·HI["अपना-लेखा", "और-में-पुस्तक", "सूची-अपनी"]·ID["catatan-mereka", "catatan-silsilah-mereka", "dan-dalam-daftar"]·IT["[ובכתב]", "scritto"]·jav["lan-ing-catetan", "seratanipun"]·KO["그들-의-기록", "그들의-기록을", "그리고-기록에-"]·PT["e-no-registro-de-", "o-seu-registro", "seu-registro"]·RU["записи-свои", "запись-их", "и-в-запись-"]·ES["su-registro", "y-en-registro-de"]·SW["maandishi-yao", "na-katika-orodha", "orodha-yao"]·TR["ve-yazmada", "yazili-kayitlarini", "yazılarını"]·urd["اور-فہرست-میں", "اپنی-تحریر-کو", "دستاویز-اپنی"]
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×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† כְּתָב n.m. Ezr 4:7 writing (late Aramaic; Biblical Aramaic כְּתָב, Syriac ܟܬܳܒ);—כ׳ abs. 1 Ch 28:19 + 4 times; cstr. Ez 13:9 + 4 times; sf. כְּתָבָהּ Est 1:22 + 2 times; כְּתָבָם Ezr 2:62 + 3 times;—writing: 1. register, enrolment, Ez 13:9 Ezr 2:62 = Ne 7:64. 2. = mode of writing, character, letter, וּכ׳ הַנִּשְׁתְּוָן כָּתוּב אֲרָמִית Ezr 4:7 and the writing of the document was written in…