H4385 H4385
Writing, inscription; the act or product of writing, from divine engraving on stone tablets to prophetic letters and royal edicts.
Denotes the act of writing or its tangible product -- whether etched by the very finger of God or penned by human hand. In Exodus 32:16 the term reaches its most exalted usage: 'the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets,' where Spanish renders it 'Escrito' and English 'the-writing.' The word also covers official documents: a prophetic letter from Elijah (2 Chr 21:12) and royal decrees (2 Chr 36:22). Isaiah 38:9 uses it in a heading for Hezekiah's psalm of thanksgiving after recovery from illness.
Senses
1. inscription, divine writing — Engraved or inscribed writing, especially the divine writing on the stone tablets of the covenant. In Exodus 32:16 both the handwriting and the engraving are attributed directly to God -- 'mikhtav elohim' -- marking this as sacred script distinct from ordinary human composition. Also covers the priestly inscription on the gold plate (Exod 39:30) and the Decalogue rewrite (Deut 10:4). English glosses it 'the-writing'; Spanish 'Escrito' captures the formal, weighty character of the term. 7×
AR["بِ-مَكْتُوبٍ","بِكِتَابَةٍ","كَالْكِتَابَةِ","كِتابَةُ","كِتَابَةً","مِكْتَابُ","وَ-الكِتابَةُ"]·ben["-লিখিতভাবে","-লেখায়","এবং-লেখা","প্রথম-লিখনের-মতো","লিখিত","লেখা"]·DE["[במכתב]","[מכתב]","und-der-writing","wie-der-writing","writing","writing-von"]·EN["A-writing","and-the-writing","in-writing","like-the-writing","writing","writing-of"]·FR["[במכתב]","[מכתב]","comme-le-writing","et-le-écriture","écriture","écriture-de"]·heb["ב-מכתב","ו-ה-מיכתב","כ-מכתב","מיכתב","מכתב"]·HI["और-लेख","जैसे-लेख","लिखित-में","लेख"]·ID["Tulisan","dan-tulisan","secara-tertulis","seperti-tulisan","tulisan"]·IT["[במכתב]","[מכתב]","come-il-writing","e-il-writing","writing","writing-di"]·jav["ing-serat","ing-seratan","kados-seratan","lan-serataning","seratan"]·KO["그리고-그-글은","글","글-로","글을","기록","기록-같이","에-기록"]·PT["como-a-escrita","e-a-escrita","em-escrita","escrita","escrita-de-","escrito-de","por-escrito"]·RU["и-надпись","как-записано-было","надпись","надписью","писание","письменно"]·ES["Escrito","conforme-a-la-escritura","en-escrito","escrito-de","escritura-de","por-escrito","y-la-escritura"]·SW["Maandishi","bּmiktaּb","kama-maandishi","kwa-maandishi","maandishi","na-maandishi"]·TR["Yazisi","ve-yazı","yazili-olarak","yazı","yazı-gibi","yazısı","yazıyla"]·urd["اور-تحریر","بِ-تحریر","تحریر","تحریر-میں","تحریر-کی-طرح"]
2. written document, letter — A written document produced by human agency for communication or decree. In 2 Chronicles 21:12, a 'mikhtav' from Elijah the prophet arrives as a warning letter, while 2 Chronicles 35:4 pairs it with ketav to describe David's and Solomon's written instructions for temple service. Spanish uses 'escrito' here as well, but French distinguishes the documentary sense with the bracketed form, reflecting the shift from sacred inscription to administrative correspondence. 2×
AR["كِتَابٌ","وَ-بِكِتَابَةِ"]·ben["ও-লেখায়","লিখিত-বার্তা"]·DE["[ובמכתב]","[מכתב]"]·EN["and-by-document-of","writing"]·FR["[ובמכתב]","[מכתב]"]·heb["ו-ב-מכתב","מכתב"]·HI["और-लिखित-में","पत्र"]·ID["dan-menurut-tulisan","surat"]·IT["[ובמכתב]","[מכתב]"]·jav["lan-miturut-serat","serat"]·KO["그리고-에-글","편지가"]·PT["e-pelo-escrito-de","escrito"]·RU["и-по-писанию","письмо"]·ES["escrito","y-según-escrito-de"]·SW["barua","wּbmiktaּb"]·TR["mektup","ve-yazısına-göre"]·urd["اور-تحریر-میں","خط"]
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
† מִכְתָּב n.m. 2 Ch 21:12 writing;—abs. מ׳ Dt 10:4 + 5 times; cstr. מִכְתַּב Ex 32:16 + 2 times;— 1. = hand-writing וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹהִים הוּא Ex 32:16. 2. = thing written, Ex 39:30 (acc. cogn. c. כָּתַב), Dt 10:4; specif. a royal enactment or edict (= כְּתָב 4), 2 Ch 35:4 (‖ כְּתָב), 36:22 = Ezr 1:1; a prophetic writing 2 Ch 21:12. 3. in a title, מ׳ לְחִזְקִיָּהוּ Is 38:9 Writing of Hezekiah.