H7560 H7560
To sign, write (a decree); to be inscribed, written down — Aramaic verb in Daniel
The Aramaic verb רְשַׁם covers the act of writing and signing official documents, appearing exclusively in Daniel amid the political intrigue of the Medo-Persian court. Its active sense dominates: Darius signs the irrevocable decree against prayer (Dan 6:8-10, 12-13), and the verb captures both the writing of the document and the authenticating signature. The passive sense appears when the mysterious handwriting is inscribed on the wall of Belshazzar's palace (Dan 5:24-25) — words written by no human hand. Spanish firmaste/firmo ('you signed/he signed') marks the active sense, while fue-inscrita ('was inscribed') captures the passive.
Senses
1. to sign, write (Qal active) — The active sense: to sign or write an official document, specifically a royal decree or edict. All five occurrences cluster in Daniel 6, where King Darius is persuaded to sign a decree forbidding prayer to any god or man except himself. The verb covers both the physical act of writing and the formal authentication of signing. Spanish firmaste ('you signed') and firmo ('he signed') reflect the official, legal character of the act. The repeated use across Dan 6:8, 9, 10, 12, and 13 underscores the irrevocability of the signed document — the law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be changed. 5×
AR["كَتَبَ","كَتَبْتَ","كَتَبْتَهُ","كُتِبَتْ","وَ-اكْتُبْ"]·ben["এবং-স্বাক্ষর-করুন","স্বাক্ষর-করলেন","স্বাক্ষর-করা-হয়েছিল","স্বাক্ষর-করেছেন"]·DE["[ותרשם]","[רשים]","[רשם]","[רשמת]"]·EN["and-sign","signed","was-signed","you-sign","you-signed"]·FR["et-écrire","écrire"]·heb["ו-תרשום","נרשם","רשם","רשמת"]·HI["और-लिख-दे","तूने-लिखा-है","लिखा","लिखा-गया-है","लिखा-था-तूने"]·ID["dan-tandatanganilah","ditandatangani","engkau-tandatangani","menandatangani"]·IT["e-scrivere","scritto","scrivere"]·jav["dipuntandhatangani","lan-tandhani","nandhatangani","panjenengan-tandhatangani"]·KO["그리고-서명하소서","서명되었음-을","서명하셨으니","서명하신","서명하였더라"]·PT["assinaste","assinou","e-assina","estava-assinado"]·RU["и-подпиши","подписал","подписал-ты","подписан"]·ES["firmaste","firmó","había-sido-firmado","y-firma"]·SW["alitia-sahihi","limetolewa-sahihi","na-tia-sahihi","ulitia-sahihi"]·TR["imzaladı","imzaladın","imzalandı","ve-imzala"]·urd["اور-دستخط-کر","تو-نے-دستخط-کیے","دستخط-کیے","دستخط-ہوئے"]
2. to inscribe, record (Niphal passive) — The passive sense: to be inscribed or written down, specifically of text that appears in a document or on a surface without the agent being the grammatical subject. In Dan 5:24 the hand is sent and 'this writing was inscribed' (reshim), and in Dan 5:25 the actual words — MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN — are identified as the inscription that 'was written.' Spanish fue-inscrita and English was-inscribed confirm the passive voice. The supernatural context of Belshazzar's feast gives this sense an eerie quality absent from the bureaucratic signing of sense 1. 2×
AR["كُتِبَتْ"]·ben["লেখা-হল"]·DE["[רשים]"]·EN["was-inscribed"]·FR["écrire"]·heb["נרשם"]·HI["लिखा-गया","लिखा-गया-है"]·ID["dituliskan"]·IT["scritto"]·jav["dipunserat"]·KO["기록되었더라","기록된"]·PT["foi-escrita"]·RU["начертано"]·ES["fue-inscrita"]·SW["yaliandikwa"]·TR["yazıldı"]·urd["لکھی-گئی"]
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
† רְשַׁם vb. inscribe, sign (𝔗 Syriac; v. BH (once, late));— Pe. Pf. 3 ms. ר׳ Dn 6:10; 2 ms. רְשַׁ֫מָתָּ v 13, רְשַׁ֑מְתָּ v 14; Impf. 2 ms. (וְ)תִרְשֻׁם v 9;—inscribe (prob. with one’s name, i.e.) sign, acc. כְּתָבָא Dn 6:9, 10, אֱסָר v 13, 14. Peʿîl Pf. 3 ms. רְשִׁים, subj. כְּתָבָא: 1. be inscribed, written, Dn 5:24, 25. 2. be signed 6:11.