כָּתַב 223 verb write (Late Hebrew 
id.; Phoenician 
כתב; Aramaic 
כְּתַב, 

 Nabataean 
כתב, see especially Nö in Eut
Nab. p. 43; thence Arabic 

 Ethiopic 
 book
 book, Di
Lex. 852 (as loan-words, Frä
249 DHM
VOJ i (1887), 29); MV Buhl compare Arabic 
 draw or sew together, conjoin
 draw or sew together, conjoin (letters), etc., compare Fl
ZMG 1873, 427) — 
Qal Perfect כ׳ Joshua 8:32 +, 
כָּתַבְתָּ Jeremiah 36:6 +, suffix 
וּכְתַבְתָּם consecutive 
Deuteronomy 6:9; 
Deuteronomy 11:20, etc. (Perfect + 
27 times); 
Imperfect יִכְתֹּב Isaiah 44:5, 
וַיִּכְתֹּב Exodus 24:4 +, etc. (Imperfect + 
39 times); 
Imperative כְּתֹב Isaiah 8:1 + 
5 times, 
כְּתָבֿ Exodus 34:27 + 
2 times; suffix 
כָּתְבָהּ Isaiah 30:8, 
כָּתְבֵם Proverbs 3:3; 
Proverbs 7:3; plural 
כִּתְבוּ Deuteronomy 31:9 + 
3 times; 
Infinitive absolute כָּתוֺכ Jeremiah 32:44; 
cstr כְּתוֺב Psalm 87:8, 
לִכְתֹּב Deuteronomy 31:24; 
Joshua 18:8; suffix 
כָּתְבוֺ Jeremiah 45:1; 
Participle active כֹּתֵב Jeremiah 36:18, plural 
כֹּתְבִים Jeremiah 32:12; 
Nehemiah 10:1; 
passive (
113 times), 
כָּתוּב Joshua 1:8 +, feminine 
כְּתוּבָה 2 Samuel 1:18 +, plural 
כְּתוּבִים 1 Kings 15:7 +, 
כְּתֻבִים 1 Kings 11:41 +; feminine plural 
כְּתוּבוֺת 2 Chronicles 34:24; — 
    1. write:
    a. with accusative, words 
Exodus 34:27, commandments 
Exodus 24:12, etc.; accusative of congnate meaning with verb 
מכתב Exodus 39:30, compare 
כַּמִּכְתָּב Deuteronomy 10:4; with 
כְּ, giving purport of writing, also 
Esther 8:8; but object also a book, 
סֵפֶר Exodus 32:32; 
Deuteronomy 24:1; 
מְגִלָּה Jeremiah 38:6, compare participle pass, 
וְהִיא כְּתוּבָה מָּנִים וְאָחוֺר Ezekiel 2:10)of 
מגלה; i.e. written on both sides); a letter, 
סֵפָר 2 Samuel 11:14; 
2 Kings 10:1 + 
4 times, 
אִגֶּרֶת 2 Chronicles 30:1; a divorce-certificate 
סֵפֶר כְּרִיתֻת Deuteronomy 24:1, etc.; even 
לֻחֹת כְּתֻבִים tablets inscribed by the finger of God 
Exodus 31:18 compare 
Deuteronomy 9:10; 
מִשְּׁנֵי עֶבְרֵיהֶם כ׳ ל׳ Exodus 32:15 tables inscribed on both sides (compare 
Ezekiel 2:10 above) Here belongs (probably) 
וְזֶה יִכְתֹּב יָדוֺ לי׳ Isaiah 44:5 and this one shall inscribe his hand, 'Yahweh's', so 

 Hi Kn Che Br Du Di, Ges Ew De, 
shall sign (with) 
his hand unto י׳.
 
    b. more often write something on, or in (עַלֿ + 85 times, בְ + 44 times, אֶלֿ + 3 times) a tablet, roll, book, etc. (object various, as above): —
    c. other uses of perp. with 
כ׳ are: — 
בְּ instrumental, 
בְּחֶרֶט אֱנוֺשׁ כ׳ Isaiah 8:1, 
בְּעֵט בַּרְזֶל כ׳ Jeremiah 17:1; 
כְּתֻבִים בְּאֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים Deuteronomy 9:10; 
Exodus 31:18; 
אֶלֿ כ׳ unto, of person to whom letter, etc., is addressed 
2 Samuel 11:14; 
2 Kings 10:6; 
Esther 9:13; 
עַלֿ substantive for 
אֶלֿ (late) 
2 Chronicles 30:1; 
Ezra 4:7; 
Esther 8:8; the fuller construction is 
ספר וישׁלח (אֶלֿׅ כ׳ 2 Kings 10:1; 
Esther 8:10; 
Esther 9:20 +; 
אֶלֿ כ׳ write down for the benefit or use of some one, 
Judges 8:14; 
לְ to or for, 
Deuteronomy 17:18; 
Deuteronomy 24:1 +; note especially 
אֶכְתָּו֯בלֿוֺ רֻבֵּו֯ תּוֺרָתִי Hosea 8:12, i.e. either, 
I write (keep writing) for them ever so many (We, 
רֹב, compare 

 Ew and most 
רִבּוֺ(אׅ a myriad) 
of my directions, or 
'Though I write,' 'Were I to write,' etc.; 
כ׳ followed by 
ל with infinitive of purpose 
2 Chronicles 32:17; 
Esther 8:5; with 
מִן in phrase 
מִמִּי פ׳ כ׳ write from the mouth of any one i.e. from dictation, 
Jeremiah 36:2, 
32; 
Jeremiah 38:6, 
17, 
27; 
Jeremiah 45:1.
 
    3. = 
register enroll Isaiah 10:19 (= record the number), 
1 Chronicles 24:6; especially passive 
הַכְּתוּבִים Numbers 11:26 those enrolled compare 
Nehemiah 12:22; 
בְּשֵׁמוֺת הַכּ׳ 1 Chronicles 4:41 those recorded by name; in prediction, 
אֶתהָֿאִישׁ כ׳ הַזֶּה עֲרִירִי Jeremiah 22:30 register this man as childless; with eschatological reference, 
כָּלהַֿכָּתוּב לַחַיִּים Isaiah 4:3 all those enrolled (i.e. appointed) 
unto life; and, more explicitly, 
כָּלהַֿנִּמְצָא כָּתוּב בַּסֵּפֶר Daniel 12:1; 
עַפִּים בִּכְתוֺב עַמִּים י׳ Psalm 87:6 י׳ shall reckon, when he registers (note absence of suffix) 
the peoples, etc.
 
    4. = 
decree, 
תִּכְתֹּב עָלַי מְרֹרוֺת Job 13:26 thou (
י׳) 
decrest against me bitter things.
 
†Niph. (chiefly late, especially Esther), 
Imperfect יִכָּתֵב Esther 1:19 +, 
3rd person feminine singular תִּכָּ֫תֶב זֹאת Psalm 102:19; 
3rd person masculine plural יִכָּתֵ֑בוּ Jeremiah 17:13 + 
3 times, 
יִכָּֽתְבוּן Job 19:23; 
Participle נִכְתָּב Esther 3:12 + 
2 times; — 
    1. be written, subject words 
Job 19:23, book 
Malachi 3:16; 
be written בְּסֵפֶר Esther 2:23; 
Esther 9:23, 
in, or among ב the laws 
Esther 1:19; once, with 
עַלֿ, 
עַלסִֿפְרְךָ כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵ֑בוּ Psalm 139:16 in thy י׳'s 
book all of them (my members) 
are written, i.e. 
written down, recorded (see below); absolute 
כְּתָב אֲשֶׁר נִכְתָּב בְּשֵׁם הַמֶּלֶךְ Esther 8:8 a writing which is written in the king's name, compare (impersonal) 
Esther 3:12; impersonal also 
וַיִּכָּתֵב כְּכָלאֲֿשֶׁר צִוָּה Esther 3:12; 
Esther 8:9; 
יִכָּ׳ followed by 
לְ = 
for Psalm 102:19; followed by 
לְ + infinitive (really = a subject-cl., — the contents of the letter) 
Esther 3:9; 
Esther 8:5.
 
    2. be written down, recorded, 
Ezra 8:34; 
enrolled, 
בִּכְתָב בית ישׂראל לֹא יִכָּתֵ֑בוּ Ezekiel 13:9 in the enrolement of the house of Israel they are not enrolled (eschatological); 
וְעִםצַֿדִּיקִים אַליִֿכָּתֵ֑בוּ Psalm 69:29 (|| 
חַיִּים יִמָּחוּ מִסֵּפֶר) — 
בָּאָרֶץ יִכָּתֵ֑בוּ Jeremiah 17:13 is difficult; Gie reads, plausibly, 
מֵאֶרֶץ יִכָּרֵ֑תוּ (compare 
Psalm 34:17; 
Psalm 101:8, etc.)
 
Pi. frequently, 
Perfect and 
Participle, only 
כִּתֵּ֑בוּוּמְכַתְּבִים עָמָל Isaiah 10:1 and 
busy writers that make a business of writing oppression (i.e. register unjust sentences, compare 
Qal 4; || 
הַחֹקֲקִים חִקֲקֵיאָֿוֶן). 
See related Aramaic BDB entry 
H3790.
														
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Unabridged, Electronic Database.
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