What does חוֹתָם (ḥwōtām) mean in the Bible?
חוֹתָם (ḥwōtām): A ring bearing a carved seal used to authenticate documents and mark ownership with personal authority
Hebrew · H2368
חוֹתָם
A signature-ring
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חוֹתָם H2368
Pronunciation ḥwōtām
What does חוֹתָם (ḥwōtām) mean in the Bible?
חוֹתָם (ḥwōtām): A ring bearing a carved seal used to authenticate documents and mark ownership with personal authority
Full entry for חוֹתָם (H2368) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2368?
The BSB source-word alignment has 14 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include like a seal (3), as a seal (2), on a seal (2), [under] a seal (1), a seal (1).
Where does חוֹתָם (ḥwōtām) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 38:18. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (6), Job (2), Song Of Solomon (2), 1 Kings (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It like a seal 3× Exodus 28:21, Exodus 39:6, Exodus 39:14
as a seal 2× Song Of Solomon 8:6
on a seal 2× Exodus 28:36, Exodus 39:30
[under] a seal 1× Job 38:14
a seal 1× Exodus 28:11
a signet ring 1× Jeremiah 22:24
like My signet ring 1× Haggai 2:23
sealed them 1× 1 Kings 21:8
sealed together 1× Job 41:15
Your seal 1× Genesis 38:18
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 38:18 חֹתָֽמְךָ֙ to Your seal Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Exodus 28:11 חֹתָ֗ם to a seal Noun - masculine singular Exodus 28:21 חוֹתָם֙ to like a seal Noun - masculine singular Exodus 28:36 חֹתָ֔ם to on a seal Noun - masculine singular Exodus 39:6 חוֹתָ֔ם to like a seal Noun - masculine singular Exodus 39:14 חֹתָם֙ to like a seal Noun - masculine singular Exodus 39:30 חוֹתָ֔ם to on a seal Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 21:8 בְּחֹתָמ֑וֹ to sealed them Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Job 38:14 חוֹתָ֑ם to [under] a seal Noun - masculine singular Job 41:15 חוֹתָ֥ם to sealed together Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 38:18
Aligned rows 14
Books represented 7
Genesis 1 Exodus 6 1 Kings 1 Job 2 Song Of Solomon 2 Jeremiah 1 Haggai 1
Source forms
חוֹתָ֔ם 2x ḥō·w·ṯām Exodus 39:6, Exodus 39:30
בְּחֹתָמ֑וֹ 1x bə·ḥō·ṯā·mōw 1 Kings 21:8
חוֹתָם֙ 1x ḥō·w·ṯām Exodus 28:21
חוֹתָ֑ם 1x ḥō·w·ṯām Job 38:14
חוֹתָ֥ם 1x ḥō·w·ṯām Job 41:15
חוֹתָ֖ם 1x ḥō·w·ṯām Jeremiah 22:24
חֹתָ֗ם 1x ḥō·ṯām Exodus 28:11
חֹתָ֔ם 1x ḥō·ṯām Exodus 28:36
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 9x Exodus 28:11, Exodus 28:21, Exodus 28:36, Exodus 39:6
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular 3x Song Of Solomon 8:6, Haggai 2:23
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular 1x Genesis 38:18
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x 1 Kings 21:8
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. A ring bearing a carved seal used to authenticate documents and mark ownership with personal authority
Source Gloss
a signature-ring
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
A ring bearing a carved seal used to authenticate documents and mark ownership with personal authority
a signature-ring BDB: seal Usage: seal, signet.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
A seal ring used as a symbol of authority and royal power that God would remove
Showing 1 selected witness from 14 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
חוֹתָם is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain