What does חָתַם (ḥātam) mean in the Bible?
חָתַם (ḥātam): Sealing as closure that authenticates, protects, and finalizes—moving from physical to covenantal significance.
Hebrew · H2856
חָתַם
To close up; especially to seal
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חָתַם H2856
Pronunciation ḥātam
What does חָתַם (ḥātam) mean in the Bible?
חָתַם (ḥātam): Sealing as closure that authenticates, protects, and finalizes—moving from physical to covenantal significance.
Full entry for חָתַם (H2856) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2856?
The BSB source-word alignment has 27 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and sealed (4), sealed (3), . . . (1), [and] seal (1), and seal (1).
Where does חָתַם (ḥātam) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 15:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Job (5), Daniel (4), Esther (4), Jeremiah (4).
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 and sealed 4× Esther 3:12, Esther 8:8, Jeremiah 32:10, Daniel 12:9
sealed 3× Song Of Solomon 4:12, Isaiah 29:11, Jeremiah 32:44
. . . 1× Job 9:7
[and] seal 1× Isaiah 8:16
and seal 1× Daniel 12:4
and seal it 1× Esther 8:8
and sealed it 1× Esther 8:10
and terrifies them 1× Job 33:16
blocks it 1× Leviticus 15:3
both the sealed copy 1× Jeremiah 32:14
He seals up 1× Job 37:7
is sealed 1× Isaiah 29:11
sealed up 1× Deuteronomy 32:34
sealing it with [the names of] 1× Nehemiah 9:38
the sealed 1× Jeremiah 32:11
these [were the ones] who sealed [the document] 1× Nehemiah 10:1
they shut themselves in 1× Job 24:16
to put an end 1× Daniel 9:24
to seal up 1× Daniel 9:24
were the seal 1× Ezekiel 28:12
with his seal 1× 1 Kings 21:8
would be sealed 1× Job 14:17
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 15:3 הֶחְתִּ֤ים to blocks it Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 32:34 חָתֻ֖ם to sealed up Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular 1 Kings 21:8 וַתַּחְתֹּ֖ם to with his seal Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Nehemiah 9:38 הֶֽחָת֔וּם to sealing it with [the names of] Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Nehemiah 10:1 הַחֲתוּמִ֑ים to these [were the ones] who sealed [the document] Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural Esther 3:12 וְנֶחְתָּ֖ם to and sealed Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular Esther 8:8 וְחִתְמ֖וּ to and seal it Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Esther 8:8 וְנַחְתּ֛וֹם to and sealed Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive absolute Esther 8:10 וַיַּחְתֹּ֖ם to and sealed it Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Job 9:7 יַחְתֹּֽם׃ to . . . Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Leviticus 15:3
Aligned rows 27
Books represented 11
Leviticus 1 Deuteronomy 1 1 Kings 1 Nehemiah 2 Esther 4 Job 5 Song Of Solomon 1 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 4 Ezekiel 1 Daniel 4
Source forms
יַחְתֹּֽם׃ 2x yaḥ·tōm Job 9:7, Job 33:16
הֶֽחָת֔וּם 1x he·ḥā·ṯūm Nehemiah 9:38
הֶֽחָתוּם֒ 1x he·ḥā·ṯūm Isaiah 29:11
הֶֽחָת֛וּם 1x he·ḥā·ṯūm Jeremiah 32:11
הֶחָת֗וּם 1x he·ḥā·ṯūm Jeremiah 32:14
הַחֲתוּמִ֑ים 1x ha·ḥă·ṯū·mîm Nehemiah 10:1
הֶחְתִּ֤ים 1x heḥ·tîm Leviticus 15:3
וָֽאֶחְתֹּ֔ם 1x wā·’eḥ·tōm Jeremiah 32:10
Parsing patterns
Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular 4x Nehemiah 9:38, Isaiah 29:11, Jeremiah 32:11, Jeremiah 32:14
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular 4x Deuteronomy 32:34, Job 14:17, Song Of Solomon 4:12, Isaiah 29:11
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 3x Job 9:7, Job 33:16, Job 37:7
Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural 1x Nehemiah 10:1
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive absolute 1x Esther 8:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular 1x Esther 3:12
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular 1x Jeremiah 32:10
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 1x 1 Kings 21:8
Evidence Summary
Revelation
Hebrew word. Sealing as closure that authenticates, protects, and finalizes—moving from physical to covenantal significance.
Strong's H2856
Lexical occurrences 27 verses Word forms 3 forms 11 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Isaiah 29:9-16 Source Gloss
to close up; especially to seal
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Sealing as closure that authenticates, protects, and finalizes—moving from physical to covenantal significance.
to close up; especially to seal BDB: seal Usage: make an end, mark, seal (up), stop.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 11
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 9×
Participle passive Deut 32:34 · Isa 29:11 · Job 14:17 · Song 4:12 4×
Imperfect Job 9:7 · Job 33:16 · Job 37:7 3×
Participle active Ezek 28:12 1×
Sequential imperfect Isa 8:16 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Perfect Job 24:16 1×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 1×
Perfect Lev 15:3 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
To close or seal shut.
Showing 1 selected witness from 27 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
חָתַם is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Illustrates inaccessible revelation due to blindness. Isaiah 29:9-16
Canonical Themes
Revelation
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