What does מִכְתָּב (mikĕtāb) mean in the Bible?
מִכְתָּב (mikĕtāb): Written document with legal or official force; moves from physical characters to authoritative text.
Hebrew · H4385
מִכְתָּב
A thing written , the characters, or a document (letter, copy, edict, poem)
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מִכְתָּב H4385
Pronunciation mikĕtāb
What does מִכְתָּב (mikĕtāb) mean in the Bible?
מִכְתָּב (mikĕtāb): Written document with legal or official force; moves from physical characters to authoritative text.
Full entry for מִכְתָּב (H4385) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4385?
The BSB source-word alignment has 9 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include to put it in writing (2), [This is] a writing (1), [was] the writing (1), and (1), and the writing (1).
Where does מִכְתָּב (mikĕtāb) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 32:16. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Chronicles (3), Exodus (3), Deuteronomy (1), Ezra (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 to put it in writing 2× 2 Chronicles 36:22, Ezra 1:1
[This is] a writing 1× Isaiah 38:9
[was] the writing 1× Exodus 32:16
and 1× 2 Chronicles 35:4
and the writing 1× Exodus 32:16
like an inscription 1× Exodus 39:30
Then a letter 1× 2 Chronicles 21:12
what had been written 1× Deuteronomy 10:4
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 32:16 וְהַמִּכְתָּ֗ב to and the writing Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular Exodus 32:16 מִכְתַּ֤ב to [was] the writing Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 39:30 מִכְתַּב֙ to like an inscription Noun - masculine singular construct Deuteronomy 10:4 כַּמִּכְתָּ֣ב to what had been written Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular 2 Chronicles 21:12 מִכְתָּ֔ב to Then a letter Noun - masculine singular 2 Chronicles 35:4 וּבְמִכְתַּ֖ב to and Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct 2 Chronicles 36:22 בְּמִכְתָּ֖ב to to put it in writing Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular Ezra 1:1 בְּמִכְתָּ֖ב to to put it in writing Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular Isaiah 38:9 מִכְתָּ֖ב to [This is] a writing Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 32:16
Aligned rows 9
Books represented 5
Exodus 3 Deuteronomy 1 2 Chronicles 3 Ezra 1 Isaiah 1
Source forms
בְּמִכְתָּ֖ב 2x bə·miḵ·tāḇ 2 Chronicles 36:22, Ezra 1:1
וּבְמִכְתַּ֖ב 1x ū·ḇə·miḵ·taḇ 2 Chronicles 35:4
וְהַמִּכְתָּ֗ב 1x wə·ham·miḵ·tāḇ Exodus 32:16
כַּמִּכְתָּ֣ב 1x kam·miḵ·tāḇ Deuteronomy 10:4
מִכְתַּ֤ב 1x miḵ·taḇ Exodus 32:16
מִכְתַּב֙ 1x miḵ·taḇ Exodus 39:30
מִכְתָּ֔ב 1x miḵ·tāḇ 2 Chronicles 21:12
מִכְתָּ֖ב 1x miḵ·tāḇ Isaiah 38:9
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 2x 2 Chronicles 21:12, Isaiah 38:9
Noun - masculine singular construct 2x Exodus 32:16, Exodus 39:30
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular 2x 2 Chronicles 36:22, Ezra 1:1
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x Exodus 32:16
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct 1x 2 Chronicles 35:4
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 10:4
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Written document with legal or official force; moves from physical characters to authoritative text.
Source Gloss
a thing written , the characters, or a document (letter, copy, edict, poem)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Written document with legal or official force; moves from physical characters to authoritative text.
a thing written, the characters, or a document (letter, copy, edict, poem) BDB: writing Usage: writing.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
מִכְתָּב 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