כָּתַב
kâthab · kaw-thab'
to grave, by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe)
Lexicon
Derivation: a primitive root;
to grave, by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe)
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: describe, record, prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten).
Letters
- כKaf20
Picture: open palm
- Concrete
- palm · open hand · sole of the foot
- Extended
- to open · to allow · to cover · to tame · like / as
- תTav400
Picture: a crossed mark
- Concrete
- mark · sign · cross · signature
- Extended
- a covenant · to seal · to sign · the end · monument
- בBet2
Picture: floor plan of a tent or house
- Concrete
- house · tent · dwelling
- Extended
- family · household · what is inside · in
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
the open hand that covers › the mark, the covenant sign › the house, what is within
The open hand that covers of the mark, the covenant sign of the house, what is within.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of כָּתַב above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
224 occurrences · 224 OT · 0 NT · 131 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- are they not written31 · 21%
- wrote14 · 10%
- write12 · 8%
- behold, they are written12 · 8%
- as it is written11 · 7%
- written10 · 7%
- and he wrote7 · 5%
- that are written6 · 4%
- and write6 · 4%
- and thou shalt write5 · 3%
- and wrote3 · 2%
- which he wrote3 · 2%
- was written3 · 2%
- had written2 · 1%
- and there was written2 · 1%
- which thou hast written2 · 1%
- and it was written2 · 1%
- lo, they are written2 · 1%
- behold, it is written2 · 1%
- and describe2 · 1%
- according to all that is written2 · 1%
- let it be written2 · 1%
- which are written2 · 1%
- and i will write2 · 1%
- were written2 · 1%
Where it is used, by book.
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.