Word Study for H3797 (כְּתַל)

kᵉthal /keth-al'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) corresponding to כֹּתֶל

Meaning(a wall (as gathering inmates))

KJV usagewall.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of kᵉthal — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word kᵉthal, represented by H3797, is a term for a wall. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. The word refers to a physical structure, specifically a wall that serves as a component of a larger building.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H3797 appears in two significant contexts. In the book of Daniel, the wall of the king's H4430 palace H1965 becomes the surface for a divine message, where fingers H677 of a man's H606 hand H3028 wrote H3790 on the plaister H1528 Daniel 5:5. In Ezra, the term describes the walls of the house H1005 of God H426 being reconstructed in Judea H3061 with great H1560 stones H69 and timber H636, signifying the progress of the work Ezra 5:8.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words provide context for the construction and location of a wall:

H1124 bᵉnâʼ (to build): This verb is directly associated with the construction of the house of God, which included its walls H3797, as reported in Ezra Ezra 5:8.
H1005 bayith (a house): This word for house is used to describe the structure of which the walls H3797 are a part, specifically the house of God being rebuilt in Jerusalem Ezra 5:8.
H1965 hêykal (palace, temple): This term identifies the location of the wall H3797 in Daniel's account as being part of the king's palace Daniel 5:5.
H1528 gîyr (lime; plaster): This substance is mentioned as the surface upon the wall H3797 on which the divine message was written in the king's palace Daniel 5:5.

Theological Significance

The usage of H3797 highlights its role in two significant biblical events.

Surface for Divine Judgment: In the king's palace, the wall H3797 is not a passive backdrop but the very medium through which God delivers a message of judgment. The miraculous writing on the wall signifies a moment of divine intervention into human affairs Daniel 5:5.
Component of Restoration: In Ezra, the walls H3797 are part of the reconstruction of the house of God. Their construction with great H1560 stones H69 and timber H636 signifies the tangible progress and prosperity H6744 of God's work among His people after exile Ezra 5:8.

Summary

In summary, kᵉthal H3797 denotes a wall within the specific Aramaic portions of Scripture. Though appearing only twice, it plays a pivotal role in two distinct narratives: one of divine judgment written upon a palace wall Daniel 5:5 and another of holy restoration through the building of the temple's walls Ezra 5:8. The word illustrates how a simple architectural feature can become a focal point for God's interaction with humanity, whether in proclamation or in rebuilding.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

כֻתְלַיָּ
כְתַל

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Ezra and Daniel (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Ezra

Daniel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.