### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **kâtham**, represented by `{{H3799}}`, is a primitive root meaning to **mark**. Its base definition, "to carve or engrave," implies an indelible inscription. It is a highly specific term, appearing only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the entire Bible, highlighting its focused and impactful meaning.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single use of `{{H3799}}` is found in [[Jeremiah 2:22]], where it illustrates the permanent nature of sin before God. The verse describes how despite attempts to **wash** `{{H3526}}` with powerful cleaning agents like **nitre** `{{H5427}}` and **sope** `{{H1287}}`, **iniquity** `{{H5771}}` remains indelibly **marked** before the Lord. This context establishes the word as a metaphor for a stain that cannot be removed by external, human efforts.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its biblical context illuminate the meaning of **kâtham**:
* `{{H5771}}` **ʻâvôn** (perversity, i.e. (moral) evil; fault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin): This is the specific thing that is **marked** `{{H3799}}`. It is a condition that, in the context of [[Jeremiah 2:22]], cannot be washed away.
* `{{H3526}}` **kâbaç** (to trample; hence, to wash): This word for washing is used to show the futility of trying to remove the mark of iniquity. While washing can cleanse clothes [[Exodus 19:10]] or be part of a plea for a clean heart [[Psalms 51:2]], it is ineffective against the stain described in [[Jeremiah 2:22]].
* `{{H1287}}` **bôrîyth** (vegetable alkali; sope): One of the strong cleansing agents mentioned that is powerless against the **marked** iniquity [[Jeremiah 2:22]]. It is also mentioned in [[Malachi 3:2]] in the context of a fuller's work.
* `{{H5427}}` **nether** (mineral potash (so called from effervescing with acid); nitre): The second cleansing agent whose failure to purify highlights the permanence of the **mark** [[Jeremiah 2:22]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H3799}}` is concentrated in its single appearance:
* **The Indelible Nature of Sin:** The primary concept conveyed by **kâtham** is that **iniquity** `{{H5771}}` leaves a permanent, engraved mark before God. The powerful imagery in [[Jeremiah 2:22]] contrasts futile human attempts at cleansing with the enduring reality of this stain.
* **The Inadequacy of Self-Purification:** By referencing potent purifiers like **sope** `{{H1287}}` and **nitre** `{{H5427}}`, the passage emphasizes that external or self-initiated works are insufficient to remove the divinely recognized **mark** of sin.
* **Divine Accountability:** The specific phrase "is **marked** before me" signifies that sin is not an abstract failure but a concrete record observed and acknowledged by God, implying a state of accountability that cannot be hidden or erased by human action [[Jeremiah 2:22]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3799}}` **kâtham** provides a stark and focused theological concept. Though used only once, its meaning—to indelibly carve or engrave a mark—is powerfully deployed in [[Jeremiah 2:22]] to define the nature of iniquity as a permanent stain before God. It illustrates that no amount of external cleansing can erase a mark that is divinely recognized, pointing to the profound and lasting reality of sin.
TRV