English · KJV
H5640

סָתַם

çâtham /saw-tham'/ Ask about this word
Rootor שָׂתַם
Meaning(Numbers 24:15), a primitive root; to stop up; by implication, to repair; figuratively, to keep secret
KJV usageclosed up, hidden, secret, shut out (up), stop.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of çâtham — 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 Hebrew word çâtham, represented by H5640, is a primitive root meaning to stop up or, figuratively, to keep secret. It appears 14 times in 14 unique verses, conveying concepts of both physical obstruction and deliberate concealment. Its application ranges from stopping wells and repairing walls to hiding prophetic words.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its literal sense, H5640 is frequently used in the context of military strategy and conflict. The Philistines stopped the wells dug by Abraham's servants (Genesis 26:15, Genesis 26:18). Similarly, King Hezekiah stopped the fountains and watercourses outside Jerusalem to prevent the invading Assyrian army from finding water (2 Chronicles 32:3, 2 Chronicles 32:30). The word also describes the repairing of Jerusalem's walls, where the breaches began to be stopped Nehemiah 4:7. Figuratively, it describes concealment and inaccessibility. Daniel is commanded to shut up the words of a prophecy until the time of the end (Daniel 12:4, Daniel 12:9). In a lament, it is used to say God shutteth out prayer Lamentations 3:8, and it is used to describe a secret hidden from the wise Ezekiel 28:3.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of H5640:

  • H2856 châtham (to close up; especially to seal; make an end, mark, seal (up), stop): This word is often paired with H5640 to add a sense of finality and security. After Daniel is told to shut up H5640 the words, he is also commanded to seal H2856 the book Daniel 12:4.
  • H4390 mâlêʼ (to fill or (intransitively) be full of): This term describes the method by which something is stopped. The Philistines stopped H5640 Abraham's wells and filled H4390 them with earth Genesis 26:15.
  • H6004 ʻâmam (to associate; by implication, to overshadow (by huddling together); become dim, hide): This word for hiding is used directly with H5640 to emphasize the inability to conceal something. In Ezekiel, it is said of the king of Tyrus that there is no secret H5640 that can be hidden H6004 from him Ezekiel 28:3.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H5640 centers on divine sovereignty over revelation and access to God.

  • Concealment of Prophecy: God commands Daniel to shut thou up the vision, indicating that its meaning is intentionally kept secret for a future time Daniel 8:26. This highlights God's control over the timing and understanding of his divine plan.
  • Spiritual Obstruction: The word illustrates a barrier in one's relationship with God. In Lamentations, the cry that God shutteth out prayer signifies a profound sense of divine silence and inaccessibility during a time of judgment Lamentations 3:8.
  • Inner Knowledge: In contrast to concealing prophecy from the public, H5640 also refers to the hidden part of a person where God imparts wisdom, showing a deep and personal level of divine communication Psalms 51:6.

Summary

In summary, H5640 carries a dual meaning that moves from the tangible to the theological. It describes the physical act of blocking a well or a wall (2 Kings 3:25, Nehemiah 4:7) as well as the profound spiritual act of concealing a divine prophecy Daniel 12:4. Whether used to describe human military tactics or God's sovereign timing, çâtham serves as a powerful term for that which is stopped, closed up, and kept secret.

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 verb across 14 occurrences, inflected in 11 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.

  • סְתֹם
  • סָתוּם
  • שָׂתַם
  • הִסָּתֵם
  • יְסַתְּמוּ
  • סִתְּמוּ
  • יִּסְתְּמוּ
  • תִּסְתֹּמוּ
  • יִסְתֹּמוּ
  • סְתּוֹם
  • סְתֻמִים

Related Words

Related

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.

H2856 חָתַם a primitive root; to close up; especially to seal; make an end, mark, seal (up), stop. H4390 מָלֵא or מָלָא; (Esther 7:5), a primitive root; to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and f H6004 עָמַם a primitive root; to associate; by implication, to overshadow (by huddling together); become dim, hide.

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 14 verses across 8 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Chronicles and Daniel (3 verses each); never once in the other 31.

2
Genesis
2
2 Kings
3
2 Chronicles
1
Nehemiah
1
Psalms
1
Lamentations
1
Ezekiel
3
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.