Word Study for H7560 (רְשַׁם)

rᵉsham /resh-am'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) corresponding to רָשַׁם

Meaning(to record)

KJV usagesign, write.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of rᵉsham — 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 rᵉsham, represented by H7560, is a verb corresponding to the Hebrew רָשַׁם, meaning to record, sign, or write. It appears 7 times across 7 unique verses in the Bible. This term is used specifically in the book of Daniel to denote the official and often permanent act of inscription, whether by a human king or a divine power.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H7560 is central to two key events in Daniel. First, it describes the act of King Darius making his decree against prayer legally binding. The king is urged to "sign the writing" Daniel 6:8, and he does so, signing "the writing and the decree" Daniel 6:9. The immutability of this act is emphasized when his officials later remind him of the decree "that thou hast signed" Daniel 6:13. Second, the word is used for the supernatural writing on the wall at Belshazzar's feast, where a disembodied hand appears and a "writing was written" Daniel 5:24.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words clarify the context in which H7560 is used:

H3792 kᵉthâb ({something written, i.e. a writing, record or book}; prescribing, writing(-ten)): This noun refers to the physical text or document that is signed or written. It is the object of the action in "sign the writing" Daniel 6:8 and the result of the action in "this is the writing that was written" Daniel 5:25.
H633 ʼĕçâr ((Aramaic) corresponding to אֱסָר in a legal sense; an interdict; decree): This term specifies the legal and authoritative nature of what is being signed. It is the binding decree that King Darius signs Daniel 6:9 and the one Daniel is accused of ignoring Daniel 6:13.

Theological Significance

The narrative weight of H7560 is significant in the book of Daniel. It highlights the power and permanence of the written word in moments of crisis.

Irrevocable Human Law: The act of the king signing (rᵉsham) the decree sets in motion an unchangeable law, creating the central conflict for Daniel's faith Daniel 6:8. Daniel's knowledge that "the writing was signed" Daniel 6:10 is the catalyst for his act of faithful defiance.
Divine Judgment: The word is also used for God's divine inscription. When the hand appears at the feast, the text states the "writing was written" Daniel 5:24, signifying a final and inescapable judgment from a power far greater than any earthly monarch.
Authority Solidified: In both human and divine contexts, to sign or write is to finalize a decision and give it authority. For King Darius, it is the seal of his royal power Daniel 6:9; for God, it is the seal of judgment on a defiant king Daniel 5:25.

Summary

In summary, H7560 is a crucial verb that captures the moment a declaration becomes official and binding. Used exclusively in Daniel, it marks points of no return, whether it is a king establishing an irrevocable decree or God delivering an ultimate verdict. The act of writing or signing becomes the pivotal action that tests faith and pronounces judgment.

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 7 occurrences, inflected in 4 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.

רְשִׁים
רְשַׁמְתָּ
רְשַׁם
תִרְשֻׁם

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

7 verses, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.