Original Word: חָתַם
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: chatham
Pronunciation: khaw-tham'
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-tham')
KJV: make an end, mark, seal (up), stop
NASB: sealed, seal, seals, obstructs, sets a seal, shut
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to close up
2. especially to seal

make an end, mark, seal up, stop

A primitive root; to close up; especially to seal -- make an end, mark, seal (up), stop.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to seal, affix a seal, seal up
NASB Translation
obstructs (1), seal (6), sealed (15), seals (2), sets a seal (1), shut (1).

חָתַם verb seal, affix seal, seal up (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic חֲתַם, ; Ethiopic Arabic (whence ) is loan-word according to Frä²⁵²) —

Qal Imperfect3masculine singular יַחְתֹּם Job 9:7; Job 33:6, יַחְתּוֺם Job 37:7, וַיַּחְתֹּם Esther 8:10, etc.; Imperative חֲתֹם Daniel 12:4, חֲתוֺם Isaiah 8:16, חִתְמוּ Esther 8:8; Infinitive absolute חָתוֺם Jeremiah 32:44; construct לַחְתֹּם Daniel 9:24, + Daniel 9:24 Kt (Qr לְהָתֵם); Participle active חוֺתֵם Ezekiel 28:12; pass. חָתוּם Deuteronomy 32:24 2t., etc.; —

1 seal, affix one's seal, in attestation; seal with king's seal (בְּחֹתָמוֺ) 1 Kings 21:8, בְּטַבַּעַת המלך Esther 8:8,10; of covenant with ׳י, attested by seal (passive) Nehemiah 10:1; Nehemiah 10:2; figurative, of ׳י putting his seal upon (בְּ) discipline, i.e. ratifying it, Job 33:16; perhaps also upon hand of man (that man may know ׳יs ways) Job 37:7 see De; Di below

2 seal up hand of man, so that he cannot work with it (in winter).

2 seal up, fasten up by sealing, a deed of sale Jeremiah 32:10,11(opposed to הַגָּלוּי that which was left open,), Jeremiah 32:14; Jeremiah 32:44, a book of prophecy Daniel 12:4 ("" סְתֹם הַדְּבָרים), compare Daniel 12:9 ("" id.), Daniel 9:24 b; so in simileof unintelligible prophecy Isaiah 29:11 (twice in verse); חֲתֹם תּוֺרָה בְּלְמֻּדָ֑י Isaiah 8:16 seal up the teaching among my disciples, i.e. keep it securely ("" צוֺר); of ׳יs remembrance of offences חָתוּם בְּאוֺצְרֹתָ֑י Deuteronomy 32:34 ("" כָּמֻס עְמָּדִי), so חָתוּם בִּצְרוֺר מִּשְׁעִי Job 14:17 ("" וַתִּטְמֹּל עַלעֲֿוֺנִי); מַעְיָן חָתוּם Songs 4:12 a fountain sealed up, metaphor of chaste woman ("" גַּן (גַּל) נָעוּל); ׳וּבְעַד כּוֺכָבִים יַח Job 9:7 and about the stars he putteth a seal ("" of forbidding sun to rise). — אַתָּה חוֺתֵם תָּכְנִית Ezekiel 28:12 is obscure: thou wast one sealing proportion, i.e. perfection, — wast complete perfection, Ges Sm.; wast a sealer of symmetry see Da; wast a seal (ring) — i.e. חוֺתַם construct — of proportion Manuscripts ᵐ5 ᵑ9 Hi compare Ew; text perhaps corrupt, see suggestions in Co. — Daniel 9:24 a read Qr לְהָתֵם (see תמם). Job 33:16; Job 37:7 see below

1. Niph`al Perfect3masculine singular [or Participle?] נִכְתָּ֔ב וְנֶחְתָּ֖ם Esther 3:12 (it was) written and sealed בְּטַבַּעַת הַמֶּלֶךְ; Infinitive absolute וְנַחְתּוֺם Esther 8:8 (continuing participle נִכְתָּ֣ב) also + ׳בְּטַבַּעַת הַמּ; both passive of

Qal 1. Pi`el Perfect3plural יוֺמָם חִתְּמוּלָֿמוֺ Job 24:16 literally by day they seal up for themselves, i.e. according to most, they shut themselves up, do not shew themselves ("" לֹא יָדְעוּ אוֺר); ᵐ5 C has ἡμέρας ἐσφράγισαν εἀυτοῖ ς (B and others εἁυτους), whence Siegf conjecture plausibly ׳ל ׳יָמִים ח they seal up the days unto themselves, i.e. daytime is for them sealed up and unused.

Hiph`il Perfect3masculine singular אוֺהֶֿחְתִּים בְּשָׁרוֺ מִזּוֺבוֺ Leviticus 15:3 or hath his flesh (genital organ) shewn stoppage by reason of his flux.

[חֲתַם] verb seal (see Biblical Hebrew); —

Pe`al Perfect3masculine singular suffix (of stone) חַתְמֶהּ Daniel 6:18 (ב instrumental).

Overview of the Biblical Motif

The verb חָתַם (chatham) gathers together ideas of securing, authenticating, finishing, hiding, and protecting. Whether applied to royal edicts, legal deeds, prophetic scrolls, or the human heart, the act of “sealing” marks something as genuine, inviolable, and fixed until an appointed time. The approximately twenty-seven occurrences of the root span narrative, wisdom, prophetic, and historical books, showing a coherent theology of God’s sovereignty over both revelation and history.

Royal and Administrative Sealing

1 Kings 21:8 presents Jezebel “sealed” letters with Ahab’s seal to give her murderous plot unquestioned authority. Persian practice is even more prominent: “It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring” (Esther 3:12). A decree so sealed was irrevocable (Esther 8:8). The root therefore underlines the finality of royal decisions. In civil Israel, the same practice authenticated covenants: “Our leaders, Levites, and priests are affixing their seals to it” (Nehemiah 9:38); the following chapter lists the names of those who “sealed” the document (Nehemiah 10:1).

Jeremiah acted similarly when he purchased land during the siege of Jerusalem: “I signed and sealed the deed” (Jeremiah 32:10). The sealed copy was stored for future generations, demonstrating confidence in the LORD’s promise of restoration (Jeremiah 32:14–15). Thus, chatham becomes a tangible testimony that God’s word outlasts present circumstances.

Preservation of Revelation

God Himself seals inspired words so that they will accomplish His purpose at the proper time. Isaiah is told, “Bind up the testimony and seal the law among my disciples” (Isaiah 8:16); the prophetic message is secured until faith-filled hearers receive it. Daniel hears, “Seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4; cf. 12:9). Even the larger sweep of redemptive history is framed by the verb: the seventy-weeks oracle will “seal up vision and prophecy” (Daniel 9:24), bringing revelation to its consummation.

The unopened scroll in Isaiah 29:11 anticipates spiritual dullness: “The vision of all this has become to you like the words of a sealed scroll.” When men harden themselves, the seal becomes a barrier; when God determines, the seal is opened (Revelation 5). Chatham therefore highlights both the mystery and certainty of divine disclosure.

Protection, Ownership, and Intimacy

Job 37:7 affirms that God “seals up the hand of every man, so that all men may know His work,” stressing divine control over human activity. Earlier Job laments, “My transgression would be sealed in a bag” (Job 14:17), picturing sin stored away for judgment or forgiveness. Song of Solomon 4:12 applies the imagery to marital exclusivity: “a fountain sealed,” illustrating protected intimacy. In prophetic metaphor the righteous are likewise secure; God’s seal is a guarantee that no outside force can alter what He has marked as His own.

Completion and Finality

“To seal up” can mean to bring to an end. Job 9:7 says the LORD “seals off the stars,” terminating their light. When the covenant deed was sealed in Jeremiah 32, the transaction was complete. Daniel 9:24 looks ahead to the final “sealing” of prophetic disclosure—nothing further will need to be added. The verb thus assures believers that God’s purposes reach their intended conclusion.

Human Response: Breaking or Respecting the Seal

Ungodly people may attempt to override God-given seals, yet every biblical instance of chatham shows their efforts doomed. Jezebel’s fraudulent seal served only to hasten divine judgment (1 Kings 21:23). By contrast, when Nehemiah and the returned exiles “sealed” their oath, they embraced accountability before the LORD (Nehemiah 10). Scripture invites readers to submit to the divine seal rather than fight against it.

Foreshadowing New Testament Teaching

While חָתַם itself does not occur in the New Testament, its theology flows naturally into passages such as Ephesians 1:13 (“you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit”) and Revelation 5, where the only worthy One breaks the seven seals. The Old Testament root lays the groundwork: God authorizes, secures, and preserves; He alone can open what He has sealed.

Ministry Implications

1. Assurance of Salvation: Just as sealed deeds guaranteed ownership, believers rest in the Spirit’s seal as an unassailable pledge of redemption.
2. Authority of Scripture: The prophetic scrolls, sealed and preserved, remind pastors and teachers that the written word carries divine authentication; it must neither be tampered with nor supplemented.
3. Integrity in Leadership: Nehemiah’s public sealing underscores the need for transparent, accountable commitments in church governance and personal vows.
4. Hope in Suffering: Jeremiah’s sealed deed, executed during national collapse, models faith that clings to God’s promises when circumstances appear hopeless.
5. Evangelistic Urgency: Daniel’s admonition that the scroll remains sealed “until the time of the end” urges believers to proclaim revealed truth now, before the day of final closure arrives.

Summary

Across royal courts, legal transactions, prophetic archives, and poetic imagery, חָתַם weaves a unified testimony to the sovereignty, fidelity, and protective care of God. What He seals none can nullify; what He opens none can hinder. The believer’s calling is to trust the seal, live under its authority, and await the day when every divine decree stands fully unveiled.

בְּחֹתָמ֑וֹ בחתמו הֶֽחָת֔וּם הֶֽחָת֛וּם הֶֽחָתוּם֒ הֶחְתִּ֤ים הֶחָת֗וּם הַחֲתוּמִ֑ים החתום החתומים החתים וְחִתְמ֖וּ וְחָתוֹם֮ וְלַחְתֹּם֙ וְנֶחְתָּ֖ם וְנַחְתּ֛וֹם וַחֲתֹ֥ם וַחֲתֻמִ֛ים וַיַּחְתֹּ֖ם וָֽאֶחְתֹּ֔ם וּלְהָתֵ֤ם ואחתם וחתום וחתם וחתמו וחתמים ויחתם ולהתם ולחתם ונחתום ונחתם חֲת֥וֹם חִתְּמוּ־ חָת֖וּם חָתֻ֖ם חָתֻ֣ם חָתֽוּם׃ חוֹתֵ֣ם חותם חתום חתום׃ חתם חתמו־ יַחְתֹּֽם׃ יַחְתּ֑וֹם יחתום יחתם׃ bə·ḥō·ṯā·mōw bechotaMo bəḥōṯāmōw chaTom chaTum chittemu choTem ha·ḥă·ṯū·mîm ḥă·ṯō·wm ḥā·ṯum ḥā·ṯūm hachatuMim haḥăṯūmîm ḥăṯōwm ḥāṯum ḥāṯūm he·ḥā·ṯūm hechaTum hechTim heḥ·tîm heḥāṯūm heḥtîm ḥit·tə·mū- ḥittəmū- ḥō·w·ṯêm ḥōwṯêm ū·lə·hā·ṯêm ulehaTem ūləhāṯêm vachaTom vachatuMim vaechTom vaiyachTom vechatOm vechitMu velachTom venachTom venechTam wā’eḥtōm wā·’eḥ·tōm wa·ḥă·ṯōm wa·ḥă·ṯu·mîm waḥăṯōm waḥăṯumîm way·yaḥ·tōm wayyaḥtōm wə·ḥā·ṯō·wm wə·ḥiṯ·mū wə·laḥ·tōm wə·naḥ·tō·wm wə·neḥ·tām wəḥāṯōwm wəḥiṯmū wəlaḥtōm wənaḥtōwm wəneḥtām yachTom yaḥ·tō·wm yaḥ·tōm yaḥtōm yaḥtōwmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts