Original Word: כֶּתֶם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: kethem
Pronunciation: KEH-them
Phonetic Spelling: (keh'-them)
KJV: ((most) fine, pure) gold(-en wedge)
NASB: gold, fine gold, pure gold
Word Origin: [from H3799 (כָּתַם - stain)]

1. (properly) something carved out, i.e. ore
2. (hence) gold (pure as originally mined)

most fine, pure golden wedge

From katham; properly, something carved out, i.e. Ore; hence, gold (pure as originally mined) -- ((most) fine, pure) gold(-en wedge).

see HEBREW katham

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
gold
NASB Translation
fine gold (2), gold (6), pure gold (1).

כֶּ֫תֶם noun masculine^{Lamentations 4:1} gold, in poetry and late (perhaps loan-word in Hebrew; Phoenician has proper name, masculine כתם; Sabean כתם Hal^{Et. Sab. 190}; kaθam¹ as loan-word in Egyptian, Bondi^80f.); — ׳כ absolute Job 28:19 3t., כָּ֑תֶם Proverbs 25:12; construct כֶּתֶם Isaiah 13:12 3t.; — אוֺפִיר ׳כ Isaiah 13:12 gold of Ophir ("" מָּ֑ז), so Job 28:16; Psalm 45:10; אוּפָ֑ז ׳כ Daniel 10:5 (read perhaps אוֺפִיר for אוּפָז q. v.); ׳כ alone Job 31:24 ׅ "" (זָהָב ׳חֲלִיכֿ Proverbs 25:12 ornament of gold ׅ "" (זָהָבנֶזֶם מָּ֑ז ׳כ Songs 5:11; טָהוֺר ׳כ Job 28:19; הַטּוֺב ׳הַכּ Lamentations 4:1 "" זָהָב.

כתן (√ of following, = clothe? so Zehnpf^{BAS i, 532}, who derives therefrom Assyrian kitinnê, linen, cloth, = Arabic see also Aramaic כִּיתָּנָא and below)

Overview

The term כֶּתֶם (kethem) denotes the most refined, gleaming form of gold and appears nine times across the Old Testament. Each occurrence uses gold’s unparalleled worth and radiance as a metaphor for spiritual realities, royal dignity, moral purity, or impending judgment.

Literary Usage and Context

1. Wisdom Literature (Job, Proverbs)

• Job 28 contrasts the arduous quest for earth’s treasures with the inaccessibility of true wisdom: “It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire” (Job 28:16).
• In Job 31:24 the patriarch repudiates any trust that displaces God: “If I have put my confidence in gold or called fine gold my security.”
• Proverbs 25:12 likens a wise, timely rebuke to “an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold,” portraying righteous counsel as both beautiful and precious.

2. Royal and Bridal Imagery (Psalms, Song of Solomon)

• Psalm 45:9 celebrates the splendor of the messianic king and his bride: “At Your right hand stands the queen adorned with gold of Ophir.” The kethem underscores the magnificence of Christ’s kingdom and the church’s honored position.
• Song of Solomon 5:11 depicts the bridegroom’s head “like pure gold,” integrating kethem into the poem’s rich tapestry of marital love that ultimately foreshadows Christ’s devotion to His people (Ephesians 5:25-32).

3. Prophetic and Apocalyptic Usage (Isaiah, Lamentations, Daniel)

• Isaiah 13:12 forecasts the terror of the Day of the LORD: “I will make man scarcer than pure gold, and mankind rarer than the gold of Ophir.” Kethem becomes a measure of rarity to highlight coming judgment.
• Lamentations 4:1 mourns Jerusalem’s ruin: “How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull!” The loss of kethem mirrors the nation’s spiritual degradation.
• Daniel 10:5 describes a celestial messenger: “I looked, and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold from Uphaz around his waist.” Kethem marks the messenger’s heavenly authority and purity, anticipating Revelation’s vision of the glorified Christ (Revelation 1:13).

Theological Themes

• Supreme Value of Divine Wisdom – By insisting that wisdom surpasses kethem, Scripture redirects human longing from material riches to reverent fear of the LORD (Job 28:28; Proverbs 3:13-15).
• False Security in Wealth – Job’s self-examination exposes the folly of elevating gold above God; the New Testament echoes this warning (Matthew 6:24; 1 Timothy 6:17-19).
• Royal Glory and Messianic Expectation – Kethem embellishes regal portraits that ultimately culminate in Jesus Christ, “crowned with glory and honor” (Hebrews 2:9).
• Purity and Refinement – Gold’s resistance to corrosion symbolizes the believer’s tested faith (1 Peter 1:7). The contrast between shining gold and tarnished gold (Lamentations 4:1) underscores the difference between covenant fidelity and apostasy.
• Judgment and Rarity – Isaiah leverages kethem’s scarcity to emphasize the severity of divine judgment; only those refined by God’s grace will stand in the day of His visitation.

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient Near-Eastern sources prized gold mined in regions like Ophir and Uphaz—locations associated with seafaring expeditions (1 Kings 9:26-28) and international trade. Kethem pieces included earrings, amulets, belts, and diadems, often reserved for royalty or sanctuary ornamentation. Because of its imperishability, gold became a universal standard for opulence and permanence, making it an apt biblical symbol for what is spiritually incorruptible.

Ministry and Devotional Application

• Preaching and teaching can employ kethem to illustrate the surpassing worth of Christ and His wisdom, inviting believers to seek treasures that neither moth nor rust destroy (Matthew 6:19-21).
• Counseling finds in Proverbs 25:12 a model for gentle yet valuable reproof, encouraging speech that adorns rather than wounds.
• Worship leaders may draw from Psalm 45 and Song of Solomon to celebrate the beauty of the Bridegroom and the honor bestowed upon His bride, fostering corporate adoration and personal holiness.
• In discipleship, Lamentations 4:1 warns against dulling the glow of a redeemed life through sin, while Daniel 10:5 inspires hope in the splendor of God’s heavenly reign and the final vindication of His saints.

Related Terms and Intertextual Echoes

Kethem is conceptually linked to other gold-related Hebrew terms such as zahab (generic gold) and paz (refined gold). New Testament writings continue the motif, urging believers to exchange earthly riches for “gold refined by fire” (Revelation 3:18) and to adorn themselves inwardly with the imperishable beauty of a gentle spirit (1 Peter 3:4).

In every occurrence כֶּתֶם presses readers to evaluate what they treasure, to admire the glory of God’s kingdom, and to pursue the imperishable riches found in Christ alone.

בְּכֶ֣תֶם בְּכֶ֥תֶם בכתם הַכֶּ֣תֶם הכתם וְ֝לַכֶּ֗תֶם ולכתם כֶּ֣תֶם כָ֑תֶם כתם מִכֶּ֥תֶם מכתם bə·ḵe·ṯem beChetem bəḵeṯem Chatem hak·ke·ṯem hakKetem hakkeṯem ḵā·ṯem ḵāṯem ke·ṯem Ketem keṯem mik·ke·ṯem mikKetem mikkeṯem velakKetem wə·lak·ke·ṯem wəlakkeṯemInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts