---
title: חֹותָם — seal · The Tanakh dictionary
description: חֹותָם (2368), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 14 times: seal. BDB 1906: n.m. seal, signet-ring. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# חֹותָם

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«חֹותָם» in the Tanakh dictionary: **seal** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 14 times · **Key:** 2368 · **BDB:** חֹתָם

### Glosses

of.a.seal (7); seal (4); a.seal (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

seal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2368/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. seal, signet-ring [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2368/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Jb 41:7 seal, signet-ring (Aramaic ܚܳܬܡܳܐ; Ethiopic ማኅተም —v. LagBN 116)—abs. חֹתָם Ex 28:11 + 2 times; חוֹתָם Je 22:24 + 8 times; sf. חֹתָֽמְךָ Gn 38:18, חֹתָמוֹ 1 K 21:8;—on supposed cstr. חוֹתַם v. foregoing;—seal, signet-ring, hung by a cord (פָּתִיל) about the neck Gn 38:18 (J; = חֹתֶמֶת v 25), or (later?) worn on (finger of) right hand Je 22:24, (BenzArchäol. 106); the two customsappar. combined Ct 8:6 (עַל־לִבֶּ֗ךָ, עַל־זְרוֹעֶךָ); used to attest a royal missive 1 K 21:8 (instr. of vb. חתם); a precious article Hg 2:23 (sim. of Zerubbabel); פִּתּוּחֵי ח׳ engravings of a seal, as model for cutting names and inscr. on precious stones and gold plate Ex 28:11, 21, 26; 39:6, 14, 30 (all P; v. Benz258 ff.); חֹמֶר ח׳ Jb 38:14 = clay of (under) a signet; ח׳ צָ֑ר 41:7 a close signet, i.e. one that is closely pressed down, sim. of closely joined (סָגוּר) scales of crocodile.

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Why these entries: BDB: same consonants, part of speech agrees, 12 of its verses cited, 3 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (4 candidates); OSHB: same consonants, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (3 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «חֹותָם» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2368/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 41:7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.41.7/)

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גַּ֭אֲוָה אֲפִיקֵ֣י מָֽגִנִּ֑ים סָ֝ג֗וּר חוֹתָ֥ם צָֽר׃

*Word for word:* pride \[is\].rows of.shields \[it.is\].shut.up a.seal tight

*JPS 1917:* His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.

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[Job 38:14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.38.14/)

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תִּ֭תְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹ֣מֶר חוֹתָ֑ם וְ֝יִֽתְיַצְּב֗וּ כְּמ֣וֹ לְבֽוּשׁ׃

*Word for word:* it.is.changed like.\[the\] clay of.a.seal and they.stand.forth like clothing

*JPS 1917:* It is changed as clay under the seal; and they stand as a garment.

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