TR: kâthab → gráphō (Write / What Is Written)

The Chain

Hebrew OT              LXX (Greek OT)           Greek NT
──────────             ──────────────────        ──────────────
כָּתַב (kâthab)      →  γράφω (gráphō)        →  γράφω (gráphō)
H3789, 212x in OT       185x as translation        197x in NT
"engrave, write"         of kâthab                  "write, it is written"

Bridge strength: Co-occurrence 185x, PMI score 34.64 — one of the most consistent Hebrew→Greek correspondences in the LXX.

OT Usage (Hebrew — H3789)

Strong's	Word	Transliteration	Occurrences	Primary KJV
H3789	כָּתַב	kâthab	212	written (87v), wrote (14v), write (7v)

Definition: A primitive root; to grave by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe):—describe, record, prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten).

Key OT passages: - Exo 17:14 — "And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua" - Deu 4:13 — "he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone" - Jos 1:8 — "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night" - Jer 31:33 — "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts" (cited in Heb 8:10 with ἐγγράφω)

Library entry: H3789-kathab.md

LXX Bridge

Hebrew	Greek Translation	Co-occ	Notes
kâthab (H3789)	γράφω (G1125)	185x	Primary — near-exclusive correspondent
kâthab (H3789)	βιβλίον (G975)	99x	Where the book/scroll is the syntactic focus
kâthab (H3789)	νόμος (G3551)	34x	"the written law" contexts

Semantic continuity: The translation is remarkably consistent. kâthab encompasses the full range from physical engraving on stone (Exo 31:18) to recording in books (Exo 17:14) to authoritative legal inscription (Deu 17:18), and γράφω carries all these senses into Greek. No major semantic shift occurred in the LXX — the verbs match domain for domain.

NT Usage (Greek — G1125)

Strong's	Word	Transliteration	Occurrences	Primary KJV
G1125	γράφω	gráphō	197	it is written (53v), written (28v), write (12v)

Definition: A primary verb; to "grave", especially to write; figuratively, to describe.

Key NT passages: - Mat 4:4 — "It is written (γέγραπται), Man shall not live by bread alone" — citing Deu 8:3 - Rom 1:17 — "as it is written (γέγραπται), The just shall live by faith" — citing Hab 2:4 - Rev 1:11 — "What thou seest, write (γράψον) in a book, and send it unto the seven churches" - Rev 20:15 — "whosoever was not found written (γεγραμμένος) in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire"

Library entry: G1125-grapho.md

Direct OT→NT Quotations

NT Verse	Quotes OT	Hebrew Word	Greek NT	Significance
Mat 4:4	Deu 8:3	כָּתַב → kâthab	γέγραπται	Jesus' wilderness temptation — "it is written"
Mat 4:7	Deu 6:16	כָּתַב → kâthab	γέγραπται	Same formula, same authority
Rom 1:17	Hab 2:4	כָּתַב context	γέγραπται	Justification by faith; cited also in Gal 3:11
1Co 1:19	Isa 29:14	כָּתַב	γέγραπται	Wisdom of men vs. God
Gal 4:22	Gen 16	כָּתַב	γέγραπται	Abraham's two sons — allegorical fulfillment
Heb 8:10	Jer 31:33	כָּתַב	ἐγγράψω	New Covenant promise — law written on hearts

Continuity and Shifts

What stays the same: - The core semantic range is identical: physical inscription, legal recording, authoritative textual reference - Both kâthab and γράφω carry the theological weight of permanent, binding divine commands - The idea of divine authorship (God writes / commands writing) is continuous from Exo 31:18 through Rev 1:11

What shifts: - NT γράφω adds the γέγραπται formula as a stereotyped appeal to OT authority — this becomes the NT's technical idiom for scripture citation (53 of 197 verses) - The eschatological register (book of life, names written in heaven) is more developed in the NT - The apostolic correspondence usage (Paul/John writing letters) is new — kâthab rarely refers to private correspondence - Heb 8:10 / Jer 31:33 marks a shift: the New Covenant writing is internal (on hearts) rather than external (on stone), using ἐγγράφω rather than simple γράφω

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Generated from: gather_trace_data.py, search_strongs.py (--lxx-map, --hebrew-source, --lookup) Last updated: 2026-04-02