← H3796 H3798 →

כְּתַל

𐤊𐤕𐤋

kᵉthal

H3797 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A wall, particularly a structural or boundary wall enclosing a space, commonly used in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible to refer to the physical barrier of a city, building, or enclosure. The term emphasizes the function of separating or enclosing, as opposed to merely marking a boundary line.

Semantic Range

wall (of a city), wall (of a building or room), structural barrier, enclosure, city fortification

Root / Etymology

From the root כתל, which corresponds to the Hebrew root כ-ת-ל or כֹּתֶל (kotel), meaning 'wall' or 'side.' The Aramaic כְּתַל is a cognate term, sharing both form and function with its Hebrew counterpart.

Historical & Contextual Notes

כְּתַל appears exclusively in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, notably in Daniel and Ezra. It refers to literal, structural walls, such as city walls or walls of buildings, often in contexts of construction, protection, or destruction. The more common biblical Hebrew term is כֹּתֶל (kotel), used especially in prose narrative and legal texts from the monarchy period onward. There is little to no semantic difference between כְּתַל and כֹּתֶל other than dialect (Aramaic/Hebrew). In later Jewish tradition, 'kotel' became the standard term for the western retaining wall of the Jerusalem Temple mount, but this later association is post-biblical. English translations usually render both strictly as 'wall,' though the full nuance of enclosure and protection can be context-dependent. No evidence suggests figurative or extended uses in the biblical or Second Temple Aramaic texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to כֹּתֶל; {a wall (as gathering inmates)}; wall.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

כתל (k-t-l) — walling, enclosing, constructing a wall

Root כְּתַל to wall, enclose, construct a wall
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3796 כֹּתֶל our wall

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3797-02 כְתַ֥ל khetal ANcmsc wall wall of the wall of 1
H3797-01 בְּ/כֻתְלַיָּ֑/א bekhutelaya AR/Ncmpd/Td in walls-the in the enclosing walls in the enclosing walls 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3797-02 Daniel 5:5 כְתַ֥ל khetal ANcmsc wall wall of the wall of
H3797-01 Ezra 5:8 בְּ/כֻתְלַיָּ֑/א bekhutelaya AR/Ncmpd/Td in walls-the in the enclosing walls in the enclosing walls
← H3796 Hebrew Lexicon H3798 →