Hebrew word · H5842

עֵט

'et

stylus

ʿēṭ is a writing instrument: the cut reed pen of a scribe working in ink (Jer 8:8, 'the lying pen of the scribes') or an iron stylus for engraving (Jer 17:1; Job 19:24). Sôpēr is a scribe, from the root for counting or recounting.

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) stylus

1a) iron stylus with diamond tip used to write on stone or metal

1b) reed pen used on a roll

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Psalm 45:1

Range of meaning

ʿēṭ is a writing instrument: the cut reed pen of a scribe working in ink (Jer 8:8, 'the lying pen of the scribes') or an iron stylus for engraving (Jer 17:1; Job 19:24). Sôpēr is a scribe, from the root for counting or recounting. That covered a royal secretary and state official (2 Sam 8:17; 2 Kgs 22:3–10) as well as a learned expert in texts (Ezra 7:6).

Against the English

English 'pen' suggests a modern ink pen, and 'writer' suggests an author. The Hebrew has a professional tool and a professional class in mind. The court scribe was a trained, high-status official.

How it drifted

'Writer' (KJV, NASB, NIV, BSB) is not wrong, but it flattens an office into a hobby. In Israel and its neighbors only a small trained elite could write, and the king's scribe was one of his senior ministers.

Used elsewhere in the period

Scribes appear in the lists of royal officials under David and Solomon (2 Sam 8:17; 20:25; 1 Kgs 4:3). Across the ancient Near East (Egypt, Mesopotamia, Aramean courts) the scribe was the master of polished, permanent language.

From the study of Jeremiah 8:8

Range of meaning

Writing instrument: a reed pen for ink (Ps 45:1, 'the pen of a ready scribe') or a hard stylus for engraving ('a pen of iron', Jer 17:1; Job 19:24).

Against the English

'Pen' is accurate. The image is a scribe's reed pen dipped in ink (compare the ink in Jer 36:18), not a modern pen.

Used elsewhere in the period

Four occurrences in the Hebrew Bible (Jer 8:8; 17:1; Ps 45:1; Job 19:24). LXX here has schoinos, a rush or reed, which is the actual pen of the period.

Where it appears

Job · 1

  1. Job 19:24 בְּעֵט־ with a stylus of

    by an iron stylus on lead, or chiseled in stone forever.

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 45:1 עֵ֤ט׀ [is] a stylus of

    For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies.” A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A love song. My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses to the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

    Here: 'The pen of' or 'the stylus of.' The word covers a scribe's reed pen used with ink (Jer 8:8) and an iron tool for cutting into stone (Jer 17:1; Job 19:24). Here it is the professional writing tool of a scribe.

Jeremiah · 2

  1. Jeremiah 8:8 עֵ֖ט a stylus of

    How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,’ when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception?

    Here: The scribe's writing tool. In a scribe's hand this would usually be a reed pen for ink on papyrus or leather. The same word is used for an engraving stylus (Jer 17:1). The pen stands for the whole business of writing.

  2. Jeremiah 17:1 בְּעֵ֥ט with a stylus of

    “The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus, engraved with a diamond point on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.

    Here: A writing tool. With 'iron' it means a cutting tool for stone, not a pen for ink.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.