Hebrew word · H7559
רָשַׁם
harashum
to inscribe
To mark, inscribe or write down in a formal, binding way. It appears only here in Biblical Hebrew. The passive participle means 'what stands written' or 'what is on record'.
Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. ·
What it means
1) to inscribe, note
1a) (Qal) that which is inscribed (participle)
Aramaic equivalent: re.sham (רְשַׁם "to sign" H7560)
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 Daniel 10:21
- Range of meaning
To mark, inscribe or write down in a formal, binding way. It appears only here in Biblical Hebrew. The passive participle means 'what stands written' or 'what is on record'.
- Against the English
KJV and YLT 'noted (down)' sound like a passing jotting. BSB, WEB and most modern versions have 'inscribed', which better conveys a formal, lasting record.
- How it drifted
KJV's 'noted' has weakened in English, which now hears it as 'mentioned' or 'remarked upon'. The Hebrew word carries the weight of an official record.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The Aramaic relative rᵊšam appears in Daniel itself: the hand 'inscribed' the writing on the wall (5:24–25), and Darius 'signed' the decree that could not be revoked under the law of the Medes and Persians (6:8–10, 12–13). The root is also used for registering and recording in later Hebrew and Aramaic.
Where it appears
Daniel · 1
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Daniel 10:21 הָרָשׁ֥וּם the [thing] inscribed
But first I will tell you what is inscribed in the Book of Truth. Yet no one has the courage to support me against these, except Michael your prince.
Here: 'What has been inscribed', a passive form that means 'already written'. This is the only time the verb appears in Biblical Hebrew. Its Aramaic relative is used in Daniel for the writing on the wall and for the king's signed, unchangeable decree, so it suggests something recorded and fixed.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.