The term "inscribe" refers to the act of writing or engraving words onto a surface. In the context of the Bible, inscribing often carries significant spiritual and symbolic meaning, reflecting the permanence and authority of God's word and commandments.

Biblical Instances of Inscription

1. The Ten Commandments: One of the most notable instances of inscription in the Bible is the engraving of the Ten Commandments on stone tablets. In Exodus 31:18, it is recorded, "When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God." This divine act of inscription underscores the eternal and unchanging nature of God's law.

2. The Law on the Heart: The concept of inscribing God's law on the heart is a recurring theme in Scripture, symbolizing an internalization of divine principles. Jeremiah 31:33 states, "But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people." This prophetic promise highlights the transformative power of God's word when it is deeply embedded within the believer.

3. The Book of the Law: In Deuteronomy 27:3, the Israelites are commanded to inscribe the words of the law on large stones upon entering the Promised Land: "And you shall write on them all the words of this law when you cross over, so that you may enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you." This act served as a public declaration and reminder of their covenant with God.

4. The Inscription on the Cross: In the New Testament, the inscription placed above Jesus on the cross is of particular significance. John 19:19 records, "Pilate also had a notice posted on the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS." This inscription, written in multiple languages, proclaimed Jesus' identity and mission to all who passed by, fulfilling the prophetic nature of His kingship.

Symbolic and Theological Implications

The act of inscribing in the Bible often signifies the authority and permanence of God's word. It serves as a reminder of His covenant with His people and the expectation of obedience to His commandments. The physical act of inscribing is a metaphor for the spiritual process of embedding God's truths within one's heart and mind, leading to a life transformed by His presence.

In the broader theological context, the concept of inscription emphasizes the importance of Scripture as the divinely inspired word of God, meant to guide, instruct, and shape the lives of believers. The permanence of inscription reflects the eternal nature of God's promises and the enduring relevance of His teachings throughout generations.1. (v. t.) To write or engrave; to imprint; to mark down as something to be read.

2. (v. t.) To mark with letters, characters, or words.

3. (v. t.) To assign or address to; to commend to by a shot address; to dedicate informally; as, to inscribe an ode to a friend.

4. (v. t.) To imprint deeply; to impress; to stamp; as, to inscribe a sentence on the memory.

5. (v. t.) To draw within so as to meet yet not cut the boundaries.

1449. eggrapho -- to inscribe, to enter in a register
... to inscribe, to enter in a register. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: eggrapho
Phonetic Spelling: (eng-graf'-o) Short Definition: I write, inscribe ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1449.htm - 6k

1924. epigrapho -- to write upon
... to write upon. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epigrapho Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ee-graf'-o) Short Definition: I write upon, inscribe Definition: I write ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1924.htm - 6k

583. apographo -- to copy, enroll
... to copy, enroll. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apographo Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-og-raf'-o) Short Definition: I enroll, inscribe in a register Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/583.htm - 6k

2710. chaqaq -- to cut in, inscribe, decree
... 2709, 2710. chaqaq. 2711 . to cut in, inscribe, decree. Transliteration: chaqaq
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-kak') Short Definition: inscribed. Word Origin a prim ...
/hebrew/2710.htm - 6k

7560. resham -- to inscribe, sign
... 7559, 7560. resham. 7561 . to inscribe, sign. Transliteration: resham
Phonetic Spelling: (resh-am') Short Definition: signed. Word ...
/hebrew/7560.htm - 6k

7559. rasham -- to inscribe, note
... 7558, 7559. rasham. 7560 . to inscribe, note. Transliteration: rasham Phonetic
Spelling: (raw-sham') Short Definition: inscribed. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/7559.htm - 5k

5608. saphar -- to count, recount, relate
... A primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, ie (by
implication) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, ie ...
/hebrew/5608.htm - 6k

3789. kathab -- to write
... A primitive root; to grave, by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe,
subscribe) -- describe, record, prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten). ...
/hebrew/3789.htm - 6k

874. baar -- to make distinct or plain
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to make distinct or plain NASB Word Usage
distinctly (1), expound (1), inscribe (1). declare, make plainly. ...
/hebrew/874.htm - 6k

3799. katham -- to be stained
... mark. A primitive root; properly, to carve or engrave, ie (by implication) to inscribe
indelibly -- mark. 3798, 3799. katham. 3800 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/3799.htm - 5k

At First God Deemed it Sufficient to Inscribe the Natural Law, or ...
... Against Heresies: Book IV Chapter XV."At first God deemed it sufficient to inscribe
the natural law, or the Decalogue, upon the hearts of men; but afterwards ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xv at first god deemed.htm

The Divine Inspiration of the Bible
... I affectionately inscribe this book to my dear father and mother, in grateful
appreciation of the fact that from a child I was taught to revere the Holy ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the divine inspiration of the bible/title page.htm

Marriage of the Blessed virgin to Joseph
... high priest, in accordance with the inner instruction he had received, handed a
branch to each of the men present, and commanded each to inscribe his branch ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/vii marriage of the blessed.htm

Thirtieth Day. Not of the World.
... On its cares and duties, its trusts and responsibilities, its employments and
enjoyments, inscribe the motto, "The world passeth away!" Beware of every thing ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macduff/the mind of jesus/thirtieth day not of the.htm

Postscript.
... share in it. It gives me therefore great pleasure to inscribe your honoured
name on the first page of this volume. I avail myself ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/against praxeas/postscript.htm

Intended Memorial
... Intended Memorial. It is proposed to inscribe a record of Kalli, and of
other deceased students of St. Augustine's College, on a ...
/.../murray/kalli the esquimaux christian /intended memorial.htm

The Soul's Supremacy.
... In short, philosophers themselves, and medical men, even when it is their purpose
to discourse about the mind, do in every instance inscribe on their title ...
/.../tertullian/a treatise on the soul/chapter xiii the souls supremacy.htm

Particulars of the Alleged Communication to a Montanist Sister.
... As for ourselves, indeed, we inscribe on the soul the lineaments of corporeity,
not simply from the assurance which reasoning has taught us of its corporeal ...
/.../tertullian/a treatise on the soul/chapter ix particulars of the alleged.htm

On the Psalms. I.
... account to be given of its inscription is this: (for) as most of the brethren who
believe in Christ think that this book is David's, and inscribe it "Psalms of ...
/.../hippolytus/the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/on the psalms i.htm

Heretics Confirm the Catholics in the Faith.
... Yet they style themselves Christians, just as certain among the Gentiles inscribe
the name of God upon the works of their own hands, and partake in nefarious ...
/.../chapter xxxv heretics confirm the catholics.htm

Inscribe (3 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To assign or address to; to commend to by a shot address; to dedicate
informally; as, to inscribe an ode to a friend. ...Inscribe (3 Occurrences). ...
/i/inscribe.htm - 7k

Note (129 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. NOTE. not (chaqaq, rasham; semeioo, episemos):
"Note" (verb) is the translation of chaqaq, "to grave," "to inscribe," etc. ...
/n/note.htm - 37k

Write (865 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To set down, as legible characters; to form the conveyance of meaning; to
inscribe on any material by a suitable instrument; as, to write the ...
/w/write.htm - 7k

Inscribed (20 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Inscribe. Multi-Version Concordance
Inscribed (20 Occurrences). Luke 2:3 And all went to ...
/i/inscribed.htm - 12k

Enter (372 Occurrences)
... 6. (vt) To inscribe; to enroll; to record; as, to enter a name, or a date, in a
book, or a book in a catalogue; to enter the particulars of a sale in an account ...
/e/enter.htm - 39k

Insatiable (3 Occurrences)

/i/insatiable.htm - 7k

Inscription (18 Occurrences)
... in-skrip'-shun (verb epigrapho, "to write upon," "inscribe"): The word occurs once
in English Versions of the Bible in Acts 17:23 of the altar at Athens with ...
/i/inscription.htm - 12k

Describe (11 Occurrences)
... verb, now obsolete, in the sense used in Joshua 18:4, 6, 8, 9 and Judges 8:14, is
a translation of kathabh, usually rendered "to write" or "inscribe." But in ...
/d/describe.htm - 11k

Dedicate (17 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To devote, set apart, or give up, as one's self, to a duty or service. 4.
(vt) To inscribe or address, as to a patron. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ...
/d/dedicate.htm - 13k

Character (27 Occurrences)
... historical character. 10. (n.) One of the persons of a drama or novel.
11. (vt) To engrave; to inscribe. 12. (vt) To distinguish ...
/c/character.htm - 16k

What are the pseudepigrapha? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Jesus Family Tomb? Has the lost tomb of Jesus Christ been discovered? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Charles Haddon Spurgeon? | GotQuestions.org

Inscribe: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus