Michtam
Mich'tam (Heb. miktam', מַכתָּם, prob. for מַכתָּב written; Sept. στηλογραφία, Vulg. tituli inscriptio), a term found in the titles of several psalms (16, 56, 57, 58, 60), and signifying a writing, i.e., a poem or song (see Gesenius, Thesaur. p. 724), like מַכתָּב (miktab', "writing," in Isa 38:9). Others (as Luther, after Aben-Ezra, Kimchi, and others) unaptly translate it golden, i.e., precious, distinguished, as if from כֶּתֶם gold. Still others (as Hezel, Ewald) refer to an Arabic root meaning to conceal, as if written from retirement, or in a plaintive strain; and some (after the rabbins) make it a compound of מָך ותָם, i.q. humble and perfect, referring to David. SEE PSALMS.
