Print; Printing; Printed
Marks on the Body
The primary biblical reference translated as "print" appears in Leviticus 19:28: "You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord." The Hebrew word used here refers to an incised or imprinted mark on the skin. This prohibition stood within the broader context of laws distinguishing Israel from surrounding pagan cultures, where tattooing and body marking were associated with mourning rituals and devotion to false gods. The command established a principle: the bodies of God's people were not to bear the marks of pagan identity because they already belonged to the Lord.
Seals and Impressions
The concept of printing in the ancient sense — transferring a pattern from one surface to another — was deeply embedded in biblical culture through the use of seals. Cylinder seals and stamp seals were pressed into clay or wax to authenticate documents, mark property, and verify identity. When God instructed Ezekiel's angel to "set a mark on the foreheads" of the faithful in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 9:4), the action involved marking or imprinting a sign of divine protection. Similarly, Revelation describes believers as being "sealed" on their foreheads (Revelation 7:3; 9:4), using the imagery of an official impression that identifies them as belonging to God. The beast's followers receive a corresponding but counterfeit mark on their foreheads or hands (Revelation 13:16-17).
Job's Desire for a Permanent Record
Job expressed his longing for his words to be permanently recorded: "Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!" (Job 19:23-24). Some translations render related passages with "print" language, but Job's concern is with permanence — the desire that his testimony endure beyond his suffering. Ironically, Job's wish was more than fulfilled: his words have been preserved in Scripture and read by millions across millennia, far surpassing any stone inscription.
The Nail Prints of Christ
In the New Testament, the most significant use of "print" appears in John 20:25, where Thomas declares, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." The Greek word here refers to the impression or imprint left by the nails of crucifixion. When Jesus appeared and invited Thomas to touch these marks, the nail prints served as proof of both the reality of the crucifixion and the physical reality of the resurrection. The risen Christ retained the marks of his suffering, transforming them from signs of death into evidence of victory over death.
Written on the Heart
The most theologically profound "printing" in Scripture is figurative. God promised through Jeremiah, "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts" (Jeremiah 31:33). Paul extended this image, telling the Corinthians they were "a letter from Christ... written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Corinthians 3:3). This progression from external marking to internal inscription captures the arc of redemption: from laws carved in stone to God's truth imprinted on the human heart by the Holy Spirit.
The Significance of Marks and Impressions
Throughout Scripture, marks and impressions communicate identity and belonging. The mark of Cain (Genesis 4:15), the blood on the doorposts at Passover (Exodus 12:7), the seal of the Spirit on believers (Ephesians 1:13), and the marks of Jesus that Paul carried on his body (Galatians 6:17) all declare something about whose people the marked ones are. The biblical concern with printing and marking ultimately points to the deepest question of human existence: to whom do we belong?
Biblical Context
References to printing, marks, and impressions appear in the Mosaic law (Leviticus 19:28), Job's longing for permanent record (Job 19:23-24), Ezekiel's protective mark (Ezekiel 9:4), the nail prints of Christ (John 20:25), Paul's marks of Jesus (Galatians 6:17), the seal of the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13; Revelation 7:3), the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16-17), and the promise of God's law written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3).
Theological Significance
The biblical treatment of marks and impressions reveals that identity is determined by whose mark one bears. The prohibition against pagan body markings, the seal of God on believers, and the mark of the beast in Revelation all address the fundamental question of allegiance and ownership. The nail prints of Christ transform suffering into testimony, and God's promise to write his law on human hearts represents the ultimate 'printing' — the internal transformation that makes external marking unnecessary.
Historical Background
Body marking, including tattooing and scarification, was widespread in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world. Egyptian mummies show evidence of tattoos, and Herodotus describes tattooing practices among various peoples. Cylinder seals from Mesopotamia date back to the fourth millennium BC, and stamp seals were common throughout the biblical world. Archaeological discoveries of seals bearing Hebrew names confirm their widespread use in ancient Israel for authenticating documents and marking property. The practice of branding slaves and marking prisoners was also common in antiquity.