Miktam (H4387) appears as a musical or literary term in the superscriptions of six Psalms (16, 56-60). The precise meaning is debated: some derive it from ketem (pure gold), giving 'golden poem'; others link it to an Akkadian root meaning 'inscription' or 'to cover.' The LXX translates it as 'inscription on a pillar' (stelographia).
The miktam psalms are among the most intense in the Psalter, composed largely in life-threatening circumstances. Psalm 16, the great resurrection psalm quoted by Peter at Pentecost, is a miktam. Psalms 56-60 arise from David's flight from Saul and battles with enemies. Whether meaning 'golden' or 'inscribed,' the designation suggests permanence and preciousness — these are words meant to be kept forever, hammered into the soul like gold into a seal. Peter's use of Psalm 16:10 ('you will not let your Holy One see corruption') in Acts 2:27-31 shows the miktam transcended its historical moment into eternal prophecy.