מַסֵּכָה
maççêkâh · H4541 · Hebrew · 28 occurrences
Thing
- Molten imageIdols30 verses
Meanings
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molten image
A physical likeness or representation of a person, animal, or thing; made by pouring molten metal into a mold, and functioning as an object of non-sanctioned worship
ExamplesExodus 32:4 Then he took the gold from their hands, and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a cast metal calf; and they said, “This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 32:8 “They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a cast metal calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’”
Exodus 34:17 “You shall not make for yourself any gods cast in metal.
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covering, blanket, shroud, pall
A large piece of cloth used as a covering, as on a bed, but also in a more figurative sense to signify a condition that affects people, as if they are covered by it
ExamplesIsaiah 25:7 And on this mountain He will destroy the covering which is over all peoples, The veil which is stretched over all nations.
Isaiah 28:20 The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in.
-
league, alliance, treaty
A union or association formed between two or more partners for mutual benefit
ExamplesIsaiah 30:1 “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin;
How it’s used In 9 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- זָהָבgold 1
- הֶםtheir 1
Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- נָסַךְto pour out 1
Named alongside itApposition
4 occurrences in 3 groups
- עֵגֶלmale calf 3
- מַעֲשֶׂהwork, deed 1
- תּוֹעֵבַהabomination, detestable thing 1
What it doesIt is the subject
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- צָרַרto distress, to be hostile, to bind up 1
What is done to itIt is the object
13 occurrences in 7 groups
- עָשָׂהto do, to make 7
- לָקַחto take, to receive 2
- בָּלַעto swallow 1
- דָּקַקto crush, to grind to powder 1
- כָּרַתto cut off, to make (a covenant) 1
- נָסַךְto pour out 1
Second object ofSecond object
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- עָשָׂהto do, to make 1
What it is said to bePredicate
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- יֵשׁthere is, there are 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
3 occurrences in 2 groups
- לto/for 4
- מִןfrom 2
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
6 occurrences in 4 groups
- אֱלֹהִיםGod, gods 2
- עֵגֶלmale calf 2
- אֵפֻדָּהcovering 1
- צֶלֶםimage 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 7 words
- עָצָב ʻâtsâb · H6091 · idol
- Both words denote cultic images or idols, as terms for forbidden objects of worship. The target term emphasizes the molten or cast manufacturing process ('molten image'), while עָצָב (ʻâtsâb, H6091) is a more general term for idol or image.
- עֹצֶב ʻôtseb · H6090 · idol, pain, suffering
- The target term primarily denotes a molten or cast image (and secondarily a covering or veil), while עֹצֶב (ʻôtseb, H6090) denotes an idol (and also, separately, sorrow). Both can refer to cultic images or idols, converging on a shared referent in that specialized sense.
- מִפְלֶצֶת miphletseth · H4656 · horrible idol
- Both words denote cult objects or idolatrous images, as terms for forbidden objects of worship: a molten image on the one hand and an idol (מִפְלֶצֶת, מִפְלֶצֶת (miphletseth, H4656)) on the other.
- גִּלּוּל gillûwl · H1544 · image, idol
- גִּלּוּל (gillûwl, H1544) denotes idols generally, while מַסֵּכָה (maççêkâh, H4541) specifically denotes molten or cast images; both refer to the same general category of forbidden worship objects, with מַסֵּכָה (maççêkâh, H4541) representing a more specific manufacturing type.
- צֶלֶם tselem · H6754 · image, likeness, resemblance
- Both words denote 'image'. The target term emphasizes the manufacturing aspect ('molten image, covering'), while צֶלֶם (tselem, H6754) is broader ('image, vain show'). They are distinct Hebrew words that can substitute for one another in the sense of 'idol' or 'image'.
- מַשְׂכִּית maskîyth · H4906 · stone image, setting
- Both words denote idolatrous or cultic image objects. מַסֵּכָה emphasizes molten or cast images while מַשְׂכִּית emphasizes figured or carved imagery, but both refer to forbidden cultic representations.
- סֶמֶל çemel · H5566 · image
- Both the target term ('molten image, covering') and סֶמֶל (çemel, H5566) ('figure, idol, image') are genuine idol/image terms that could substitute for one another in sense as near-synonyms for cult objects, with both directly supporting the idol-image overlap in a real same-language near-synonym relationship.
Semantic domains 4 entries
- Images001003001001010
- מַסֵּכָה denotes a cast or molten image, as with the golden calf the Israelites fashion and worship at Sinai.
- Cult Objects001003001001006
- מַסֵּכָה denotes an idol used in cultic worship, the cast metal gods repeatedly forbidden in the Law and destroyed when Israel takes the land.
- Cover002003001005
- מַסֵּכָה's core sense of something cast or poured over relates to covering or overlaying, as reflected in its alternate gloss "vail" alongside "molten image."
- Associate002003002002
- This domain is not directly illustrated among the sampled citations, which focus on the idol as a cast object of worship rather than any sense of association or fellowship.
Word family 6 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H4541. maccekah I. מַסֵּכָה noun feminine 1 molten metal, or image; 2 libation; — ׳מ Exo…
I. מַסֵּכָה noun feminine
1 molten metal, or image;
2 libation; — ׳מ Exo 32:4 +; construct מַסֵּכַת Isa 30:22; plural מַסֵּכוֺת 1Ki 14:9 +; suffix מַסֵּכֹתָם Num 33:52; —
1 libation, with covenant sacrifice in making covenant Isa 30:1 (=
1 נֶסֶךְ; see, however, below II. [נָסַךְ]).
2 molten metal, or image: מַסֵּכָה עֵגֶל molten calf Exo 32:4, Exo 32:8; Deu 9:16; Neh 9:18, compare Psa 106:19; מַסֵּכָה אֱלֹהֵי molten gods Exo 34:17; Lev 19:4; מ ׳צַלְמֵי Num 33:52; וּמַסֵּכָה מֶּסֶל Deu 27:15; Jdg 17:3-4, Jdg 18:14; Nah 1:14; 2Ch 34:3-4, elsewhere (variously) Deu 9:12; Jdg 18:17-18, 1Ki 14:9; 2Ki 17:16; 2Ch 28:2; Isa 30:22; Isa 42:17; Hos 13:2; Hab 2:18.
II. מַסֵּכָה noun feminine woven stuff, web, especially as covering; — absolute ׳הַמּ עַלֿ הַנְּסוּכָה Isa 25:7 the web that is woven over all the nations (i.e. mourning-veil, symbol of distress; || הַלּוֺט הַלּוֺט); = bed- covering Isa 28:20 (in figurative). Perhaps also מ ׳לִנְסֹךְ Isa 30:1 weave a web (|| עֵצָה לַעֲשׂוֺת), reference to negotiations with Egypt (so ᵑ9 Aq Ew De Che Di; > ᵐ5 Ges Hi Kn Brd Du pour a libation; ׳מ not elsewhere = נֶסֶךְ).
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 3 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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