Word

פֶּסֶל

peçel · H6459 · Hebrew · 31 occurrences

See all 31 in Search

Thing

Graven (stone) imageIdols57 verses

Meanings

graven image

A physical likeness or representation of a person, animal, or thing, carved out of wood and sometimes stone, and functioning as an object of non-sanctioned worship

Examples
Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth.
Leviticus 26:1 ‘You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves a carved image or a memorial stone, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 4:16 so that you do not act corruptly and make a carved image for yourselves in the form of any figure, a representation of male or female,

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

8 occurrences in 8 groups

מִיכָהMicah 1
סֶמֶלimage 1
אֵפוֹדlinen apron 1
אֲשֵׁרָהAsherah 1
תְּמוּנָהform 1
יmy 1

Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles

2 occurrences in 1 groups

עָשָׂהto do, to make 2

Named alongside itApposition

4 occurrences in 3 groups

תְּמוּנָהform 3
מַעֲשֶׂהwork, deed 1
תּוֹעֵבַהabomination, detestable thing 1

What it doesIt is the subject

2 occurrences in 2 groups

יַעַלto benefit 1
צָוָהto give orders 1

What is done to itIt is the object

19 occurrences in 7 groups

עָשָׂהto do, to make 7
לָקַחto take, to receive 3
שׂוּםto put, to set, to place 3
נָסַךְto pour out 2
קוּםto arise 2
כּוּןto establish, to prepare 1

Second object ofSecond object

2 occurrences in 1 groups

עָשָׂהto do, to make 2

What it is said to bePredicate

1 occurrences in 1 groups

יֵשׁthere is, there are 1

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

4 occurrences in 3 groups

מִןfrom 4
בin/on/with 2
לto/for 1

In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive

3 occurrences in 3 groups

יָצַרto form, to fashion 1
עָבַדto serve, to work 1
עֵץtree, wood 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 10 words

חַמָּן chammân · H2553 · incense altar: חַמָּן and the target lexeme both denote physical idolatrous cult objects, functioning as near-synonyms within the semantic field of idol worship.
תְּרָפִים tᵉrâphîym · H8655 · household idols: The target lexeme and תְּרָפִים (teraphim, household idols) both denote cultic or religious images used in worship, functioning as near-synonyms for carved images and idols.
סֶמֶל çemel · H5566 · image: Both words denote idolatrous images or cult objects. סֶמֶל (çemel, H5566) is a general term for figure, idol or image, while פֶּסֶל (peçel, H6459) specifies a carved or graven image; both refer to idol-objects and could substitute in many contexts.
עָצָב ʻâtsâb · H6091 · idol: Both words denote manufactured objects of worship or idolatry (idols, images).
מַשְׂכִּית maskîyth · H4906 · stone image, setting: Both words denote types of manufactured images or representations used in cultic contexts. מַשְׂכִּית (maskîyth, H4906) is broader (image, picture, conceit), while פֶּסֶל (peçel, H6459) is more specific (carved or graven image); both are words for visual representations, particularly in religious settings.
מִפְלֶצֶת miphletseth · H4656 · horrible idol: Both words denote forbidden cultic images or idols and could substitute for each other.
עֹצֶב ʻôtseb · H6090 · idol, pain, suffering: עֹצֶב, which also carries broader senses of ‘sorrow’ or ‘wicked,’ includes the sense ‘idol,’ overlapping with the target lexeme’s specific sense of ‘carved image.’ The two are near-synonyms for forbidden graven images.
גִּלּוּל gillûwl · H1544 · image, idol: גִּלּוּל and the target lexeme both denote forbidden cultic objects or idols in ancient Israelite worship, functioning as near-synonyms.
אֱלִיל ʼĕlîyl · H457 · image, idol, useless: Both words denote idolatrous objects. אֱלִיל (ʼĕlîyl, H457) stresses worthlessness (“thing of nought”), while פֶּסֶל (peçel, H6459) names the manufacturing method (“carved, graven”); both refer to forbidden cult images and may substitute in many contexts.
צֶלֶם tselem · H6754 · image, likeness, resemblance: Both words denote representational images. פֶּסֶל (peçel, H6459) emphasizes the carved or material aspect, while צֶלֶם (tselem, H6754) is broader, including abstract representation (as in “vain shew”), but both can substitute in contexts of cultic imagery.

Semantic domains 2 entries

Images001003001001010: פֶּסֶל denotes a carved or graven image, an idol shaped by human hands, forbidden in the second commandment of Exodus 20:4 and Deuteronomy 5:8, and repeatedly condemned as powerless alongside the LORD's incomparable might.
Cult Objects001003001001006: The word denotes an idol used in worship, an object of false religious devotion Israel is repeatedly commanded to destroy rather than serve.

Word family 3 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

פָּסַל pâçal · H6458 · to cut, to carve, to hew · 6×פֶּסֶלpeçel · H6459פְּסִיל pᵉçîyl · H6456 · graven image · 23×

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H6459. pesel מֶּ֫סֶל31 noun masculineHab 2:18 idol, image; — absolute ׳פ Jdg 17:3 +,…

H6459. pesel
מֶּ֫סֶל31 noun masculineHab 2:18 idol, image; — absolute ׳פ Jdg 17:3 +, מָּ֑סֶל Isa 42:17; construct מֶּסֶל Jdg 18:31 +; suffix מִּסְלִי Isa 48:5, etc.; plural supplied by מְּסִילִים see following; — idol, as likeness of man or animal Exo 20:4=Deu 5:8; Exo 4:16, Exo 4:23, Exo 4:25, also Deu 27:15; 2Ki 21:7; 2Ch 33:7; Isa 42:17; Isa 44:9; Isa 48:5; Nah 1:14; Hab 2:18 (of wood or stone, compare Hab 2:19); of metal Jdg 17:3-4, Jdg 17:6t. 18 (compare GFM), Isa 40:19; Isa 44:10 (with נָסַךְ), Jer 10:14; Jer 51:17 (with צוֺרֵף); of wood Isa 40:20; Isa 44:15, Isa 44:17; Isa 45:20.

Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain

Topical studies with this word 1 entry

Images31 occurrences

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