פֶּסֶל
𐤐𐤎𐤋
peçel
H6459 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A carved or sculpted figure, typically referring to an image or statue fashioned from wood, stone, or metal, often for religious or cultic purposes. The term most frequently denotes an idol—an object of veneration or representation of a deity in a concrete form—but can more broadly refer to any figures that are engraved or hewn.
Semantic Range
carved image, sculpted figure, idol, graven image, statue made for worship, engraved representation, object representing a deity
Root / Etymology
From the root פָּסַל (pasal), meaning 'to hew, cut, carve.' פֶּסֶל (pesel) is a noun form indicating an object that has been shaped, specifically by chiseling, carving, or engraving. The nominal form refers to the product of this activity: a sculpted or graven image.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פֶּסֶל is especially associated with prohibitions in Israelite law regarding the creation and veneration of physical representations of divine beings, in contrast to broader ancient Near Eastern practices where cultic images were common. In legal and prophetic contexts (e.g. Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 5:8; Isaiah 40:19), it is usually a term of censure or prohibition, not merely descriptive. The semantic nuance between פֶּסֶל (about images carved from hard materials) and מַסֵּכָה (massekah, a molten or cast image) is important: the latter refers to images formed by pouring cast metal, whereas פֶּסֶל is specifically carved—highlighting differing technologies and materialities. In the monarchic and later periods, especially in prophetic polemic, פֶּסֶל becomes a symbol of improper worship. English translations commonly render it as 'graven image' or 'idol,' which captures much of the term's cultic and legal significance but potentially flattens nuance in material and technical aspects. The term is not used neutrally, but almost always in the context of idol-making or idol worship, and is rarely used for secular or non-religious sculpture.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
lemma פֶסֶל missing dagesh, corrected to פֶּסֶל; from פָּסַל; an idol; carved (graven) image.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
פסל (pᵉçîyl) — to carve, hew, chisel
Word Forms
10 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6459-07 |
פֶּ֥סֶל | pesel | HNcmsc |
a graven image | carved idol | carved idol | 12 |
H6459-02 |
פֶ֨סֶל֙ | fesel | HNcmsc |
idol | carved image | carved image | 6 |
H6459-09 |
וּ/פֶ֣סֶל | ufesel | HC/Ncmsa |
or graven image | and a carved image | and a carved image | 3 |
H6459-03 |
הַ/פָּ֑סֶל | hapasel | HTd/Ncmsa |
graven image | the carved image | the carved image | 2 |
H6459-06 |
מִ/פָּ֑סֶל | mipasel | HR/Ncmsa |
by the graven image | from a carved image | by the carved image | 2 |
H6459-01 |
בַּ/פָּ֑סֶל | bapasel | HRd/Ncmsa |
in-the-idol | in the carved-image | in the carved-image | 1 |
H6459-04 |
הַ/פֶּ֨סֶל֙ | hapesel | HTd/Ncmsa |
the idol | the carved image | the carved image | 1 |
H6459-05 |
לְ/פִסְל֑/וֹ | lefiselo | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
for his idol | to his carved image | for his idol | 1 |
H6459-08 |
פִּסְלָ֔/ם | piselam | HNcmsc/Sp3mp |
their idol | their carved image | their carved image | 1 |
H6459-10 |
וּ/פִסְלִ֥/י | ufiseli | HC/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
and-my-carved-image | and my carved image | and my carved image | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
30 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6459-02 |
Exodus 20:4 | פֶ֨סֶל֙ | fesel | HNcmsa |
idol | carved image | carved image |
H6459-09 |
Leviticus 26:1 | וּ/פֶ֤סֶל | ufesel | HC/Ncmsa |
or graven image | and a carved image | and a carved image |
H6459-07 |
Deuteronomy 4:16 | פֶּ֖סֶל | pesel | HNcmsa |
a graven image | carved idol | carved idol |
H6459-07 |
Deuteronomy 4:23 | פֶּ֨סֶל֙ | pesel | HNcmsa |
an idol | carved idol | carved idol |
H6459-07 |
Deuteronomy 4:25 | פֶּ֨סֶל֙ | pesel | HNcmsa |
a graven image | carved idol | a carved idol |
H6459-02 |
Deuteronomy 5:8 | פֶ֨סֶל֙ | fesel | HNcmsc |
graven image | carved image | carved image |
H6459-02 |
Deuteronomy 27:15 | פֶ֨סֶל | fesel | HNcmsa |
a graven image | carved image | a carved image |
H6459-07 |
Judges 17:3 | פֶּ֣סֶל | pesel | HNcmsa |
a graven image | carved idol | a carved idol |
H6459-07 |
Judges 17:4 | פֶּ֣סֶל | pesel | HNcmsa |
a carved image | carved idol | carved idol |
H6459-09 |
Judges 18:14 | וּ/פֶ֖סֶל | ufesel | HC/Ncmsa |
and a carved image | and a carved image | and a carved image |
H6459-07 |
Judges 18:18 | פֶּ֣סֶל | pesel | HNcmsc |
the graven image | carved idol | carved idol |
H6459-03 |
Judges 18:20 | הַ/פָּ֑סֶל | hapasel | HTd/Ncmsa |
graven image | the carved image | the carved image |
H6459-03 |
Judges 18:30 | הַ/פָּ֑סֶל | hapasel | HTd/Ncmsa |
the graven image | the carved image | the carved image |
H6459-07 |
Judges 18:31 | פֶּ֥סֶל | pesel | HNcmsc |
carved image | carved idol | carved idol |
H6459-07 |
2 Kings 21:7 | פֶּ֥סֶל | pesel | HNcmsc |
carved image | carved idol | carved idol |
H6459-04 |
Isaiah 40:19 | הַ/פֶּ֨סֶל֙ | hapesel | HTd/Ncmsa |
the idol | the carved image | the carved image |
H6459-07 |
Isaiah 40:20 | פֶּ֖סֶל | pesel | HNcmsa |
an idol | carved idol | carved idol |
H6459-01 |
Isaiah 42:17 | בַּ/פָּ֑סֶל | bapasel | HRd/Ncmsa |
in-the-idol | in the carved-image | in the carved-image |
H6459-02 |
Isaiah 44:9 | פֶ֤סֶל | fesel | HNcmsa |
an idol | carved image | carved image |
H6459-09 |
Isaiah 44:10 | וּ/פֶ֣סֶל | ufesel | HC/Ncmsa |
or graven image | and a carved image | and a carved image |
H6459-02 |
Isaiah 44:15 | פֶ֖סֶל | fesel | HNcmsa |
an-idol | carved image | a carved image |
H6459-05 |
Isaiah 44:17 | לְ/פִסְל֑/וֹ | lefiselo | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
for his idol | to his carved image | for his idol |
H6459-08 |
Isaiah 45:20 | פִּסְלָ֔/ם | piselam | HNcmsc/Sp3mp |
their idol | their carved image | their carved image |
H6459-10 |
Isaiah 48:5 | וּ/פִסְלִ֥/י | ufiseli | HC/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
and-my-carved-image | and my carved image | and my carved image |
H6459-06 |
Jeremiah 10:14 | מִ/פָּ֑סֶל | mipasel | HR/Ncmsa |
by the graven image | from a carved image | by the carved image |
H6459-06 |
Jeremiah 51:17 | מִ/פָּ֑סֶל | mipasel | HR/Ncmsa |
by the graven image | from a carved image | by the graven image |
H6459-07 |
Nahum 1:14 | פֶּ֧סֶל | pesel | HNcmsa |
idol | carved idol | carved idol |
H6459-07 |
Habakkuk 2:18 | פֶּ֗סֶל | pesel | HNcmsa |
idol | carved idol | carved idol |
H6459-02 |
Psalms 97:7 | פֶ֗סֶל | fesel | HNcmsa |
graven images | carved image | carved image |
H6459-07 |
2 Chronicles 33:7 | פֶּ֥סֶל | pesel | HNcmsc |
carved image | carved idol | carved idol |