---
title: פֶּסֶל — idol · The Tanakh dictionary
description: פֶּסֶל (6459), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 31 times: idol. BDB 1906: n.m. idol, image;. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# פֶּסֶל

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«פֶּסֶל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **idol** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 31 times · **Key:** 6459 · **BDB:** פֶּ֫סֶל

### Glosses

idol (6); an.idol (5); an.image (5)

### Meaning (OSHB)

idol [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6459/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. idol, image; [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6459/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Hb 2:18 idol, image;—abs. פ׳ Ju 17:3 +, פָּ֑סֶל Is 42:17; cstr. פֶּסֶל Ju 18:31 +; sf. פִּסְלִי Is 48:5, etc.; pl. supplied by פְּסִילִים, v. foll.;—idol, as likeness of man or animal Ex 20:4 = Dt 5:8; Dt 4:16, 23, 25, also 27:15; 2 K 21:7; 2 Ch 33:7; Is 42:17; 44:9; 48:5; Na 1:14; Hb 2:18 (of wood or stone, cf. v 19); of metal Ju 17:3, 4 + 6 times 18 (cf. GFM), Is 40:19; 44:10 (c. נָסַךְ), Je 10:14; 51:17 (c. צוֹרֵף); of wood Is 40:20; 44:15, 17; 45:20.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 24 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (3 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «פֶּסֶל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6459/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Isaiah 44:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.44.10/)

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מִֽי־יָצַ֥ר אֵ֖ל וּפֶ֣סֶל נָסָ֑ךְ לְבִלְתִּ֖י הוֹעִֽיל׃

*Word for word:* who? has.he.formed a.god and an.idol has.he.cast? to not to.confer.profit

*JPS 1917:* Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?

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[Psalms 97:7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.97.7/)

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יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ ׀ כָּל־עֹ֬בְדֵי פֶ֗סֶל הַמִּֽתְהַלְלִ֥ים בָּאֱלִילִ֑ים הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־ל֝וֹ כָּל־אֱלֹהִֽים׃

*Word for word:* let.them.be.ashamed all \[those.who\].serve (of).an.image \[those who\].boast in.(the) worthless idols bow.down to him O.all gods

*JPS 1917:* Ashamed be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of things of nought; bow down to Him, all ye gods.

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