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

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# צֶלֶם

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«צֶלֶם» in the Tanakh dictionary: **image** — 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:** 2 times · **Key:** lemma:צֶלֶם · **BDB:** צֶ֫לֶם

### Glosses

image (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

image [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1510/lemma_3a_5e6_5b6_5dc_5b6_5dd/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. image [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1510/lemma_3a_5e6_5b6_5dc_5b6_5dd/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Ez 16:17 image (something cut out, cf. פֶּסֶל; Nö ‘Schnitzbild’);—צ׳ abs. ψ 39:7, cstr. Gn 1:27 +; sf. צַלְמוֹ v 27; 5:3, צַלְמֵנוּ 1:26, צַלְמָם ψ 73:20; pl. cstr. צַלְמֵי 1 S 6:5(×2) +, sf. צְלָמָיו 2 K 11:18; 2 Ch 23:17, צַלְמֵיכֶם Am 5:26;— images of tumours and mice (of gold) 1 S 6:5(×2), 11; especially of heathen gods Am 5:26 (text dub.; del. We as gloss, cf. GASm Dr), 2 K 11:18 = 2 Ch 23:17 (both c. vb. שִׁבְּרוּ), Ez 7:20, so צ׳ זָכָר 16:17 (i.e. in male form, according to fig. of harlotry for idolatry); צַלְמֵי מַסֵּכֹתָם Nu 33:52 their molten images; of painted pictures of men Ez 23:14. image, likeness, of resemblance, בְּצ׳ (בָּרָא) עָשָׂה, of God’s making man in his own image, Gn 1:26 (‖ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ), v 27:27; 9:6, כְּצ׳ 5:3 (‖ בִּדְמוּתוֹ; all P). fig. = mere, empty, image, semblance, בְּצ׳ ψ 39:7 as (ב essentiae) a (mere) semblance man walks about; צַלְמָם תִּבְזֶה 73:20 thou wilt despise their semblance.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «צֶלֶם» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1510/lemma_3a_5e6_5b6_5dc_5b6_5dd/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 73:20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.73.20/)

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כַּחֲל֥וֹם מֵהָקִ֑יץ אֲ֝דֹנָי בָּעִ֤יר ׀ צַלְמָ֬ם תִּבְזֶֽה׃

*Word for word:* like a.dream from when.awakes Lord my when waken image their you.will.despise

*JPS 1917:* As a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when Thou arousest Thyself, Thou wilt despise their semblance.

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[Psalms 39:7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.39.7/)

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אַךְ־בְּצֶ֤לֶם ׀ יִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־אִ֗ישׁ אַךְ־הֶ֥בֶל יֶהֱמָי֑וּן יִ֝צְבֹּ֗ר וְֽלֹא־יֵדַ֥ע מִי־אֹסְפָֽם׃

*Word for word:* only (in).an image he.goes.about a.person only vanity people are.in.turmoil he.heaps.up and not he.knows who? \[will be\].gathering.them

*JPS 1917:* Surely man walketh as a mere semblance; surely for vanity they are in turmoil; he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

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