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Hebrew noun (feminine) · H4676

מַצֵּבָה

matstsebahmats-tsay-baw'

pillar

32 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Concordance spelling: matstsêbâh

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H4676is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 12 of 39
    Old Testament books
  • 26
    spellings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · H4676

something stationed, i.e. a column or (memorial stone); by analogy, an idol

The King James renders it: garrison, (standing) image, pillar.

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

matstsebah is rendered "pillar". It stands 32 times in the Hebrew text, across twelve books.

  • Nine of the uses stand in Genesis, more than in any other book.
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Genesis 28:18Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had placed under his head, and he set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it,
  • The Greek text spells it twenty-six different ways.

The first use

Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had placed under his head, and he set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it,

Genesis 28:18מַצֵּבָ֑ה

The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.

Where the word stands

Nine of the word's thirty-two uses are in Genesis.

The other 27 Old Testament books never use the word.

What the word means

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

How the Greek text is glossed, word by word

  • a pillar7
  • sacred pillars their4
  • the sacred pillars4
  • the pillar3
  • sacred pillar of2
  • sacred pillars2
  • sacred pillars of2
  • a sacred pillar1
  • and a pillar1
  • and a sacred pillar1
  • and pillars of1
  • and sacred pillars1

and 3 more, 32 uses in all

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

All 32, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

26 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • מַצֵּבָ֑ה3
  • מַצֵּבָ֔ה3
  • הַמַּצֵּב֔וֹת2
  • מַצְּבַ֣ת2
  • הַמַצֵּבָ֔ה1
  • הַמַּצֵּבָ֑ה1
  • הַמַּצֵּבָ֥ה1
  • הַמַּצֵּב֣וֹת1
  • הַמַּצֵּבֹ֔ת1
  • וּמַצֵּבָה֙1
  • וּמַצֵּבָ֥ה1
  • וּמַצְּב֥וֹת1

and 14 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • noun · feminine singular9HNcfsa
  • noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine plural4HNcfpc/Sp3mp
  • the definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine plural4HTd/Ncfpa
  • the definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singular3HTd/Ncfsa
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular2HC/Ncfsa
  • noun · feminine plural2HNcfpa
  • noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)2HNcfpc
  • noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)2HNcfsc
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine plural1HC/Ncfpa
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)1HC/Ncfpc
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singular1HC/Ncfpc/Sp2ms
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine plural1HC/Ncfpc/Sp3mp

Genesis

nine uses
  • Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had placed under his head, and he set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it,

    Genesis 28:18

    • מַצֵּבָ֑הmatzevahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a pillar
  • And this stone I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth.”

    Genesis 28:22

    • מַצֵּבָ֔הmatzevahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a pillar
  • I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”

    Genesis 31:13

    • מַצֵּבָ֔הmatzevahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a pillar
  • So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,

    Genesis 31:45

    • מַצֵּבָֽה׃matzevahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a pillar
  • Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.

    Genesis 31:51

    • הַמַצֵּבָ֔הhamatzevahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the pillar
  • This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me.

    Genesis 31:52

    • הַמַּצֵּבָ֑הhamatzevahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the pillar
    • הַמַּצֵּבָ֥הhamatzevahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the pillar
  • So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where God had spoken with him—a stone marker—and he poured out a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil.

    Genesis 35:14

    • מַצֵּבָ֗הmatzevahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a pillar
  • Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel’s tomb to this day.

    Genesis 35:20

    • מַצֵּבָ֖הmatzevahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a pillar

Exodus

three uses
  • You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.

    Exodus 23:24

    • מַצֵּבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃matzevoteihemnoun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: sacred pillars their
  • And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early the next morning he got up and built an altar at the base of the mountain, along with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.

    Exodus 24:4

    • מַצֵּבָ֔הmatzevahnoun · feminine singulartagged: pillar
  • Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.

    Exodus 34:13

    • מַצֵּבֹתָ֖םmatzevotamnoun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: sacred pillars their

Leviticus

one use
  • “You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am the LORD your God.

    Leviticus 26:1

    • וּמַצֵּבָה֙umatzevahconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: and a sacred pillar

Deuteronomy

three uses
  • Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.

    Deuteronomy 7:5

    • וּמַצֵּבֹתָ֖םumatzevotamconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: and sacred pillars their
  • Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.

    Deuteronomy 12:3

    • מַצֵּ֣בֹתָ֔םmatzevotamnoun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: sacred pillars their
  • and do not set up for yourselves a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.

    Deuteronomy 16:22

    • מַצֵּבָ֑הmatzevahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a sacred pillar

1 Kings

one use
  • They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

    1 Kings 14:23

    • וּמַצֵּב֖וֹתumatzevotconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and sacred pillars

2 Kings

six uses
  • And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made.

    2 Kings 3:2

    • מַצְּבַ֣תmatzevatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: sacred pillar of
  • They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it.

    2 Kings 10:26

    • מַצְּב֥וֹתmatzevotnoun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: sacred pillars of
  • They also demolished the sacred pillar of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine, which it is to this day.

    2 Kings 10:27

    • מַצְּבַ֣תmatzevatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: sacred pillar of
  • They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

    2 Kings 17:10

    • מַצֵּב֖וֹתmatzevotnoun · feminine pluraltagged: sacred pillars
  • He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

    2 Kings 18:4

    • הַמַּצֵּבֹ֔תhamatzevotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: the sacred pillars
  • He smashed the sacred pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and covered the sites with human bones.

    2 Kings 23:14

    • הַמַּצֵּב֔וֹתhamatzevotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: the sacred pillars

2 Chronicles

two uses
  • He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and chopped down the Asherah poles.

    2 Chronicles 14:3

    • הַמַּצֵּב֔וֹתhamatzevotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: the sacred pillars
  • When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.

    2 Chronicles 31:1

    • הַמַּצֵּב֣וֹתhamatzevotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: the sacred pillars

Isaiah

one use
  • In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the center of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD near her border.

    Isaiah 19:19

    • וּמַצֵּבָ֥הumatzevahconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: and a pillar

Jeremiah

one use
  • He will demolish the sacred pillars of the temple of the sun in the land of Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”

    Jeremiah 43:13

    • מַצְּבוֹת֙matzevotnoun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: sacred pillars of

Ezekiel

one use
  • The hooves of his horses will trample all your streets. He will slaughter your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground.

    Ezekiel 26:11

    • וּמַצְּב֥וֹתumatzevotconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and pillars of

Hosea

three uses
  • For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or idol.

    Hosea 3:4

    • מַצֵּבָ֑הmatzevahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a pillar
  • Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for himself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars.

    Hosea 10:1

    • מַצֵּבֽוֹת׃matzevotnoun · feminine pluraltagged: sacred pillars
  • Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.

    Hosea 10:2

    • מַצֵּבוֹתָֽם׃matzevotamnoun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: sacred pillars their

Micah

one use
  • I will also cut off the carved images and sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your own hands.

    Micah 5:13

    • וּמַצֵּבוֹתֶ֖יךָumatzevoteikhaconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: and sacred pillars your

The letters

Where it leads

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESH gloss (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →