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Hebrew noun (masculine) · H6459

פֶּסֶל

peselpeh'-sel

idol

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

Concordance spelling: peçel

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H6459is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 11 of 39
    Old Testament books
  • 21
    spellings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · H6459

an idol

The King James renders it: carved (graven) image.

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

pesel is rendered "idol". It stands 31 times in the Hebrew text, across eleven books.

  • Nine of the uses stand in Isaiah, more than in any other book.
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Exodus 20:4You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.
  • The Greek text spells it twenty-one different ways.

The first use

You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.

Exodus 20:4פֶ֣֙סֶל֙׀

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

Where the word stands

Nine of the word's thirty-one uses are in Isaiah.

The other 28 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 carved image3
  • an image3
  • an image of3
  • the carved image3
  • an idol2
  • and an idol2
  • carved image of2
  • from idol2
  • and a carved image1
  • and carved image my1
  • idol1
  • idol of1

and 7 more, 31 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.

פֶּסַחpesachPassoverUses49

All 31, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

21 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

  • פֶּ֣סֶל3
  • פֶּ֥סֶל3
  • הַפֶּ֙סֶל֙2
  • הַפָּ֑סֶל2
  • מִפָּ֑סֶל2
  • פֶּ֖סֶל2
  • פֶּ֙סֶל֙2
  • פֶ֣֙סֶל֙׀2
  • בַּפָּ֑סֶל1
  • וּפֶ֤סֶל1
  • וּפֶ֖סֶל1
  • וּפֶ֣סֶל1

and 9 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • noun · masculine singular11HNcmsa
  • noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)7HNcmsc
  • the definite article (“the”) + noun · masculine singular4HTd/Ncmsa
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singular3HC/Ncmsa
  • preposition + noun · masculine singular2HR/Ncmsa
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singular1HC/Ncmsc/Sp1bs
  • noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine plural1HNcmsc/Sp3mp
  • preposition + noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singular1HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
  • preposition with the article + noun · masculine singular1HRd/Ncmsa

Exodus

one use
  • You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.

    Exodus 20:4

    • פֶ֣֙סֶל֙׀feselnoun · masculine singulartagged: an image

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

    • וּפֶ֤סֶלufeselconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singulartagged: and an idol

Deuteronomy

five uses
  • that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,

    Deuteronomy 4:16

    • פֶּ֖סֶלpeselnoun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: an image of
  • Be careful that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God that He made with you; do not make an idol for yourselves in the form of anything He has forbidden you.

    Deuteronomy 4:23

    • פֶּ֙סֶל֙peselnoun · masculine singulartagged: an image
  • After you have children and grandchildren and you have been in the land a long time, if you then act corruptly and make an idol of any form—doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and provoking Him to anger—

    Deuteronomy 4:25

    • פֶּ֙סֶל֙peselnoun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: an image of
  • You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.

    Deuteronomy 5:8

    • פֶ֣֙סֶל֙׀feselnoun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: an image of
  • ‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image—an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of a craftsman—and sets it up in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

    Deuteronomy 27:15

    • פֶ֨סֶלfeselnoun · masculine singulartagged: an image

Judges

eight uses
  • And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to the LORD for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.”

    Judges 17:3

    • פֶּ֣סֶלpeselnoun · masculine singulartagged: a carved image
  • So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.

    Judges 17:4

    • פֶּ֣סֶלpeselnoun · masculine singulartagged: a carved image
  • Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”

    Judges 18:14

    • וּפֶ֖סֶלufeselconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singulartagged: and a carved image
  • And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.

    Judges 18:17

    • הַפֶּ֙סֶל֙hapeselthe definite article (“the”) + noun · masculine singulartagged: the carved image
  • When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

    Judges 18:18

    • פֶּ֣סֶלpeselnoun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: carved image of
  • So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.

    Judges 18:20

    • הַפָּ֑סֶלhapaselthe definite article (“the”) + noun · masculine singulartagged: the carved image
  • The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

    Judges 18:30

    • הַפָּ֑סֶלhapaselthe definite article (“the”) + noun · masculine singulartagged: the carved image
  • So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.

    Judges 18:31

    • פֶּ֥סֶלpeselnoun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: carved image of

2 Kings

one use
  • Manasseh even took the carved Asherah pole he had made and set it up in the temple, of which the LORD had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever.

    2 Kings 21:7

    • פֶּ֥סֶלpeselnoun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: image of

2 Chronicles

one use
  • Manasseh even took the carved image he had made and set it up in the house of God, of which God had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever.

    2 Chronicles 33:7

    • פֶּ֥סֶלpeselnoun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: idol of

Psalms

one use
  • All worshipers of images are put to shame— those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!

    Psalms 97:7

    • פֶ֗סֶלfeselnoun · masculine singulartagged: of an image

Isaiah

nine uses
  • To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains?

    Isaiah 40:19

    • הַפֶּ֙סֶל֙hapeselthe definite article (“the”) + noun · masculine singulartagged: the idol
  • To one bereft of an offering who chooses wood that will not rot, who seeks a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple?

    Isaiah 40:20

    • פֶּ֖סֶלpeselnoun · masculine singulartagged: an idol
  • But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.

    Isaiah 42:17

    • בַּפָּ֑סֶלbapaselpreposition with the article + noun · masculine singulartagged: in the idol
  • All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.

    Isaiah 44:9

    • פֶ֤סֶלfeselnoun · masculine singulartagged: of an idol
  • Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing?

    Isaiah 44:10

    • וּפֶ֣סֶלufeselconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singulartagged: and an idol
  • It serves as fuel for man. He takes some of it to warm himself, and he kindles a fire and bakes his bread; he even fashions it into a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.

    Isaiah 44:15

    • פֶ֖סֶלfeselnoun · masculine singulartagged: an idol
  • From the rest he makes a god, his graven image. He bows down to it and worships; he prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”

    Isaiah 44:17

    • לְפִסְל֑וֹlefislopreposition + noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: into idol his
  • Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save.

    Isaiah 45:20

    • פִּסְלָ֔םpislamnoun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: idol their
  • Therefore I declared it to you long ago; I announced it before it came to pass, so that you could not claim, ‘My idol has done this; my carved image and molten god has ordained it.’

    Isaiah 48:5

    • וּפִסְלִ֥יufisliconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: and carved image my

Jeremiah

two uses
  • Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.

    Jeremiah 10:14

    • מִפָּ֑סֶלmipaselpreposition + noun · masculine singulartagged: from idol
  • Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.

    Jeremiah 51:17

    • מִפָּ֑סֶלmipaselpreposition + noun · masculine singulartagged: from idol

Nahum

one use
  • The LORD has issued a command concerning you, O Nineveh: “There will be no descendants to carry on your name. I will cut off the carved image and cast idol from the house of your gods; I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible.”

    Nahum 1:14

    • פֶּ֧סֶלpeselnoun · masculine singulartagged: idol

Habakkuk

one use
  • What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.

    Habakkuk 2:18

    • פֶּ֗סֶלpeselnoun · masculine singulartagged: a carved image

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.

The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.

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 →