מַצֵּבָה

Genesis 28:18 מַצֵּבָ֑ה a pillar

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,

Here: An upright stone set on end as a sacred marker or memorial. It is not a column that holds up a building. Its root, 'to stand', echoes the ladder 'set up' on the earth (v. 12) and the LORD 'standing' above it (v. 13).

Genesis 28:22 מַצֵּבָ֔ה 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.”

Here: From the root 'to stand': an upright stone set up as a sacred marker or memorial. Not a building column. Here it is a cult stone marking the place where God was encountered.

Genesis 31:13 מַצֵּבָ֔ה a pillar

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

Here: An upright stone set on end, used as a memorial or sacred marker. It was not a column holding up a building. This is the stone Jacob slept on and then set up (28:18).

Genesis 31:45 מַצֵּבָֽה׃ a pillar

So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,

Genesis 31:51 הַמַצֵּבָ֔ה the pillar

Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.

Genesis 31:52 הַמַּצֵּבָ֑ה הַמַּצֵּבָ֥ה 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 35:14 מַצֵּבָ֗ה a 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 35:20 מַצֵּבָ֖ה a pillar

Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel’s tomb to this day.

Exodus 23:24 מַצֵּבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ sacred pillars their

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.

Here: 'Their standing stones': upright stones set up at shrines to mark a god's presence or to remember someone. These were usually rough or roughly shaped slabs, not carved statues. 'Their' matters: Israel's own ancestors had set up such stones to the LORD.

Exodus 24:4 מַצֵּבָ֔ה pillar[s]

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.

Here: A stone set upright, from the verb 'to stand, set up.' It is not a column holding anything up. It is a marker and witness. The noun is singular after 'twelve,' which is normal Hebrew counting.

Exodus 34:13 מַצֵּבֹתָ֖ם sacred pillars their

Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.

Here: 'Their standing stones.' These were upright stones (from the verb 'to stand') set up at shrines to mark a god's presence or to remember a vow or a dead person. They were not carved statues.

Leviticus 26:1 וּמַצֵּבָה֙ and a sacred pillar

“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.

Here: "And a standing stone": an upright stone set up as a memorial or as a sacred marker of a god's presence, usually unshaped or only roughly shaped. It was common across Canaanite religion.

Deuteronomy 7:5 וּמַצֵּבֹתָ֖ם and sacred pillars their

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.

Here: 'And their standing stones.' These were upright stones set up at a shrine to mark a god's presence or to remember a vow. They were not carved pictures.

Deuteronomy 12:3 מַצֵּ֣בֹתָ֔ם 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.

Here: An upright stone set up at a shrine to mark a god's presence or to commemorate something. It is not a building column. Israel's own ancestors had set such stones up, which is why the ban is pointed.

Deuteronomy 16:22 מַצֵּבָ֑ה a sacred pillar

and do not set up for yourselves a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.

1 Kings 14:23 וּמַצֵּב֖וֹת and sacred pillars

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

Here: Upright stones 'set up' (from the root for 'stand') to mark a god's presence or a memorial. They were usually uncarved, not 'images' in the sense of statues.

2 Kings 3:2 מַצְּבַ֣ת [the] sacred pillar of

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 10:26 מַצְּב֥וֹת [the] sacred pillars of

They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it.

2 Kings 10:27 מַצְּבַ֣ת [the] sacred pillar 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 17:10 מַצֵּב֖וֹת sacred pillars

They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

2 Kings 18:4 הַמַּצֵּבֹ֔ת the 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.

Here: Upright stones set up at shrines to mark a divine presence or a covenant. They were not carved statues.

2 Kings 23:14 הַמַּצֵּב֔וֹת the sacred pillars

He smashed the sacred pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and covered the sites with human bones.

2 Chronicles 14:3 הַמַּצֵּב֔וֹת the sacred pillars

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

2 Chronicles 31:1 הַמַּצֵּב֣וֹת 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.

Here: Upright cultic stones that marked a divine presence or a covenant. They were not carved idols. (See the study.)

Isaiah 19:19 וּמַצֵּבָ֥ה and a pillar

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.

Jeremiah 43:13 מַצְּבוֹת֙ [the] sacred pillars of

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.’”

Ezekiel 26:11 וּמַצְּב֥וֹת and [the] pillars of

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.

Hosea 3:4 מַצֵּבָ֑ה [will be] a pillar

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

Here: An upright stone set up at a shrine to mark a divine presence or a vow. Such stones were common at Israel's sanctuaries, but Deuteronomy forbids them (16:22) and Hosea attacks them (10:1–2).

Hosea 10:1 מַצֵּבֽוֹת׃ sacred pillars

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.

Here: Upright stones set up at shrines to mark a god's presence or a sacred event. These are not carved statues. Deuteronomic law banned them in worship (Deuteronomy 16:22), and verse 2 says YHWH will smash them.

Hosea 10:2 מַצֵּבוֹתָֽם׃ sacred pillars their

Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.

Here: 'Their standing stones': upright stones set up at shrines to mark a god's presence. Verse 1 says Israel 'made them good', perhaps finely dressed or adorned. Now they will be wrecked.

Micah 5:13 וּמַצֵּבוֹתֶ֖יךָ and sacred pillars your

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.