פֶּ֫סֶל

Exodus 20:4 פֶ֣֙סֶל֙׀ an image

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.

Here: A cult statue shaped by cutting wood or stone, and later by metalwork too. In this world it was the object a deity was believed to live in and be served through. The 'p' softens to 'f' after a vowel, which is why it is pronounced fesel here.

Leviticus 26:1 וּפֶ֤סֶל and an idol

“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 carved image": an object hewn or carved from wood or stone (from pāsal, "to hew"), the same word as in Exod 20:4. It means a physical cult statue.

Deuteronomy 4:16 פֶּ֖סֶל an image of

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 4:23 פֶּ֙סֶל֙ an image

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.

Here: From a verb meaning 'to hew or carve.' First a carved cult statue of wood or stone, then any made image of a god. Here it covers any image used in worship.

Deuteronomy 4:25 פֶּ֙סֶל֙ an image of

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—

Here: 'A carved image of': a physical religious object shaped by a craftsman. It is the same word used in the commandment against images.

Deuteronomy 5:8 פֶ֣֙סֶל֙׀ 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.

Here: A carved cult statue, the kind of figure that stood in a shrine as a god's physical presence. (The p softens to f in pronunciation after the vowel before it.) It means an image made for worship, not a picture or decoration in general.

Deuteronomy 27:15 פֶ֨סֶל an image

‘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!’

Here: From pāsal, 'to hew, carve'. An image shaped from wood or stone, the word used in the second commandment (Deut 5:8).

Judges 17:3 פֶּ֣סֶל a carved image

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.”

Here: From a verb meaning 'to hew or carve'. It is a shaped image, often wood or stone, sometimes metal-plated. It is the very word banned in the second commandment (Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 5:8).

Judges 17:4 פֶּ֣סֶל 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.

Here: From a verb meaning 'to hew or carve': an image shaped by cutting, usually wood or stone, often overlaid with metal. It is the exact word used in the second commandment.

Judges 18:14 וּפֶ֖סֶל and 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 18:17 הַפֶּ֙סֶל֙ the 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 18:18 פֶּ֣סֶל [the] carved image of

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 18:20 הַפָּ֑סֶל the carved image

So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.

Judges 18:30 הַפָּ֑סֶל 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 18:31 פֶּ֥סֶל [the] carved image of

So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.

2 Kings 21:7 פֶּ֥סֶל [the] image of

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.

Here: A worked image cut from wood or stone. This is the word used in the commandment 'You shall not make for yourself a pesel' (Exod 20:4; Deut 5:8), so a Judean hearer would recognise the ban being broken.

2 Chronicles 33:7 פֶּ֥סֶל [the] idol of

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.

Psalm 97:7 פֶ֗סֶל <of> an image

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

Here: From a verb meaning 'to hew, chisel'. The word itself reminds the hearer that the object was cut out by a craftsman. Singular, but it stands for images in general.

Isaiah 40:19 הַפֶּ֙סֶל֙ the idol

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

Here: Comes first, as if the prophet points and says 'The idol!' It answers verse 18's 'what likeness?' The word comes from 'to carve', but here the thing is cast in metal. By now pesel had become the ordinary word for any cult statue.

Isaiah 40:20 פֶּ֖סֶל an idol

One lacking such an offering chooses wood that will not rot. He seeks a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple.

Here: Literally 'a hewn thing', from a verb meaning to cut or carve stone or wood. The word itself recalls that the god was carved by human hands. It is the word banned in Exod 20:4.

Isaiah 42:17 בַּפָּ֑סֶל in <the> idol

But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.

Here: 'In the carved image,' from a verb meaning to hew or carve (wood or stone). It is a physical cult statue, the object people bowed to, not a metaphor.

Isaiah 44:9 פֶ֤סֶל <of> an 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.

Here: A cult image, originally one hewn from wood or stone (from pāsal, 'to hew'), though Isaiah also uses it for metal images (40:19). It is the word banned in the second commandment (Exod 20:4).

Isaiah 44:10 וּפֶ֣סֶל and an idol

Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing?

Isaiah 44:15 פֶ֖סֶל 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 also fashions it into a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.

Isaiah 44:17 לְפִסְל֑וֹ <into> idol his

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 45:20 פִּסְלָ֔ם idol their

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.

Here: 'Their carved image,' a statue cut from wood or stone (and sometimes plated in metal). The word 'their' ties it to the people who made it: it is a product of human hands.

Isaiah 48:5 וּפִסְלִ֥י and carved image my

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.’

Jeremiah 10:14 מִפָּ֑סֶל from [the] 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.

Here: 'From/because of the carved image'. The min here gives the cause: the idol itself is what brings shame on its maker. Pesel comes from a verb meaning to hew or carve. It is the word of the second commandment (Exod 20:4).

Jeremiah 51:17 מִפָּ֑סֶל from [the] 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.

Here: 'By / because of the carved image.' The word comes from pasal, 'to hew or carve.' It was typically a wooden or stone core that the smith then plated with metal. His own product is what disgraces him.

Nahum 1:14 פֶּ֧סֶל idol

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.”

Habakkuk 2:18 פֶּ֗סֶל a carved image

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.

Here: A cult statue carved from wood or stone. It is the word used in the commandment against images (Exod 20:4). Here it means a physical object standing in a shrine.