Hebrew word · H8403

תַּבְנִית

tavnit

pattern

Pattern, model, form, likeness. It is used for the design of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:9, 40) and of the temple (1 Chronicles 28:11–19), for an altar's model (2 Kings 16:10), and for forbidden images 'in the form of' any creature (Deuteronomy 4:16–18).

Appears 20 times in 17 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) pattern, plan, form, construction, figure

1a) construction, structure

1a1) meaning uncertain

1b) pattern

1c) figure, image (of idols)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Ezekiel 8:3

Range of meaning

Pattern, model, form, likeness. It is used for the design of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:9, 40) and of the temple (1 Chronicles 28:11–19), for an altar's model (2 Kings 16:10), and for forbidden images 'in the form of' any creature (Deuteronomy 4:16–18).

Against the English

KJV, WEB and YLT 'the form of a hand' keep the hedge. BSB 'what looked like a hand' keeps it as a paraphrase. Versions that print simply 'a hand' lose it.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ezekiel piles up such qualifiers: 'the appearance of the likeness of the glory of YHWH' (1:28), 'the likeness of the form' (8:2, demut). Deuteronomy 4:16 sets tavnit beside semel, the same word for the idol at the end of this verse.

From the study of Psalm 106:20

Range of meaning

From b-n-h, 'to build': construction, structure, model, pattern, form, likeness. Used of the heavenly 'pattern' of the tabernacle (Exod 25:9, 40), the plan of the temple (1 Chr 28:11–19), and the shape of images (Deut 4:16–18; Ezek 8:10).

Against the English

Most versions have 'image'; KJV 'similitude'; YLT 'form'. 'Image' is fair, but it loses the sense of a made, constructed shape, and the link to Deuteronomy's precise wording.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deuteronomy 4:16–18 forbids making 'the form (tabnit) of any male or female, the form of any beast that is on the earth...'. This is the word list the psalm reaches for. The Septuagint renders it homoiōma, 'likeness', the word Paul uses in Romans 1:23.

From the study of 1 Chronicles 28:11

Range of meaning

From the root bnh, 'to build'. It means a built form or construction: a model or replica (Joshua 22:28, a copy of the altar; 2 Kings 16:10, the model of the Damascus altar that Ahaz sent home), a shape or likeness (Deuteronomy 4:16–18, the forms of idols; Ezekiel 8:3, 'the form of a hand'), and a plan or design for building (Exodus 25:9, 40; 1 Chronicles 28:11–19).

Against the English

KJV and YLT say 'pattern'. BSB, WEB and most modern versions say 'plans'. 'Plans' suits a building project, but it can make the word sound like a blueprint David drew himself. 'Pattern' keeps the link to Exodus but can suggest a sewing template to modern ears. Neither English word carries the root idea of 'something built', or the echo of Sinai.

Used elsewhere in the period

The word appears about 20 times in the Hebrew Bible, four of them in this chapter (vv. 11, 12, 18, 19). In Exodus 25:9, 40 God shows Moses the tavnit of the tabernacle on the mountain. The Greek Septuagint uses paradeigma ('example, model') in both places. Other ancient Near Eastern kings also claimed their temple designs were revealed: Gudea of Lagash (around 2100 BC) says a god showed him the temple plan in a dream.

Where it appears

Exodus · 3

  1. Exodus 25:9 תַּבְנִ֣ית תַּבְנִ֣ית [the] pattern of

    You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.

  2. Exodus 25:40 בְּתַ֨בְנִיתָ֔ם in pattern their

    See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.

    Here: 'According to their pattern.' The noun comes from the verb 'to build' and means the built shape or design of something. 'Their' is plural and points to the objects just described (ark, table, lampstand and their utensils): each has its own revealed design.

Deuteronomy · 5

  1. Deuteronomy 4:16 תַּבְנִ֥ית a likeness 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,

  2. Deuteronomy 4:17 תַּבְנִ֕ית תַּבְנִית֙ a likeness of

    of any beast that is on the earth or bird that flies in the air,

  3. Deuteronomy 4:18 תַּבְנִ֕ית תַּבְנִ֛ית a likeness of

    or of any creature that crawls on the ground or fish that is in the waters below.

Joshua · 1

  1. Joshua 22:28 תַּבְנִית֩ [the] copy of

    Therefore we said, ‘If they ever say this to us or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the altar of the LORD that our fathers made, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.’

    Here: The built form or likeness of something. The structure copies the shape of the LORD's real altar at the sanctuary. It looks the same but does not do the same job.

2 Kings · 1

  1. 2 Kings 16:10 תַּבְנִית֖וֹ pattern its

    Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria. On seeing the altar in Damascus, King Ahaz sent Uriah the priest a model of the altar and complete plans for its construction.

1 Chronicles · 4

  1. 1 Chronicles 28:11 תַּבְנִ֣ית [the] pattern of

    Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, storehouses, upper rooms, inner rooms, and the room for the mercy seat.

    Here: The design for the temple. The word deliberately echoes the 'pattern' God showed Moses for the tabernacle (Exodus 25:9, 40). David hands on a divinely given design, not just his own architectural ideas (see 28:12, 19).

  2. 1 Chronicles 28:12 וְתַבְנִ֗ית and [the] pattern of

    The plans contained everything David had in mind for the courts of the house of the LORD, for all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the house of God and of the dedicated things,

  3. 1 Chronicles 28:18 וּלְתַבְנִ֣ית and <to> [the] pattern of

    the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense; and the plans for the chariot of the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

  4. 1 Chronicles 28:19 הַתַּבְנִֽית׃ פ the pattern

    “All this,” said David, “all the details of this plan, the LORD has made clear to me in writing by His hand upon me.”

Psalms · 2

  1. Psalm 106:20 בְּתַבְנִ֥ית for an image of

    They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox.

    Here: The prefix bə- here marks what is received in the trade ('for, in exchange for'), as in Lev 27:10. Tabnit, 'built form, model, likeness', is the exact word of the ban in Deut 4:16–18 on making 'the form of any animal'.

  2. Psalm 144:12 תַּבְנִ֥ית [the] structure of

    Then our sons will be like plants nurtured in their youth, our daughters like corner pillars carved to adorn a palace.

    Here: 'The structure / design of.' The word comes from בָּנָה, 'to build'. It is used for the pattern of the tabernacle (Exod 25:9). Here it means carved to fit a palace, or carved in palace style.

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 44:13 כְּתַבְנִ֣ית like [the] form of

    The woodworker extends a measuring line; he marks it out with a stylus; he shapes it with chisels and outlines it with a compass. He fashions it in the likeness of man, like man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.

Ezekiel · 3

  1. Ezekiel 8:3 תַּבְנִ֣ית [the] form of

    He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes jealousy was seated.

    Here: 'The form of.' Ezekiel does not say 'a hand' outright. He says something shaped like a hand. This fits his careful way of describing anything divine.

  2. Ezekiel 8:10 תַּבְנִ֜ית form of

    So I went in and looked, and engraved all around the wall was every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast, along with all the idols of the house of Israel.

  3. Ezekiel 10:8 תַּבְנִית֙ [the] form of

    (The cherubim appeared to have the form of human hands under their wings.)

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.