6755. tselem

Lexicon

tselem: Image, likeness, idol

Original Word: צֶלֶם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tselem
Pronunciation: tseh'-lem
Phonetic Spelling: (tseh'-lem)
Definition: Image, likeness, idol
Meaning: an idolatrous figure

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

form, image

(Aramaic) or tslem (Aramaic) {tsel-em'}; corresponding to tselem; an idolatrous figure -- form, image.

see HEBREW tselem

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to tselem
Definition
an image
NASB Translation
expression (1), image (11), statue (5).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Corresponding to the Hebrew צֶלֶם (tselem), which means "image" or "likeness."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • The Greek equivalent of צֶלֶם in the Septuagint and the New Testament is εἰκών (eikōn), Strong's Greek Number 1504, which also means "image" or "likeness." This term is used in the New Testament to describe both physical images and the spiritual likeness of believers to Christ, as well as the image of God in humanity.

Usage: The term צֶלֶם is used in the Aramaic portions of the Old Testament, particularly in the Book of Daniel, to describe images or statues that are objects of worship or veneration, often in a context that highlights the idolatrous practices of pagan nations.

Context: • The Aramaic word צֶלֶם (tselem) appears prominently in the Book of Daniel, specifically in chapters 2 and 3. In Daniel 2:31-35, the term is used to describe the great statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which symbolizes various kingdoms. The statue's composition of different materials represents the succession of empires, with the head of gold symbolizing Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian empire.
• In Daniel 3:1-7, the word צֶלֶם is used to describe the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar sets up on the plain of Dura. This image, which is sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, is an object of forced worship, as Nebuchadnezzar commands all peoples, nations, and languages to fall down and worship it upon hearing musical instruments. The refusal to worship this image leads to the famous account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into the fiery furnace.
• The use of צֶלֶם in these contexts underscores the tension between the worship of the one true God and the idolatrous practices of surrounding nations. It serves as a narrative device to highlight the faithfulness of God's people in the face of persecution and the futility of idol worship.

Forms and Transliterations

וּלְצֶ֧לֶם וּצְלֵ֤ם ולצלם וצלם לְצֶ֣לֶם לְצֶ֥לֶם לְצַלְמָ֗א לְצַלְמָ֣א לְצַלְמָא֙ לצלם לצלמא צְלֵ֣ם צְלֵ֥ם צַלְמָ֔א צַלְמָ֗א צַלְמָ֨א צלם צלמא lə·ṣal·mā lə·ṣe·lem ləṣalmā ləṣelem letzalMa leTzelem ṣal·mā ṣalmā ṣə·lêm ṣəlêm tzalMa tzeLem ū·lə·ṣe·lem ū·ṣə·lêm ūləṣelem uleTzelem ūṣəlêm utzeLem

Englishman's Concordance

Daniel 2:31
HEB: הֲוַ֙יְתָ֙ וַאֲל֨וּ צְלֵ֥ם חַד֙ שַׂגִּ֔יא
NAS: great statue; that statue,
KJV: and behold a great image. This great
INT: become and behold statue A single great

Daniel 2:31
HEB: חַד֙ שַׂגִּ֔יא צַלְמָ֨א דִּכֵּ֥ן רַ֛ב
NAS: statue; that statue, which was large
KJV: great image, whose brightness
INT: A single great statue This was large

Daniel 2:32
HEB: ה֣וּא צַלְמָ֗א רֵאשֵׁהּ֙ דִּֽי־
NAS: The head of that statue [was made] of fine
KJV: This image's head [was] of fine
INT: of that statue the head forasmuch

Daniel 2:34
HEB: בִידַ֔יִן וּמְחָ֤ת לְצַלְמָא֙ עַל־ רַגְל֔וֹהִי
NAS: and it struck the statue on its feet
KJV: which smote the image upon
INT: hands struck the statue upon feet

Daniel 2:35
HEB: דִּֽי־ מְחָ֣ת לְצַלְמָ֗א הֲוָ֛ת לְט֥וּר
NAS: that struck the statue became
KJV: that smote the image became
INT: that struck the statue became mountain

Daniel 3:1
HEB: מַלְכָּ֗א עֲבַד֙ צְלֵ֣ם דִּֽי־ דְהַ֔ב
NAS: made an image of gold,
KJV: made an image of gold,
INT: the king made an image forasmuch of gold

Daniel 3:2
HEB: לְמֵתֵא֙ לַחֲנֻכַּ֣ת צַלְמָ֔א דִּ֥י הֲקֵ֖ים
NAS: to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar
KJV: to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar
INT: to come to the dedication of the image forasmuch had set

Daniel 3:3
HEB: מְדִֽינָתָ֔א לַחֲנֻכַּ֣ת צַלְמָ֔א דִּ֥י הֲקֵ֖ים
NAS: for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar
KJV: unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar
INT: of the provinces the dedication of the image forasmuch had set

Daniel 3:3
HEB: ק) לָקֳבֵ֣ל צַלְמָ֔א דִּ֥י הֲקֵ֖ים
NAS: before the image that Nebuchadnezzar
KJV: before the image that Nebuchadnezzar
INT: stood before the image and they stood

Daniel 3:5
HEB: תִּפְּל֤וּן וְתִסְגְּדוּן֙ לְצֶ֣לֶם דַּהֲבָ֔א דִּ֥י
NAS: the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar
KJV: the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar
INT: fall and worship image the golden forasmuch

Daniel 3:7
HEB: וְלִשָּׁנַיָּ֗א סָֽגְדִין֙ לְצֶ֣לֶם דַּהֲבָ֔א דִּ֥י
NAS: the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar
KJV: the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar
INT: language worshiped image the golden when

Daniel 3:10
HEB: יִפֵּ֥ל וְיִסְגֻּ֖ד לְצֶ֥לֶם דַּהֲבָֽא׃ וּמַן־
NAS: and worship the golden image.
KJV: and worship the golden image:
INT: fall and worship image the golden what

Daniel 3:12
HEB: לָ֣א פָלְחִ֔ין וּלְצֶ֧לֶם דַּהֲבָ֛א דִּ֥י
NAS: the golden image which
KJV: the golden image which thou hast set up.
INT: not serve image the golden which

Daniel 3:14
HEB: אִֽיתֵיכוֹן֙ פָּֽלְחִ֔ין וּלְצֶ֧לֶם דַּהֲבָ֛א דִּ֥י
NAS: the golden image that I have set
KJV: the golden image which I have set
INT: you do serve image the golden forasmuch

Daniel 3:15
HEB: תִּפְּל֣וּן וְתִסְגְּדוּן֮ לְצַלְמָ֣א דִֽי־ עַבְדֵת֒
NAS: and worship the image that I have made,
KJV: and worship the image which I have made;
INT: to fall and worship the image who have made

Daniel 3:18
HEB: ק) פָֽלְחִ֔ין וּלְצֶ֧לֶם דַּהֲבָ֛א דִּ֥י
NAS: the golden image that you have set
KJV: the golden image which thou hast set up.
INT: we serve image the golden that

Daniel 3:19
HEB: הִתְמְלִ֣י חֱמָ֗א וּצְלֵ֤ם אַנְפּ֙וֹהִי֙ [אֶשְׁתַּנּוּ
NAS: and his facial expression was altered
KJV: of fury, and the form of his visage
INT: was filled wrath expression and his facial alter

17 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6755
17 Occurrences

lə·ṣal·mā — 3 Occ.
lə·ṣe·lem — 3 Occ.
ṣal·mā — 5 Occ.
ṣə·lêm — 2 Occ.
ū·lə·ṣe·lem — 3 Occ.
ū·ṣə·lêm — 1 Occ.