6755. tselem
Lexical Summary
tselem: image, statue, expression

Original Word: צֶלֶם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tselem
Pronunciation: tseh'-lem
Phonetic Spelling: (tseh'-lem)
KJV: form, image
NASB: image, statue, expression
Word Origin: [corresponding to H6754 (צֶּלֶם - images)]

1. 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
Overview

The Aramaic noun “tselem” occurs seventeen times in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 2:31–3:19). Each appearance revolves around two closely linked episodes in the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II: the dream of the multi-metal statue in Daniel chapter 2 and the erection of the golden statue on the plain of Dura in chapter 3. Though the same term is used for both, Scripture distinguishes between a prophetic “image” revealed by God and a physical “image” fashioned by human pride. Together the occurrences of “tselem” provide a richly textured lesson on sovereignty, idolatry, and faithful witness.

Historical Setting

Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon stood at the zenith of its political and architectural glory. Colossal statues of kings and deities dominated public spaces, and written records describe forty-foot images overlaid with gold. Daniel and his friends served in this environment after being exiled from Judah in 605 BC. The Holy Spirit’s choice of “tselem” to describe both the God-given dream statue and the king’s manufactured idol places the Babylonian practice of monumental imagery in direct conversation with divine revelation.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Image (Daniel 2:31–35)

“​You, O king, were watching, and behold, there was a great statue—an immense statue, extraordinary in brightness, standing before you, and its appearance was awesome.” (Daniel 2:31)

Daniel proceeds to describe the statue’s four metallic sections—gold head, silver chest and arms, bronze belly and thighs, iron legs with iron-clay feet—culminating in a stone “cut out without hands” that strikes the feet, crushes the statue, and grows into a mountain filling the whole earth (Daniel 2:34–35). The dream “image” presents:

1. A prophetic panorama of successive Gentile empires from Babylon to the kingdom God will establish.
2. A reminder that earthly glory, no matter how splendid, is transient before the eternal dominion of God.
3. An implicit call to humility for Nebuchadnezzar, who has been given his throne by the “God of heaven” (Daniel 2:37).

The Golden Image on the Plain of Dura (Daniel 3:1–7)

Instead of heeding the heavenly warning, Nebuchadnezzar builds a ninety-foot “image of gold” (Daniel 3:1). The dimensions intentionally mimic the colossal scale of the dream statue but in monochrome—gold from head to toe—symbolizing the king’s desire for undivided, perpetual dominion. The dedication ceremony casts “tselem” as the focal point of civic religion: governors, prefects, and all officials must bow at the sound of the orchestra (Daniel 3:2–5). Idolatrous uniformity is enforced by threat of execution in a blazing furnace.

Confrontation and Deliverance (Daniel 3:8–30)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship the image. Their reply embodies covenant fidelity: “​O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter… our God whom we serve is able to deliver us… But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image you have set up” (Daniel 3:16–18).

God vindicates their trust by sending a fourth figure “like a son of the gods” into the furnace (Daniel 3:25). The powerless “tselem” stands in stark contrast to the living presence of the Most High who rescues His servants. Nebuchadnezzar’s subsequent decree exalts the God who “delivered His servants who trusted in Him” (Daniel 3:28).

Theological Significance

1. Divine sovereignty over human kingdoms

The dual use of “tselem” underscores that God alone ordains empires and dismantles them. Human rulers may erect their own images, but history is ultimately shaped by the stone “cut out without hands.”

2. The nature of idolatry

The golden image reveals idolatry as a distortion of legitimate authority. Nebuchadnezzar converts a prophetic warning into an object of self-worship. All later manifestations of political idolatry follow the same pattern—exalting temporal power in the place of God.

3. Covenant faithfulness in exile

Daniel’s companions illustrate how to navigate a pluralistic culture without compromise. Obedience to God may bring conflict with civic expectations, yet steadfast loyalty invites divine intervention and testimony before the nations.

4. Christological foreshadowing

The stone that becomes a mountain anticipates the Messiah’s kingdom (compare Isaiah 28:16; Luke 20:17–18). The fourth figure in the furnace prefigures Christ’s incarnational presence with His suffering people (Hebrews 13:5). Thus “tselem” in Daniel becomes a vehicle for revealing the coming of the eternal King.

Eschatological Implications

Daniel 2 and 3 set the stage for later prophetic visions (Daniel 7, Daniel 9, Revelation 13) in which idolatrous images and state coercion recur. The final antichrist will erect an “image” demanding universal worship, but the outcome is predetermined: “The kingdoms of the world… will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15). The pattern exhibited by “tselem” in Babylon therefore instructs believers to anticipate similar pressures and to remain faithful until the appearing of the true King.

Ministry Applications

• Preaching and Teaching

Use Daniel’s “tselem” episodes to contrast fleeting cultural icons with the unshakable kingdom of God, encouraging congregations to evaluate modern idols of power, wealth, and celebrity.

• Discipleship

Highlight the resolve of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as a model for young believers facing peer pressure. Their declaration “even if He does not” nurtures a faith that clings to God’s character rather than to outcomes.

• Apologetics

The historical specificity of Daniel’s prophetic image—accurately outlining successive empires—serves as evidence for divine revelation, reinforcing confidence in the reliability of Scripture.

• Worship

The narrative invites corporate songs and prayers exalting Christ as the stone the builders rejected yet chosen by God, celebrating His kingdom that will “fill the whole earth.”

Conclusion

“Tselem” in Daniel crystallizes the conflict between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of God. Whether appearing in a dream or cast in gold, the image becomes a stage on which divine sovereignty, human pride, and covenant faithfulness are dramatically displayed. Ultimately, every fabricated “tselem” will crumble, while the everlasting dominion of the Son of Man will endure forever.

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
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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.

6754
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