Word Study for H4656 (מִפְלֶצֶת)

miphletseth /mif-leh'-tseth/ Ask about this word

Meaninga terror, i.e. an idol

KJV usageidol.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of miphletseth — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word miphletseth, represented by H4656, refers to a terror or an idol. This term appears 4 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible, exclusively in the context of a specific act of idolatry and its subsequent destruction. The word itself conveys a sense of horror or fright associated with the object of false worship.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The use of H4656 is found in the parallel accounts of King Asa's reforms. In both 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, Asa's own mother, Maachah, is removed from her position as queen because she had made an idol (miphletseth) in a grove. Asa's response was decisive and severe. He took the idol, cut it down, and burned it by the brook Kidron 1 Kings 15:13. The account in 2 Chronicles adds that he also "stamped" the idol before burning it, emphasizing the totality of its destruction 2 Chronicles 15:16.

Related Words & Concepts

The actions taken against the H4656 idol are described with several powerful verbs:

H3772 kârath (to cut down, destroy): This word signifies the initial act of dismantling the idol. King Asa "destroyed" 1 Kings 15:13 or "cut down" 2 Chronicles 15:16 the idol, showing a forceful removal from its place of honor.
H1854 dâqaq (to stamp, make dust): Used in 2 Chronicles 15:16, this term describes the act of crushing the idol into small pieces or dust, a step that illustrates utter desecration and ensures it could not be reassembled.
H8313 sâraph (to burn): This is the final act of destruction performed on the idol in both accounts. By burning the remains, Asa ensured its complete eradication (1 Kings 15:13, 2 Chronicles 15:16).

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H4656 is concentrated in its stark illustration of the proper response to idolatry.

Zero Tolerance for Idolatry: King Asa's actions against his own mother, the queen, demonstrate that kinship and status are secondary to faithfulness to God. He removed her from power for her sin of making an idol 1 Kings 15:13.
Complete Eradication: The destruction of the idol was not merely symbolic. It was systematically cut down, stamped to pieces, and burned. This sequence highlights the principle that objects of false worship must be completely and irreversibly destroyed.
Public Act of Reformation: The destruction took place at the brook Kidron, a public and significant location. This indicates that Asa's actions were a clear statement to the entire nation about his commitment to purging idolatry from the land.

Summary

In summary, H4656 is a highly specific term for an idol that evokes terror. Its limited use in Scripture is tied directly to the narrative of King Asa and Queen Maachah. This account provides a powerful and unambiguous lesson on the gravity of idolatry and the necessity for leaders to remove it decisively and completely, regardless of personal cost. The thorough destruction of the idol serves as a physical manifestation of a spiritual cleansing.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 4 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

מִפְלֶצֶת
מִפְלַצְתָּ

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

1 Kings

2 Chronicles

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.