Word Study for H6456 (פְּסִיל)

pᵉçîyl /pes-eel'/ Ask about this word

Meaningan idol

KJV usagecarved (graven) image, quarry.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of pᵉçîyl — 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 pᵉçîyl, represented by H6456, is defined as an idol; carved (graven) image, quarry. It appears 23 times across 23 unique verses, where it overwhelmingly refers to a physical object of false worship. The term is central to the scriptural prohibition against idolatry and represents a direct challenge to the exclusive worship of God.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H6456 consistently appears in contexts of sin and judgment. The people of Israel provoked God to anger by setting up graven images on their high places Psalms 78:58 and sacrificing to them Hosea 11:2. Consequently, a core command given to Israel was the complete destruction of the graven images of other nations, which were to be burned with fire Deuteronomy 7:25 and hewn down Deuteronomy 12:3. The fall of nations like Babylon is directly linked to judgment upon their graven images (Isaiah 21:9, Jeremiah 51:47). A distinct usage appears in Judges, where H6456 refers to the quarries near Gilgal (Judges 3:19, Judges 3:26).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help illustrate the broader context of idolatry associated with H6456:

H4541 maççêkâh (molten image): This term for a cast image often appears alongside pᵉçîyl to describe different types of idols. Both the graven images of silver and the molten images of gold were to be defiled and destroyed Isaiah 30:22.
H842 ʼăshêrâh (grove): Representing an image of the goddess Asherah, this is another idolatrous object commanded to be destroyed. Israelites were instructed to cut down their groves and burn their graven images with fire Deuteronomy 7:5.
H1116 bâmâh (high place): These elevated places of worship were often the location for illicit rituals. Israel provoked God with their high places and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images Psalms 78:58.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6456 is significant and highlights key principles of faith:

Rejection of God's Glory: God explicitly states He will not give His glory or praise to graven images, establishing them as a fundamental affront to His divine nature and honor Isaiah 42:8.
Cause of Divine Anger: The worship of graven images is a primary reason for God's anger H3707 and jealousy. This provocation is cited as a reason for judgment on both Israel and Gentile nations (Jeremiah 8:19, Psalms 78:58).
Object of Covenant Purification: A central tenet of covenant faithfulness was the complete eradication of idols. The command to burn, break, and defile every graven image demonstrates the absolute separation required between the worship of God and the worship of false gods (Deuteronomy 7:5, Deuteronomy 12:3).

Summary

In summary, H6456 is a term that overwhelmingly signifies a carved (graven) image used in idolatrous worship. It serves as a tangible symbol of rebellion against God, consistently provoking His anger and resulting in commands for its total destruction. While it has a secondary meaning of quarry Judges 3:19, its primary role in Scripture is to represent the physical manifestation of false worship, standing in stark contrast to the unseen and glorious God of Israel.

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 24 occurrences, inflected in 3 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.

פְּסִילֵי
פְּסִלִים
פֶּסֶל

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 23 verses across 9 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Chronicles (5 verses); never once in the other 30.

Deuteronomy

Judges

2 Kings

2 Chronicles

Psalms

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Hosea

Micah

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.