### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsippûwy**, represented by `{{H6826}}`, refers to an **encasement (with metal); covering, overlaying**. It appears **5 times** across **5 unique verses** in the Bible. The term consistently denotes a thin layer of metal applied to the surface of an object, either for decoration, structural enhancement, or as a sign.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical usage, `{{H6826}}` appears in three distinct contexts. In the construction of the Tabernacle, it is the silver **overlaying** on the chapiters of the court pillars ([[Exodus 38:17]], [[Exodus 38:19]]). It is also used to create a holy object from a profane one, when the brasen censers of rebellious men were hammered into a **covering** for the altar as a memorial sign to Israel ([[Numbers 16:38]], [[Numbers 16:39]]). In a prophetic context, it is the silver **covering** of graven images, which the people are commanded to defile and cast away as part of their purification [[Isaiah 30:22]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide further context for the function and materials associated with a covering:
* `{{H2838}}` **châshuq** (fillet): This term describes the silver fence-rails or rods that connected the pillars of the Tabernacle court, often mentioned alongside the silver overlaying [[Exodus 38:17]].
* `{{H5982}}` **ʻammûwd** (pillar): These are the vertical supports on which the silver overlaying was applied in the Tabernacle court ([[Exodus 38:17]], [[Exodus 38:19]]).
* `{{H6341}}` **pach** ((thin) plate, snare): This word is used for the "broad **plates**" made from censers that became the covering for the altar [[Numbers 16:38]]. Its definition also includes "snare," indicating how a thin, spread-out object can be used for trapping.
* `{{H642}}` **ʼêphuddâh** (ornament): This term appears in parallel with **tsippûwy** in [[Isaiah 30:22]], describing the golden **ornament** of molten images that, like the silver covering, was to be cast away.
### Theological Significance
The significance of `{{H6826}}` is tied to the spiritual status of the object it covers.
* **Consecrated Objects:** In the Tabernacle, the silver **overlaying** was part of the intricate, holy design commanded by God, beautifying the sacred space ([[Exodus 38:17]], [[Exodus 38:19]]).
* **Memorial and Warning:** The **covering** on the altar, made from the censers of sinners, was hallowed and served as a powerful and permanent sign to the children of Israel [[Numbers 16:38]].
* **Objects of Idolatry:** The **covering** on graven images, though made of precious silver, is marked for defilement and rejection, demonstrating that outward value is meaningless when attached to a corrupt object [[Isaiah 30:22]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6826}}` is a specific term for a metallic overlay. Its biblical use illustrates a sharp contrast: it can be part of the beautiful and holy construction of God's dwelling place, or it can be the profane exterior of an idol destined for destruction. Through this word, scripture shows that the value of a covering is determined not by its material, but by the nature of what it conceals.
TRV