H4676 H4676
Standing stone or pillar; an upright stone erected as a memorial monument or as an object of pagan worship to be destroyed.
A stone set upright in the ground, serving two dramatically different purposes in Israel's story. Positively, patriarchs erected standing stones to mark encounters with God — Jacob's pillar at Bethel anointed with oil (Gen 28:18), Rachel's grave marker (Gen 35:20), and Absalom's personal monument (2 Sam 18:18). Negatively, the same word describes Canaanite cult pillars that the Law commands Israel to smash (Exod 23:24; Deut 7:5). The tension between these senses runs through the entire Old Testament: the same physical object can be a witness to the true God or an abomination to be torn down.
Senses
1. memorial pillar or monument — An upright stone erected as a memorial, witness, or boundary marker, associated with positive or neutral commemorative purposes. Jacob anoints his pillar at Bethel (Gen 28:18, 22; 31:13), sets one at Rachel's grave (Gen 35:20), and covenant-making stones witness agreements (Gen 31:45, 51). Absalom erects one as a personal monument (2 Sam 18:18). Translations consistently use 'columna' (Spa), 'colonne/stèle' (Fra), 'Säule' (Deu). 20×
AR["أَعمِدَتَهُم","أَعْمِدَةَ","أَنْصَابًا","الْ-عَمودَ","الْ-عَمودُ","عَموداً","عَمودًا","عَمودٍ","عَمُودًا","نُصُبًا","نُصُبَ","وَ-نُصُبًا","وَأَنْصَابُ","وَعَمُودٌ"]·ben["-স্তম্ভ","আর-স্তম্ভগুলি","এবং-স্তম্ভ","ও-স্তম্ভ","তাদের-স্তম্ভগুলি","স্তম্ভ","স্তম্ভ-রূপে","স্তম্ভগুলি"]·DE["Saeule","Saeule-von","Saeulen","[ומצבה]","[ומצבות]","[מצבה]","[מצבות]","[מצבותם]","als-Malstein","als-Malstein-auf","den-Malstein","der-Malstein","einen-Malstein","und-Saeule"]·EN["and-pillar","and-pillars-of-","pillar","pillar-of","pillars","pillars-of","the-pillar","their-pillars"]·FR["[ומצבה]","[ומצבות]","[מצבה]","[מצבות]","[מצבותם]","colonne","colonne-de","colonnes","et-colonne","la-colonne"]·heb["ה-מצבה","ה-מצבה","ו-מצבה","ו-מצבות","מצבה","מצבות","מצבותם","מצבת"]·HI["और-स्तंभ","और-स्तम्भ","खंभा","खंभे","खम्भा","खम्भे","खम्भे-का","खम्भे-के-रूप-में","मच्चवत","स्तंभ","स्तंभों","स्तम्भ","स्तम्भों-उनके"]·ID["dan-tugu","dan-tugu-tugu-","sebagai-tugu","tiang-berhala","tugu","tugu-batu","tugu-tugu"]·IT["[ומצבה]","[ומצבות]","[מצבה]","[מצבות]","[מצבותם]","colonna","colonna-di","colonne","e-colonna","il-colonna"]·jav["lan-tugu","lan-tugu-tugu","tugu","tugu-séla","tugu-tugu"]·KO["그-기둥을","그-기둥이","그들의-돌기둥들을","그리고-기둥들이-","그리고-비석이","그리고-주상을","기둡을","기둥","기둥들을","기둥으로","기둥을","석상들과","주상","주상-을","주상을"]·PT["a-coluna","coluna","coluna-de","colunas","colunas-deles","e-coluna","e-colunas-de","os-obeliscos-de"]·RU["-столб","и-столб","и-столбы","столб","столба","столбов","столбом","столбы","столбы-их"]·ES["columna","columna-de","columnas","columnas-de","la-columna","la-estatua-de","piedra-sagrada","pilar","pilar-sagrado","sus-estatuas","y-columna","y-estela","y-los-pilares-de"]·SW["kilicho-upeta","mwamba","na-nguzo","na-nguzo-za","nguzo","nguzo-ya","nguzo-zao","utakuwa"]·TR["-anıt-taş","-anıt-taşı","anıt-taş","dikili-tas","dikili-taş","dikili-taşlarını","dikili-taşlarını-","dikili-taşını","sütun","sütunlar","ve-dikili-tas","ve-dikili-taş","ve-dikili-taşları"]·urd["اور-ستون","اُن-کے-ستون","ستون","ستون-کے-طور-پر","ستونوں"]
2. sacred cultic standing stone — A sacred standing stone associated with pagan Canaanite worship, consistently condemned and ordered to be smashed, broken, or torn down. The legal and prophetic texts command their destruction alongside altars and Asherah poles (Exod 23:24; 34:13; Deut 7:5; 12:3). The plural forms dominate here, and Hosea 3:4 lists the maṣṣēbāh among cultic objects Israel will lack in exile. Spanish sometimes shifts to 'estelas,' marking the idolatrous register. 12×
AR["أَنصابَهُم","أَنْصَابَ","أَنْصَابَهُمْ","الأَعمِدَةَ","الأَنصابَ","الأَنْصَابَ","الْأَنْصَابَ","وَ-أَنْصَابًا","وَأَنْصَابَكِ","وَأَنْصَابَهُمْ"]·ben["এবং-তাদের-স্তম্ভগুলি","এবং-তোমার-স্তম্ভগুলি","এবং-স্তম্ভ","তাদের-স্তম্ভ","তাদের-স্তম্ভগুলিকে।","স্তম্ভ","স্তম্ভগুলি","স্তম্ভগুলো"]·DE["Saeulen-von","[המצבות]","[ומצבותיך]","[מצבות]","der-Saeulen","ihr-Saeulen","ihre-Saeulen","und-Saeulen","und-ihr-Saeulen"]·EN["and-pillars","and-their-pillars","and-your-pillars","pillars-of","the-pillars","their-pillars"]·FR["[המצבות]","[מצבות]","colonnes-de","et-colonnes","et-leur-colonnes","et-tes-stèles","le-colonnes","leur-colonnes"]·heb["ה-מצבות","ו-מצבות","ו-מצבותיך","ו-מצבותם","מצבות","מצבותיהם","מצבותם"]·HI["उनके-खंभों","उनके-खम्भे","और-उनके-स्तम्भों","और-खम्भे","और-तेरे-स्तंभ","की-खम्भों","मच्चवोत","स्तंभों","स्तंभों-उनके","स्तम्भ","स्तम्भों","ह-मज़्ज़ेबोत-को"]·ID["-tiang-tiang-berhala","dan-tiang-tiang-batumu","dan-tugu-tugu","dan-tugu-tugu-mereka","tugu-tugu mereka","tugu-tugu-batu","tugu-tugu-berhala","tugu-tugu-itu","tugu-tugu-mereka"]·IT["[המצבות]","[ומצבותיך]","[מצבות]","colonne-di","e-colonne","e-loro-colonne","il-colonne","loro-colonne"]·jav["lan-tugu-tugu","lan-tugu-tugu-ipun","lan-tugu-tugu-panjenengan","tugu","tugu-tugu","tugu-tugu-nipun.","tugu-tugunipun"]·KO["그-기둥들을","그-돌기둥들을","그-주상들을","그들의-기둥들을","그들의-주상들을","그리고-그들의-주상들을","그리고-기둥들-너의-를","그리고-석상과","돌기둥들을","석상들","주상들-을"]·PT["as-colunas","colunas","colunas-de","colunas-deles","e-colunas","e-suas-colunas","e-tuas-colunas","suas-colunas"]·RU["и-столбы","и-столбы-их","и-столбы-твои","столбы","столбы-их"]·ES["(marca-de-objeto)-las-estelas","columnas-de","las-columnas","las-estatuas","sus-columnas","sus-estatuas","y-columnas","y-sus-columnas","y-tus-piedras-sagradas"]·SW["hamaּtseּbwot","na-nguzo-za-mawe","na-nguzo-zako-za-mawe","na-nguzo-zao","nguzo","nguzo-za","nguzo-zao","nguzo-zao-takatifu"]·TR["-dikili-taşları","dikili-taşları","dikili-taşları-","dikili-taşlarını","sütunları","ve-dikili-taşlar","ve-dikili-taşlarını","ve-dikili-taşlarını-senin"]·urd["ان-کے-ستون","اور-ان-کے-ستون","اور-تیرے-ستون","اور-ستون","اُن-کے-ستونوں","اُن-کے-ستونوں-کو","ستون","ستونوں","ستونوں-کو"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מַצֵּבָה, מַצֶּ֫בֶת n.f. pillar, maṣṣēbā, stump; on this v. also Lagrange Études Bibl. 197 ff. and review by BauZMG lvii (1903), 830; also GFMEB massebah Sta Bib. Theol. i. § 55 OC WhitehouseHastDB pillar—abs. מַצֵּבָה Ho 3:4 +, מַצֶּ֫בֶת 2 S 18:18a (read הַמּ׳ 𝔊 Dr Bu Kit), v 18b Is 6:13, cstr. מַצְּבַת 2 K 3:2; 10:27, מַצֶּ֫בֶת Gn 35:14, 20; sf. מַצַּבְתָּהּ Is 6:13; pl. abs. מַצֵּבוֹת 1 K…