H6754 H6754
Image, likeness, or idol; a physical representation of something, the divine likeness in humanity, or a mere phantom
A word that stretches from the loftiest theology to the most ephemeral human experience. In Genesis 1:26-27, tselem carries the staggering claim that humanity bears God's own image — a truth echoed across every language in the translation record, from Spanish 'imagen' to Hindi 'प्रतिमा' to Arabic 'صُورَة.' Yet the same root describes pagan idols smashed by reforming kings (2 Kgs 11:18) and the haunting realization of the Psalmist that people walk about as mere shadows (Ps 39:6). The range from divine dignity to hollow phantom gives this word a unique theological gravity.
Senses
1. image, idol, statue — A carved, cast, or molten representation of a deity or object — an idol or cult image. Used of the golden tumour replicas in 1 Samuel 6:5, the smashed images of Baal in 2 Kings 11:18, and the forbidden male-form images of Ezekiel 16:17. Multilingual glosses converge on 'idol/statue/image' across all target languages, confirming the concrete, physical referent. 10×
AR["تَمَاثِيلَهُ", "تَمَاثِيلِ", "صوَرَكُمْ", "صُوَرَ", "وَ-صُوَرَ"]·ben["আর-মূর্তিগুলো-", "এবং-মূর্তি", "তার-মূর্তি", "তার-মূর্তিগুলোকে", "তোমাদের-মূর্তিসমূহ", "প্রতিমা", "মূর্তি", "মূর্তিগুলি"]·DE["Bilder-von", "[וצלמי]", "[צלמי]", "[צלמיו]", "[צלמיכם]", "sein-Bilder", "und-Bilder-von"]·EN["and-images-of", "his-images", "images-of", "images-of-", "its-images", "your-images"]·FR["[צלמיו]", "et-image", "et-images-de", "image", "images-de", "son-images"]·heb["ו-צלמי", "צלם-ו", "צלמי", "צלמיו", "צלמיכם"]·HI["उसकी-मूर्तियोंको", "और-प्रतिमाओं", "और-मूरतियां", "चित्र", "त्सलामाव-उसके", "प्रतिमाओं-को", "मूरतियां", "मूर्तियाँ", "मूर्तियों-तुम्हारी"]·ID["-patung-patungnya", "dan-patung-patung", "gambar-gambar", "patung-patung", "patung-patungmu", "patung-patungnya"]·IT["[וצלמי]", "[צלמי]", "[צלמיו]", "[צלמיכם]", "e-immagini-di", "immagini-di", "suo-immagini"]·jav["allah-panjenengan", "arca-", "gambar-gambar", "lan-gambar-gambar", "lan-reca-", "para-recani-pun", "reca-", "reca-recanipun"]·KO["그-우상들을", "그리고-형상들을", "그의-상들을", "너희의-우상들을", "상들을-", "조상들", "형상들을"]·PT["e-imagens-de", "estátuas-de", "imagens-de", "imagens-de-", "imagens-suas", "suas-imagens", "vossas-imagens"]·RU["Халдеев", "и-изображения", "и-образы", "идолы", "изображения", "изображения-", "изображения-ваши", "изображения-его"]·ES["e-imágenes-de", "imágenes-de", "imágenes-de-él", "sus-imágenes", "ídolos-de"]·SW["na-sanamu", "na-sanamu-za", "sanamu", "sanamu-za", "sanamu-zake", "sanamu-zenu", "vya-"]·TR["heykellerini", "putlarını", "putlarınızın", "resimler", "suretlerini", "ve-heykellerini", "ve-resimlerini"]·urd["اور-تصویریں", "اُس-کے-بُتوں", "بتوں", "بتوں-اُس-کے", "بُت", "تصویریں", "تمہارے-بتوں-کو"]
2. image, likeness (imago Dei) — The essential likeness or form in which God created humanity and through which a father begets a son (Gen 1:26-27, 5:3, 9:6). This is the foundational 'imago Dei' sense. Every major translation tradition renders this with terms for 'likeness' or 'image' — Spanish 'imagen,' French 'image,' German 'Bild' — yet the theological weight far exceeds any single gloss. Genesis 9:6 grounds the sanctity of human life in this very likeness. 5×
AR["عَلَى-صُورَةِ", "فِي-صُورَةِ", "فِي-صُورَتِنَا", "فِي-صُورَتِهِ", "كَ-صُورَتِهِ"]·ben["আমাদের-প্রতিমূর্তিতে", "তাঁর-প্রতিমূর্তিতে", "প্রতিমূর্তিতে"]·DE["im-Bild", "im-Bilde", "in-seinem-Bild", "in-unserem-Bild", "nach-seinem-Bild"]·EN["according-to-image-his", "in-image-his", "in-image-of", "in-image-our"]·FR["dans-image-de", "dans-image-notre", "dans-image-son", "selon-à-image-son"]·heb["ב-צלם", "ב-צלם-ו", "ב-צלם-נו", "כ-צלם-ו"]·HI["अपनी-प्रतिमा-मेइन", "प्रतिमा-मेइन", "में-अपने-स्वरूप", "में-स्वरूप", "में-हमारे-स्वरूप"]·ID["menurut-gambar", "menurut-gambar-Kita", "menurut-gambar-Nya", "seperti-gambarnya"]·IT["in-immagine-di", "in-immagine-nostro", "in-immagine-suo", "secondo-a-immagine-suo"]·jav["miturut-gambar", "miturut-gambar-Kita", "miturut-gambaripun"]·KO["에-그의-형상", "에-그의-형상대로", "에-우리의-형상", "에-형상"]·PT["conforme-a-sua-imagem", "em-imagem-de", "em-nossa-imagem", "em-sua-imagem"]·RU["по-образу", "по-образу-Нашему", "по-образу-Своему", "по-образу-своему"]·ES["en-imagen-de", "en-nuestra-imagen", "en-su-imagen", "según-su-imagen"]·SW["kwa-mfano-wa", "kwa-mfano-wake", "kwa-mfano-wetu", "kwa-sura-ya"]·TR["suretimizde", "suretinde"]·urd["اپنی-صورت-میں", "صورت-میں", "مطابق-شبیہ-اپنی"]
3. phantom, shadow, semblance — A phantom, shadow, or insubstantial semblance — the fleeting quality of human existence. In Psalm 39:6 a person walks about 'as a tselem,' and in Psalm 73:20 God despises the image of the wicked upon awakening. Hindi छाया ('shadow') and Arabic ظِلّ capture this ephemeral nuance. A striking metaphorical extension from the concrete 'image' senses. 2×
AR["صورَتَهُمْ", "في-ظِلٍّ"]·ben["ছায়ায়", "তাদের-ছবি"]·DE["ihr-image", "wie-ein-Schatten"]·EN["as-a-shadow", "their-image"]·FR["dans-image", "image"]·heb["ב-צלם", "צלמם"]·HI["उनकी-छवि", "में-छाया"]·ID["gambar-mereka"]·IT["immagine"]·jav["gambar-ipun", "ing-wewayangan"]·KO["-그림자-에서", "그들-의-환상-을"]·PT["em-sombra", "sua-imagem"]·RU["в-образе", "образ-их"]·ES["como-sombra", "su-imagen"]·SW["kama-kivuli", "sura-yao"]·TR["gölge-gibi", "hayallerini-onların"]·urd["اُن-کی-شبیہ-کو", "سائے-میں"]
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×)H4325 1. water, waters (582×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† צֶ֫לֶם n.m. Ez 16:17 image (something cut out, cf. פֶּסֶל; Nö ‘Schnitzbild’);—צ׳ abs. ψ 39:7, cstr. Gn 1:27 +; sf. צַלְמוֹ v 27; 5:3, צַלְמֵנוּ 1:26, צַלְמָם ψ 73:20; pl. cstr. צַלְמֵי 1 S 6:5(×2) +, sf. צְלָמָיו 2 K 11:18; 2 Ch 23:17, צַלְמֵיכֶם Am 5:26;— 1. images of tumours and mice (of gold) 1 S 6:5(×2), 11; especially of heathen gods Am 5:26 (text dub.; del. We as gloss, cf. GASm Dr), 2 K…