H6755 H6755
Image, statue, form — a physical representation or likeness, especially Nebuchadnezzar's dream-statue in Daniel 2-3 and the image of God in humanity.
An Aramaic-Hebrew noun meaning 'image' or 'likeness,' tselem carries two theologically weighty applications. In Daniel 2-3, it denotes Nebuchadnezzar's colossal statue — the composite image of gold, silver, bronze, and iron that symbolizes successive empires, appearing eleven times in those chapters alone. In Genesis 1:26-27, 5:3, and 9:6, the same root describes humanity as made 'in the image of God,' the foundational statement of human dignity in biblical theology. Daniel 3:19 uniquely uses it for a facial expression ('the image of his face changed'), showing the word's flexibility to denote outward form or appearance. German 'Bild' and Spanish 'imagen' both capture the full range from physical statue to abstract likeness.
Senses
1. image, form, likeness — A physical image, statue, or likeness — a visible form representing something or someone. In Daniel 2:31-35, it refers repeatedly to the great composite statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, made of successive metals symbolizing world empires. Daniel 3:1-18 uses it for the golden image the king erected on the plain of Dura. In Genesis (1:26-27; 5:3; 9:6), the same root denotes the divine image in humanity — the imago Dei. Daniel 3:19 extends the meaning to facial expression or countenance. Spanish 'imagen' and German 'Bild' cover both the concrete (statue) and abstract (likeness) senses, while French brackets the Aramaic forms, reflecting the word's origin in the Aramaic portions of Daniel. 17×
AR["التِّمْثَالِ", "الـ-تِّمْثَالُ", "تِمْثَالاً", "تِمْثَالٌ", "لِ-الـ-تِّمْثَالِ", "لِلتِّمْثَالِ", "هذَا-الـ-تِّمْثَالُ", "وَ-صُورَةُ", "وَ-لِلتِّمْثَالِ"]·ben["-মূর্তিকে", "-মূর্তির", "এবং-মূর্তির", "এবং-রূপ", "মূর্তি", "মূর্তির"]·DE["Bild", "das-Bild", "dem-Bild", "und-Bild", "und-zu-Bild", "zu-Bild"]·EN["and-expression-of", "and-the-image-of", "image", "the-image", "the-image-of"]·FR["[ולצלם]", "[לצלם]", "[לצלמא]", "et-image", "image", "l'image"]·heb["ו-ל-צלם", "ו-צלם", "ל-צלם", "צלם"]·HI["और-को-मूर्ति", "और-रूप", "को-मूर्ति", "मूर्ति"]·ID["dan-kepada-patung", "dan-rupa", "kepada-patung", "patung"]·IT["a-immagine", "a-l'immagine", "e-a-immagine", "e-immagine", "immagine", "l'immagine"]·jav["dhateng-kang-reca", "dhateng-reca", "kang-reca", "lan-dhateng-kang-reca", "lan-warni", "reca", "reca-punika"]·KO["그리고-신상에게", "그리고-표정이", "신상에게", "신상에게-그", "신상은", "신상을", "신상을-그", "신상의-그", "신상이-그"]·PT["a-estátua", "a-estátua-de", "e-a-estátua-de", "e-expressão-de", "estátua"]·RU["-истукан", "-истукана", "-истукану", "и-выражение", "и-истукану", "истукан"]·ES["a-la-imagen", "ante-la-imagen-de", "esta-imagen", "imagen", "la-imagen", "una-imagen", "y-a-la-imagen-de", "y-la-expresión-de"]·SW["kwa-sanamu", "kwa-sanamu-ya", "na-sanamu-ya", "na-sura-ya", "sanamu", "sanamu-hiyo"]·TR["heykel", "heykele", "heykele-", "heykelin", "ve-heykele", "ve-şekli"]·urd["اور-شکل", "اور-کو-مجسمے", "مجسمہ", "مجسمہ-کا", "مجسمہ-یہ", "مجسمے-کے", "کو-مجسمے"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† צְלֵם17 n.m. Dn 2:31 image (v. BH צלם);—abs. צ׳ Dn 2:31; 3:1; cstr. צ׳ 3:19, צֶ֫לֶם v 5 +; emph. צַלְמָא 2:31 +;—image Dn 2:31(×2), 32, 34, 35; 3:1 + 10 times 3; צ׳ אַנְפּוֹהִי 3:19 i.e. his expression.