H8403 H8403
A visible form, likeness, or image; also a constructional pattern, plan, or blueprint for building sacred structures
Tavnit encompasses both what something looks like and the design from which something is built. In Deuteronomy 4:16-18, it warns against making any 'form' or 'likeness' as an idol — the visible shape of a creature. But in Exodus 25:9, 40 and 1 Chronicles 28:11-19, the same word becomes the divinely revealed 'pattern' or 'blueprint' for the tabernacle and temple. The word thus bridges representation and instruction: one sense captures the outward appearance of a thing, the other its intended architectural design. Spanish distinguishes these well, using 'figura' for likeness but 'plano' and 'diseño' for blueprint.
Senses
1. form, likeness, image — A visible form, figure, or likeness — the shape or image of something as it appears. Used especially in anti-idolatry contexts: Deuteronomy 4:16-18 warns against making a tavnit of any creature, and Psalm 106:20 laments that Israel exchanged God's glory for the 'image' of a grass-eating ox. Ezekiel 8:3, 10 describes abominable 'forms' seen in temple visions. Spanish 'figura' and 'forma,' French 'forme,' and German 'Vorlage' all capture this representational sense. 11×
AR["بِ-صورَة", "بِـ-شَكْلِ", "شَكْلَ", "شَكْلُ", "شَكْلِ", "كَشَكْلِ"]·ben["আকারে-", "আকৃতি", "আকৃতিতে", "গঠন"]·DE["Vorlage", "[כתבנית]", "form-of", "für-der-image-von", "likeness-von"]·EN["for-the-image-of", "form-of", "like-the-form-of", "likeness-of"]·FR["[כתבנית]", "dans-forme", "forme", "likeness-de", "modèle"]·heb["ב-תבנית", "כ-תבנית", "תבנית"]·HI["आकृति", "जिसे", "जैसी-आकृति", "रूप", "रूप-में"]·ID["Bentuk", "bentuk", "dengan-gambaran", "menurut-bentuk", "menurut-rupa"]·IT["[בתבנית]", "[כתבנית]", "[תבנית]", "likeness-di", "modello"]·jav["dados-gambar", "kados-wujuding", "pola", "wangun", "wujud"]·KO["모양으로-", "모양을", "모양의", "형상-으로", "형상을", "형상이", "형상이라"]·PT["como-forma-de", "forma-de", "pela-imagem", "semelhança-de", "¶ Semelhança-de", "à-semelhança"]·RU["Подобие", "изображения", "как-образец-", "на-образ", "по-образу", "подобие"]·ES["como-figura", "forma-de", "modelo-de", "por-imagen-de"]·SW["kama-mfano", "kwa-mfano-wa", "mfano", "mfano-wa", "mtindo-wa"]·TR["biciminde-", "biçimi", "biçiminde-", "suretine", "yapısı", "yapıyı"]·urd["شبیہ-کی-طرح", "شکل", "شکل-سے", "نمونہ"]
2. pattern, plan, blueprint — An architectural pattern, plan, or blueprint — a design specification to be followed in construction. Centrally used for the divinely revealed plan of the tabernacle (Exod 25:9, 40) and Solomon's temple (1 Chr 28:11-19), where God transmits the tavnit to Moses and David respectively. Also applied to the altar pattern copied from Damascus (2 Kgs 16:10) and the memorial altar of Joshua 22:28. Spanish 'plano' and 'diseño' neatly distinguish this instructional sense from the representational one. 9×
AR["الرَّسْمِ", "بِ-رَسمِها", "بِنْيَةَ", "رَسمَ", "رَسْمَ", "نَمُوذَجِهِ", "وَرَسْمَ", "وَلِرَسْمِ"]·ben["আর-নক্শা", "আর-নক্শার-জন্য", "তাদের-নকশায়", "তার-নকশা", "নকশা", "নক্শা", "নক্শার"]·DE["Vorlage", "[ולתבנית]", "die-Vorlage", "gemaess-zu-ihr-pattern", "pattern-von", "sein-pattern", "und-Vorlage"]·EN["And-the-pattern-of", "according-to-their-pattern", "and-for-the-pattern-of", "its-pattern", "pattern-of", "the-pattern", "the-pattern-of"]·FR["[התבנית]", "[ולתבנית]", "[ותבנית]", "[תבנית]", "modèle-de", "pattern-de", "selon-leur-modèle", "son-pattern"]·heb["ב-תבניתם", "ה-תבנית", "ו-ל-תבנית", "ו-תבנית", "תבנית", "תבניתו"]·HI["-के-नक्शे", "उनके-नमूने-के-अनुसार", "और-नक्शा", "और-नक्शे", "नक्शा", "नमूना", "नमूना-उसका"]·ID["-rancangan", "dan-rancangan", "dan-untuk-rancangan", "menurut-pola mereka", "pola", "polanya", "tiruan"]·IT["[התבנית]", "[ולתבנית]", "[ותבנית]", "[תבנית]", "pattern-di", "secondo-a-loro-pattern", "suo-pattern"]·jav["Lan-rancangan", "lan-dhateng-rancangan", "miturut-rancangan-ipun", "rancangan", "rancanganipun", "wujud"]·KO["그-도면의", "그것의-설계를", "그들의-모양대로", "그리고-도면", "그리고-에-대한-도면", "도면", "모양을", "본"]·PT["E-planta-de", "a-planta", "conforme-modelo-deles", "e-para-planta-de", "modelo-de", "planta-de", "seu-modelo"]·RU["и-образец", "образец", "образца", "по-образцу-их", "чертёж-его"]·ES["Y-plano-de", "diseño-de", "el-plano", "modelo-de", "plano-de", "según-su-diseño", "su-modelo", "y-para-plano-de"]·SW["kwa-mfano-wao", "mchoro", "mchoro-wa", "mfano", "mfano-wa", "mpango-wake", "na-kwa-mchoro-wa", "na-mchoro-wa"]·TR["Ve-planını", "benzerini", "planlarına-göre", "planın", "planını", "ve-planı-için"]·urd["اور-نقشہ", "اُس-کا-ڈھانچہ", "اُن-کے-نمونے-کے-مطابق", "شکل", "نقشہ", "نقشے-کے", "نمونہ"]
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
† תַּבְנִית n.f. construction, pattern, figure—תּ׳ abs. 1 Ch 28:19; cstr. Ex 25:9(×2) + 14 times + Ez 8:10 (del. Co); תַּבְנִיתוֹ 2 K 16:10, תַּבְנִיתָם Ex 25:40;— 1. app. originally construction, structure, yet only P & late: תַּבְנִית מִזְבַּח י׳ Jos 22:28; cf. ψ 144:12 in sim. בְּנוֹתֵינוּ כִזָוִיּוֹת מְחֻטָּבוֹת תּ׳ הֵיכָל carved according to the construction of a palace, palace-fashion. 2.…