tselem · image, statue

What it means

tselem (צֶלֶם) is an Aramaic word of the Bible that means “image, statue”.

(Aramaic): a figure made to represent someone; also the look of the face. The same word as the Hebrew "tselem".

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. A statue, like the one in the king's dream.
2. The look on one's face.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• image ×16
• expression ×1

Where it appears

• Daniel 2:31

  You, O king, were looking, and look, a great image was there, that image was large and its brightness extraordinary; it stood before you, and its appearance was terrifying.

• Daniel 2:32

  That image — its head was of fine gold, its chest and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze,

• Daniel 2:34

  You were looking until a stone was cut out, not by hands, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.

• Daniel 2:35

  Then were crushed all together the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, and they became like the chaff of the threshing floors of summer; and the wind carried them away, and no place was found for them. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled all the earth.

• Daniel 3:1

  King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, its height sixty cubits, its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

• Daniel 3:2

  And King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the authorities of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

• Daniel 3:3

  Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the authorities of the provinces were gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they were standing before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

• Daniel 3:5

  at the moment that you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the sambuca, the psaltery, the bagpipe, and every kind of music, you will fall down and bow down to the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

• Daniel 3:7

  Because of this, at that time, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the sambuca, the psaltery, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages were falling down and bowing down to the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

• Daniel 3:10

  You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the sambuca, the psaltery, and the bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and bow down to the image of gold;

• Daniel 3:12

  There are certain Jewish men whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men have paid no attention to you, O king; your gods they do not serve, and to the image of gold that you set up they do not bow down.”

• Daniel 3:14

  Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that my gods you do not serve, and to the image of gold that I set up you do not bow down?

• Daniel 3:15

  Now if you are ready at the moment that you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the sambuca, the psaltery, and the bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and bow down to the image that I made, good; but if you do not bow down, at that very moment you will be thrown into the midst of the furnace of fire blazing; and who is the Elah who will deliver you from my hands?”

• Daniel 3:18

  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that your gods we do not serve, and to the image of gold that you set up we will not bow down.”

• Daniel 3:19

  Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He answered and said to heat the furnace seven times more than it was customary to heat it.

And 2 more times.