Lexical Summary
semel: Image, idol, figure
Original Word: סֶמֶל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: cemel
Pronunciation: seh'-mel
Phonetic Spelling: (seh'-mel)
KJV: figure, idol, image
NASB: idol, figure
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to resemble]
1. a likeness
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
figure, idol, image
Or cemel {say'-mel}; from an unused root meaning to resemble; a likeness -- figure, idol, image.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitionan image, statue
NASB Translationfigure (1), idol (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Ezekiel 8:5 perhaps originally proper name, of divinity, then Generally (Phoenician
id., feminine , Lzb
151, 329, also Id
329; Bau
Rel. i. 88 understands to be designation of foreign god); — absolute 2Chronicles 33:7,15,
Deuteronomy 4:16; construct
Ezekiel 8:3,5; —
image, figure of anything,
Deuteronomy 4:16;
idol-image 2Chronicles 33:7 and ( omitted)
2 Chronicles 33:15;
Ezekiel 8:3 the statue of jealousy, i.e. that rouses 's jealousy, =
Ezekiel 8:5.
(√ of following; meaning dubious; if akin to Arabic 👁 Image
smell Lane1593, 👁 Image
any fragrant plant Id1594, then must be for ; in that case perhaps loan-word in Hebrew; Late Hebrew id., spice, drug (Ecclus Ecclesiasticus 38:4 m.), Aramaic id.; 👁 Image
drug, pigment; Arabic 👁 Image
poison is apparently loan-word Frä262).
Topical Lexicon
Overview Strong’s Hebrew 5566, סֶמֶל (sēmel), appears only five times and always denotes a physical representation set up in defiance of the Lord’s exclusive claim to worship. Although the word can mean “image” or “likeness,” every canonical occurrence carries an undeniably negative sense: a manufactured object that rivals the living God for the heart-allegiance of His people.
Occurrences in Scripture
• Deuteronomy 4:16
• 2 Chronicles 33:7
• 2 Chronicles 33:15
• Ezekiel 8:3
• Ezekiel 8:5
Deuteronomy and the Covenant Warning
Before Israel entered Canaan, Moses warned, “that you do not act corruptly and make for yourselves an idol in the form of any figure—the likeness of male or female” (Deuteronomy 4:16). The appearance of sēmel here anchors the prohibition against idolatry in the foundational covenant history: the God who revealed Himself without visible form at Sinai must never be reduced to man-made representation. The warning anticipates later apostasy and frames the land as a place where image-making would constantly tempt the nation.
Manasseh’s Image in the Temple
Centuries later King Manasseh flagrantly violated that warning: “Manasseh even put the carved image of the idol he had made in the house of God” (2 Chronicles 33:7). This was no peripheral shrine; it was a sēmel installed inside the very house where the Lord had placed His Name. The Chronicler treats the act as the theological low point of Judah’s monarchy, explaining the severity of the subsequent exile. Significantly, after Manasseh’s personal repentance he “removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 33:15), illustrating both the depth of God’s mercy and the necessity of eliminating every rival image from worship.
Ezekiel’s Vision of the Image of Jealousy
During the Babylonian captivity Ezekiel was transported “to the entrance to the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood” (Ezekiel 8:3). Twice called “the idol of jealousy” (Ezekiel 8:3, 8:5), this sēmel symbolizes Israel’s collective unfaithfulness. The vision locates the image at the very threshold of the altar, underscoring how idolatry had invaded the sacred space reserved for Yahweh alone. The ensuing chapters portray divine glory departing the temple, revealing the devastating consequence of tolerating a sēmel within God’s sanctuary.
Theological Significance
1. Exclusive Worship: Every use of sēmel highlights the first commandment’s demand for exclusive devotion. Images dilute divine transcendence and distort covenant relationship.
2. Divine Jealousy: Ezekiel’s phrase “idol of jealousy” stresses that God’s jealousy is protective love, guarding the covenant bond.
3. Holiness of Sacred Space: Whether at Sinai, in Solomon’s temple, or in prophetic vision, the presence of a sēmel signals defilement that must result either in the image’s removal or in the community’s judgment.
Historical Background
The manufacture of cultic images was normal across the ancient Near East; Israel’s neighbors depicted their deities in stone, wood, or metal. The rarity of sēmel in Scripture reflects Israel’s counter-cultural calling. When the term does appear, it exposes moments when covenant identity was swallowed by surrounding religious practice—whether through the royal policy of Manasseh or the covert syncretism unmasked to Ezekiel.
Relation to the Broader Canon
While sēmel is restricted to these five verses, its theme intertwines with other biblical terminology for idols (e.g., pesel, atzab). Together they form a consistent witness: the Creator is incomparable and non-representable. New Testament writers extend the principle by identifying Jesus Christ as “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), redirecting legitimate image language to the incarnate Son rather than to inanimate objects.
Implications for Worship and Ministry
1. Guarding the Heart: Modern idolatry may be materialistic, ideological, or technological, but it follows the same pattern—giving ultimate trust or affection to what is not God.
2. Purity of the Church: Like Manasseh’s reform, genuine repentance involves active removal of rival allegiances.
3. Teaching the Next Generation: Deuteronomy’s warning came in a parental context (Deuteronomy 4:9-10). Christian ministry likewise passes down the commandment to worship God in spirit and truth, without substitutes.
Practical Application Today
Believers are called to examine personal and corporate life for any “image of jealousy,” to pray for the Spirit’s illumination, and to proclaim Christ as the true and living Image whose glory outshines every counterfeit.
Forms and Transliterations
הַסֶּ֖מֶל הַסֶּ֙מֶל֙ הסמל סֵ֖מֶל סֵ֛מֶל סָ֑מֶל סמל has·se·mel hassemel sā·mel Samel sāmel sê·mel Semel sêmel
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
