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In 1 Sam. 19:13 we read that “Michal took the
[here a plural of “majesty”]
and laid it on the bed, and put a quilt of goat’s hair at its head, and covered it with
blankets” (author’s translation). In view of 1 Sam. 19:11, where it is said that they were
in David’s private quarters, supposing that this
was a “household idol” is
difficult, although not impossible. Some scholars suggest that this was a “cultic” mask
used in worshiping God.
Either of the former suggestions is the possible meaning of the word in the Micah
incident recorded in Judg. 17-18. Notice in Judg. 17:5: “… Micah had a house of gods,
and made an ephod, and
and consecrated one of his sons, who became his
priest.” In Judg. 18:14
appears to be distinguished from idols: “… there is in
these houses an ephod, and
, and a graven image, and a molten image?” The
verses that follow suggest that the graven image and the molten image may have been the
same thing: Judg. 18:17 uses all four words in describing what the Danites stole; Judg.
18:20 omits “molten image” from the list; and Judg. 18:31 reports that only the graven
image was set up for worship. We know that the ephod was a special priestly garment.
Could it be that
was a “cultic mask” or some other symbol of the divine
presence?
Thus
may signify an “idol,” a “cultic mask,” or perhaps a “symbol of the
divine presence.” In any case the item is associated with pagan worship and perhaps with
worship of God.
(457), “idol; gods; nought; vain.” The 20 occurrences of this noun are primarily
in Israel’s legal code and the prophetic writings (especially Isaiah). Cognates of this word
appear in Akkadian, Syriac, and Arabic.
This disdainful word signifies an “idol” or “false god.”
,
first appears in Lev. 19:4:
“Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods.…” In Lev. 26:1 the
are what Israel is forbidden to make: “Ye shall make you no idols.…” The irony of this is
biting not only with respect to the usual meaning of this word but also in view of its
similarity to the usual word for God (
;
cf. Ps. 96:5): “For all the gods [
] of
the people are idols [
] …” (1 Chron. 16:26). Second, this word can mean
“nought” or “vain.” 1 Chron. 16:26 might well be rendered: “For all the gods of the
people are nought.” This nuance appears clearly in Job 13:4: “But ye are forgers of lies;
ye are all physicians of no value [physicians of vanity].” Jeremiah told Israel that their
prophets were “prophesy [ing] unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of
nought …”.
$
(
-%
, 1544), “idols.” Of the 48 occurrences of this word, all but 9
appear in Ezekiel. This word for “idols” is a disdainful word and may originally have
meant “dung pellets”: “And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images,
and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you”
(Lev. 26:30).
This word and others for “idol” exhibit the horror and scorn that biblical writers felt
toward them. In passages such as Isa. 66:3 the word for “idol,”
(
, means “uncanny