פָּסַל (pa.sal)
pa.sal
to hew
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb pa.sal means to cut or hew stone into a specific shape, often implying the work of quarrying or carving. It appears in five verses across the Old Testament, with significant usage in Exodus and Deuteronomy where it describes the preparation of materials for sacred structures.
In these contexts, the word highlights the physical effort required to shape raw stone for the Tabernacle or Temple. This concrete action underscores the value placed on craftsmanship in biblical worship, showing that building spaces for God’s presence involved deliberate, skilled labor rather than using unworked natural formations.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word pasal describes the deliberate act of hewing stone into a specific shape. In Exodus and Deuteronomy, this verb appears when God commands Moses to prepare tablets for His words. The physical effort required to cut raw rock highlights that worship involves skilled labor and intentionality. It was not enough to use natural formations; the materials had to be shaped with care.
This imagery reminds us that preparing our hearts for God often requires similar effort. Just as stone must be hewn to hold an inscription, we are called to shape our lives to receive divine truth. The process is not always easy, but it reflects a deep respect for the purpose of the vessel. We find comfort in knowing that God values the work we put into becoming people who can carry His message.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- cut out2×
- he has carved/ it1×
- and/ he cut out1×
- and/ I cut out1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פְּסָל\־2×
- פְסָל/וֹ֙1×
- וָ/אֶפְסֹ֛ל1×
- וַ/יִּפְסֹ֡ל1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 34:1
Yahweh said to Moses, “Chisel two stone tablets like the first. I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.
This verse establishes the divine command to hew new tablets, linking the physical act of cutting stone directly to the preservation of God's covenant words.
-
Deuteronomy 10:1
At that time Yahweh said to me, “Cut two stone tablets like the first, and come up to me onto the mountain, and make an ark of wood.
Here Moses recalls the instruction to cut tablets, emphasizing that the preparation of materials was a necessary step before receiving the law again.
-
Habakkuk 2:18
“What value does the engraved image have, that its maker has engraved it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make mute idols?
The prophet contrasts the hewn idol with living truth, showing how the same word used for sacred stone can also describe the futile crafting of false gods.