Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical contexts, the act of carving is often associated with craftsmanship, artistry, and idolatry. The term "carve" and its derivatives appear in various passages, highlighting both the skill involved in creating objects and the potential for misuse when such objects become idols.
Craftsmanship and ArtistryCarving in the Bible is frequently linked to the skilled work of artisans who crafted intricate designs for the tabernacle and temple. In
Exodus 31:1-5, God appoints Bezalel, filling him with the Spirit of God, to work with gold, silver, bronze, and wood, demonstrating the divine endorsement of artistic skill. The passage states, "I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in all kinds of craftsmanship, to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for settings, and to carve wood, so that he may be a master of every craft" . This highlights the importance of carving as a God-given talent used for His glory.
Similarly, the construction of Solomon's Temple involved extensive carving work. In
1 Kings 6:18, the interior of the temple is described: "The cedar within the temple was carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was visible" . This illustrates the use of carving to beautify sacred spaces, reflecting the glory and majesty of God.
Idolatry and MisuseConversely, carving is also associated with the creation of idols, which the Bible condemns. The prohibition against idolatry is clear in the Ten Commandments, where God commands, "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath" (
Exodus 20:4). Carved images, often made of wood or stone, were common in the ancient Near East and represented false gods.
Isaiah 44:13-17 provides a vivid depiction of the futility of idol-making: "The woodworker stretches out a measuring line; he outlines it with a stylus; he shapes it with chisels and outlines it with a compass. He makes it in the form of a man, like a man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine" . The passage continues to mock the absurdity of worshiping something crafted by human hands, emphasizing the foolishness of idolatry.
Symbolism and Spiritual LessonsThe act of carving, therefore, carries significant symbolic weight in Scripture. It serves as a reminder of the human capacity for creativity and the potential for that creativity to be directed either toward honoring God or toward idolatry. The Bible encourages believers to use their God-given talents for His purposes, as seen in the construction of the tabernacle and temple, while warning against the temptation to create and worship idols.
In summary, carving in the Bible is a multifaceted concept that encompasses both the beauty of God-inspired artistry and the dangers of idolatry. It calls believers to discernment in their creative endeavors, ensuring that their work glorifies God rather than leading them away from Him.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
The arts of engraving and carving were much practised among the Jews. They were practised in connection with the construction of the tabernacle and the temple (
Exodus 31:2, 5;
35:33;
1 Kings 6:18, 35;
Psalm 74:6), as well as in the ornamentation of the priestly dresses (
Exodus 28:9-36;
Zechariah 3:9;
2 Chronicles 2:7, 14). Isaiah (
44:13-17) gives a minute description of the process of carving idols of wood.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To cut.
2. (v. t.) To cut, as wood, stone, or other material, in an artistic or decorative manner; to sculpture; to engrave.
3. (v. t.) To make or shape by cutting, sculpturing, or engraving; to form; as, to carve a name on a tree.
4. (v. t.) To cut into small pieces or slices, as meat at table; to divide for distribution or apportionment; to apportion.
5. (v. t.) To cut: to hew; to mark as if by cutting.
6. (v. t.) To take or make, as by cutting; to provide.
7. (v. t.) To lay out; to contrive; to design; to plan.
8. (v. i.) To exercise the trade of a sculptor or carver; to engrave or cut figures.
9. (v. i.) To cut up meat; as, to carve for all the guests.
10. (n.) A carucate.
Strong's Hebrew
2707. chaqah -- to cut in,carve... 2706, 2707. chaqah. 2708 . to cut in,
carve. Transliteration: chaqah Phonetic
Spelling: (khaw-kaw') Short Definition: carved. Word Origin a prim.
...7049b. qala -- tocarve
... qala. 7050 . tocarve. Transliteration: qala Short Definition: carved. Word Origin
a prim. root Definition tocarve NASB Word Usage carved (3)....
7049. qala' -- to sling, hurl forth
... 7048, 7049. qala'. 7049a . to sling, hurl forth. Transliteration: qala' Phonetic
Spelling: (kaw-lah') Short Definition:carve.carve, sling out...
2672. chatsab -- to hew, hew out, cleave
... Or chatseb {khaw-tsabe'}; a primitive root; to cut orcarve (wood), stone or other
material); by implication, to hew, split, square, quarry, engrave -- cut, dig...
6458. pasal -- to hew, hew into shape
... cut (5). grave, hew. A primitive root; tocarve, whether wood or stone --
grave, hew. 6457, 6458. pasal. 6459 . Strong's Numbers.
2404. chatab -- to cut or gather wood
... cut down, hewer, polish. A primitive root; to chop orcarve wood -- cut down,
hew(-er), polish. 2403b, 2404. chatab. 2405 . Strong's Numbers.
6605. pathach -- to open
... A primitive root; to open wide (literally or figuratively); specifically, to loosen,
begin, plough,carve -- appear, break forth, draw (out), let go free, (en...
2710. chaqaq -- to cut in, inscribe, decree
... root Definition to cut in, inscribe, decree NASB Word Usagecarve (1), commanders
(2), decree (1), decreed (1), enact (1), inscribe (2), inscribed (3...
6087. atsab -- to hurt, pain, grieve
... A primitive root; properly, tocarve, ie Fabricate or fashion; hence (in a bad sense)
to worry, pain or anger -- displease, grieve, hurt, make, be sorry, vex...
3799. katham -- to be stained
... mark. A primitive root; properly, tocarve or engrave, ie (by implication) to inscribe
indelibly -- mark. 3798, 3799. katham. 3800 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
Authority and the Adventurer
... to the philosopher than the fact that having hands he does next to nothing with
them; does not play knuckle-bones or the violin; does notcarve marble orcarve...
The Messenger
... Why do wecarve at all, if not to show how we appear to the world or the world
appears to us?... "But they do notcarve that way," she protested....
Of Predestination
... And as the astronomers do cut andcarve in their imagination cycles, orbs, and
epicycles in the heavens, because of the various and different appearances and...
Christ
... weight of years. The tears of sympathy grooved his cheeks, as when streams
carve their way down mountain sides. Because of this...
Kept from Iniquity
... you will soon fall into a bog. If you try tocarve for yourself, you will
probably cut your own fingers. He who thinks that he can...
Book ix. On Jerusalem and Her Enemies
... I think, because of the two testaments or because of the two teachings about loving
God and neighbor; in Exodus: and the Lord said to Moses, "Carve two stone...
The Attack on the Scriptures
... 'Who can build like these Greeks?' they will have said. 'Who cancarve
such beautiful statues, or paint such beautiful pictures?...
Introductory Note to Clement of Alexandria
... dissecting-table. They cut andcarve with anatomical display, and use the
microscope with scientific skill; but, oh! how frequently...
Christian Meekness
... The meek-spirited Christian saith thus: Let God do what he will with me,
let himcarve out what condition he please, I will submit....
Idols not to be Made, Much Less Worshipped. Idols and Idol-Makers...
... to knowledge, shall find no help from them." But Isaiah [183] says, "Ye are witnesses
whether there is a God except Me." "And they who mould andcarve out at...
Thesaurus
Carve (1 Occurrence)... 3. (vt) To make or shape by cutting, sculpturing, or engraving; to form; as, to
carve a name on a tree.
... Multi-Version Concordance
Carve (1 Occurrence).
...Quarries (4 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 7:5 Psalm 78:58 Isaiah 10:10 Micah 5:13, etc.) and is a plural form
of pecel, "graven image" (Exodus 20:4, etc.), from pacal, "tocarve." It occurs...
Grave (128 Occurrences)
... 6. (superl.) Slow and solemn in movement. 7. (n.) To dig. [Obs.] Chaucer. 8. (n.)
Tocarve or cut, as letters or figures, on some hard substance; to engrave....
Engrave (8 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) Tocarve in some surface as wood, stone, or metal;
as, to engrave an inscription. 2. (vt) To cut in; to make by incision....
Carved (36 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) ofCarve. Multi-Version Concordance Carved
(36 Occurrences). Leviticus 26:1 Ye shall make yourselves...
Lawgiver (7 Occurrences)
... The primary meaning of the verb from which mechoqeq is derived is "to cut," "to
carve," and a derived meaning is "to ordain." The meaning of the participle...
Worship (332 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 19:23 the King James Version has "served," the Revised Version (British and
American) "worship." `atsabh, "carve," "fabricate," "fashion," is once given...
Fin
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) Tocarve or cut up, as a chub. 2. (n.) End;
conclusion; object. 3. (n.) An organ of a fish, consisting...
Plaster (13 Occurrences)
... The ancients preferred plastered surfaces for decorating, and even the finest granite
was covered with stucco on which to paint orcarve the decorations...
Cart-wheels (1 Occurrence)
Cart-wheels. Cartwheel, Cart-wheels.Carve . Multi-Version Concordance
Cart-wheels (1 Occurrence).... (BBE). Cartwheel, Cart-wheels.Carve . Reference
Resources
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