H4541 — מַסֵּכָה (maççêkâh)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H4541
Original: מַסֵּכָה
Transliteration: maççêkâh
Pronunciation: mas-say-kaw
Part of Speech: Feminine noun
Occurrences: 29 tokens in 28 unique verses across 14 books
First Occurrence: Exo 32:4
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

A noun whose core sense is something poured or cast, especially a molten image. The lexicon also preserves side senses such as covering, vail, or league, but the dominant biblical usage is an image formed by casting metal.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
molten	6	21.4%
molten images	4	14.3%
the molten image	4	14.3%
and a molten image	3	10.7%
other renderings	11	39.3%

The dominant usage is plainly idolatrous, though Isaiah preserves a smaller semantic branch in the sense of covering/vail.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Nahum	1	2.1
Habakkuk	1	1.8
Judges	5	0.8
Hosea	1	0.5
2 Chronicles	3	0.4
Isaiah	5	0.4
Deuteronomy	3	0.3
Exodus	3	0.2

The word is anchored by the golden-calf complex, later idol narratives, and prophetic anti-idol polemic.

Semantic Categories¶

1. The golden calf and molten gods¶

Exo 32:4 — Aaron makes a molten calf.
Exo 32:8 — Israel quickly turns aside and worships the molten calf.
Deu 9:16 — Moses recalls the same molten-calf apostasy.

2. Paired with graven-image language¶

Deu 27:15 — "graven or molten image."
Isa 30:22 — coverings of graven images and ornaments of molten images.
Hab 2:18 — graven image and molten image appear side by side.

3. Installed cult objects in Israel's apostasy¶

Jdg 17:3-4 — Micah's mother commissions a graven and molten image.
1Ki 14:9 — Jeroboam makes molten images.
2Ki 17:16 — the northern kingdom makes two molten calves.
2Ch 28:2 — Ahaz makes molten images for Baalim.

4. Secondary non-idol sense: covering/vail¶

Isa 25:7 — a covering cast over all people.
Isa 28:20 — covering in a domestic metaphor.
Isa 30:1 — a covenant/covering nuance in rebellious counsel.

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
אֱלֹהִים	H430	11x	false gods / theological frame
פֶּסֶל	H6459	8x	carved image paired with molten image
עֵגֶל	H5695	7x	calf imagery dominates the apostasy cluster
יְהֹוָה	H3068	8x	sin committed against YHWH
פְּסִיל	H6456	4x	related carved-image vocabulary

Synonyms / Nearby Terms¶

H6459 פֶּסֶל (pecel) — graven image; most common paired term.
H6456 פְּסִיל (pᵉciyl) — carved image, same carved-idol family.
H457 אֱלִיל (eliyl) — worthless idol; emphasizes emptiness rather than fabrication method.
H8655 תְּרָפִים (teraphim) — household idols; narrower object type.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
פֶּסֶל	H6459	image/idol pairing	carved or hewn image rather than cast metal
פְּסִיל	H6456	carved/graven image	same root family as pecel, not cast-metal focused
יָצַק	H3332	molten / poured	verb of pouring/casting rather than the finished idol object

Semantic Domains¶

search_relationships.py places H4541 in the image/cult-object domain and also confirms the secondary covering/association branch preserved in Isaiah. The image/cult-object domain is the dominant branch for study purposes.

LXX Mapping¶

Greek Equivalent	Strong's	Co-occ	Note
εἴδωλον	G1497	6	standard idol term
μόσχος	G3448	5	calf imagery in golden-calf contexts
προσκυνέω	G4352	3	worship response around the object
ποιέω	G4160	19	fabrication contexts