Original Word: תִּמוּנָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tmuwnah
Pronunciation: teh-moo-NAH
Phonetic Spelling: (tem-oo-naw')
KJV: image, likeness, similitude
NASB: form, likeness
Word Origin: [from H4327 (מִין - kind)]

1. something portioned (i.e. fashioned) out, as a shape, i.e. (indefinitely) phantom, or (specifically) embodiment, or (figuratively) manifestation (of favor)

image, likeness, similitude

Or tmunah {tem-oo-naw'}; from miyn; something portioned (i.e. Fashioned) out, as a shape, i.e. (indefinitely) phantom, or (specifically) embodiment, or (figuratively) manifestation (of favor) -- image, likeness, similitude.

see HEBREW miyn

Word Origin
from the same as min
Definition
likeness, form
NASB Translation
form (7), likeness (3).

תְּמוּנָה noun feminine likeness, form; — ׳ת Exodus 20:4 4t.; construct תְּמוּנַת (תְּמֻנַת) Deuteronomy 4:16 3t.; suffix תְּמוּנָתֶ֑ךָ Psalm 17:15; — likeness, representation ("" מֶּסֶל) Exodus 20:4 = Deuteronomy 5:8, compare Deuteronomy 4:16,23,25; form, semblance of ׳י Numbers 12:8; Psalm 17:15, compare Deuteronomy 4:12 (see Dr), Deuteronomy 4:15; of nocturnal apparition Job 4:16.

מֵינֶ֫קֶת see ינק

Hiph`il

מיסך see [ מוּסָךְ] below סכך.

מֵיפַ֫עַת, מֵפָ֑עַת, מופעת see יפע.

[מיץ] (√ following = press, squeeze, compare Late Hebrew id., press, suck; Arabic (medial ו) is wash Gently, rub with the hand).

Concept Overview

תִּמוּנָה (temunah) denotes an external shape, form or representation perceived by the eye or reproduced by human hands. In Scripture its usage oscillates between the tangible image forbidden to Israel and an intangible apprehension of God reserved for the faithful. The tension between those poles provides a rich window into biblical theology of revelation, worship and eschatology.

Canonical Distribution and Literary Context

The word occurs ten times:

• Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 5:8 – Decalogue prohibition
• Numbers 12:8 – Moses beholds the LORD’s form
• Deuteronomy 4:12, 4:15-16, 4:23, 4:25 – Horeb recollection and warnings
• Job 4:16 – Eliphaz’s night vision
• Psalm 17:15 – David’s hope of beholding God

Torah settings dominate (seven occurrences), underscoring the formative role of תִּמוּנָה in Israel’s covenant identity.

Divine Self-Revelation and Concealment

Deuteronomy 4:12 records, “Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but saw no form—there was only a voice.” By withholding a visible form, God declared that revelation rests on His spoken word, not on visible shape. This pedagogical concealment protected Israel from the pagan impulse to capture the deity in wood, stone or metal.

Numbers 12:8 offers the counter-balance: “I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD.” Here תִּמוּנָה signifies privileged access given to Moses the mediator. The sight is real yet bounded; even Moses does not see God’s essence (compare Exodus 33:20-23), but the narrative affirms that true knowledge of God comes by divine initiative, not human manufacture.

Guardrail Against Idolatry

Exodus 20:4 anchors the preventive thrust: “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters below.” Deuteronomy 4 elaborates the warning, repeating that any carved תִּמוּנָה—whether human, animal, sun, moon or stars—violates covenant fidelity. By proscribing visible representations, the law severed Israel from the surrounding cultures whose gods were embodied in images. The command recognizes humanity’s creative gifts yet sets parameters: artistry is blessed (e.g., the cherubim on the ark) when directed by God, cursed when it supplants Him.

Wisdom and Prophetic Resonance

Job 4:16 shows the word’s psychological dimension. Eliphaz recalls, “It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form was before my eyes.” The elusive תִּמוּנָה mirrors Job’s crisis: revelation is shrouded, perception partial, interpretation perilous. Similarly, prophetic visions often describe forms that defy fixed representation, reminding readers that God transcends image while graciously accommodating human senses.

Eschatological Hope

Psalm 17:15 elevates the concept from prohibition to promise: “As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied with Your presence.” David anticipates direct sight of God’s תִּמוּנָה in resurrection or vindication. The verse projects the hope later clarified in 1 John 3:2—“we shall see Him as He is”—and fulfilled in the incarnate Christ, “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).

Christological Fulfillment

While the Old Testament restrains visible depictions of God, the New Testament proclaims that in Jesus Christ “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14). The eternal, formless God takes on form, not fashioned by human hands but conceived by the Spirit. Christ satisfies the longing implicit in Psalm 17:15 and validates the Mosaic safeguards: humanity must not construct God’s image; God Himself provides it.

Applied Ministry Considerations

1. Worship Purity: Churches must guard against allowing art or media to displace the primacy of Scripture and the preached Word. Visual aids can instruct but never embody deity.
2. The Sufficiency of Revelation: God’s withholding of a visible form at Sinai and His granting of one in Christ both affirm that revelation comes on God’s terms. Pastors and teachers should cultivate reverence for what God has disclosed and humility toward what remains veiled.
3. Spiritual Formation: Believers, like David, orient their hope toward the consummate vision of God. This eschatological perspective fosters perseverance and purity (1 John 3:3).
4. Evangelism within Iconic Cultures: The biblical stance on images provides a counter-cultural critique of material representations of the divine, opening conversations about the uniqueness of the Christian message.

Related Terms and Concepts

• פֶּסֶל (pesel) – carved idol; outward object of false worship
• צֶלֶם (tselem) – image; used both negatively (idolatry) and positively (imago Dei, Genesis 1:26)
• דְּמוּת (demuth) – likeness; paired with tselem in Genesis 1:26 and Isaiah 40:18

Across Scripture תִּמוּנָה functions as a theological hinge: cautioning against self-made representations while foreshadowing the God-given revelation in Christ. In proclamation and discipleship, it calls the Church to upheld the unseen yet ever-present Lord until faith gives way to sight.

וּתְמֻנַ֥ת וּתְמוּנָ֛ה ותמונה ותמנת תְּ֭מוּנָה תְּמ֣וּנַת תְּמוּנַ֣ת תְּמוּנָ֔֡ה תְּמוּנָ֔ה תְּמוּנָ֡֔ה תְּמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ תמונה תמונת תמונתך׃ tə·mū·nā·ṯe·ḵā tə·mū·nāh tə·mū·naṯ temuNah təmūnāh temuNat təmūnaṯ temunaTecha təmūnāṯeḵā ū·ṯə·mū·nāh ū·ṯə·mu·naṯ utemuNah ūṯəmūnāh utemuNat ūṯəmunaṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts