What does εἴδωλον (eídōlon) mean in the Bible?
eidolon names an idol, an image or false object of worship. The New Testament treats idols with both theological clarity and pastoral seriousness.
Greek · G1497
εἴδωλον
Idol
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εἴδωλον G1497
Pronunciation eídōlon
What does εἴδωλον (eídōlon) mean in the Bible?
eidolon names an idol, an image or false object of worship. The New Testament treats idols with both theological clarity and pastoral seriousness.
Reader summary
Full entry for εἴδωλον (G1497) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1497?
The BSB source-word alignment has 11 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include idols (4), an idol (2), [and] idols (1), by idols (1), idol (1).
Where does εἴδωλον (eídōlon) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Acts 7:41. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (4), Acts (2), 1 John (1), 1 Thessalonians (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Eidolon names an idol, an image or false object of worship. The New Testament treats idols with both theological clarity and pastoral seriousness. Paul can say an idol is nothing in itself because there is no God but one, yet he can also warn that idolatrous meals involve spiritual danger and compromised fellowship. Acts remembers Israel rejoicing in the works of their hands, while Acts 15 calls Gentile believers away from idol pollution.
First Thessalonians 1:9 presents conversion as turning from idols to serve the living and true God. First John closes with a tender warning to keep away from idols. The word therefore does not only describe ancient statues. It names created substitutes that receive trust, service, fear, or love that belong to God.
lexical_rangeCanonical synthesisPastoral application
How the Bible Uses It
The selected passages move from handmade idol worship, to Gentile separation from idol pollution, to Paul's careful distinction between an idol's non-divinity and idolatry's real danger, to conversion and final pastoral warning.
- Acts.7.41
At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.
Stephen recalls Israel making a calf, sacrificing to the idol, and rejoicing in the works of their hands. eidolon is tied to worship misdirected toward human-made religion.
- Acts.15.20
Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.
The Jerusalem decision asks Gentile believers to abstain from idol pollution. The concern includes worship, fellowship, and the public holiness of a mixed Jew-Gentile church.
- 1Cor.8.4
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.
Paul says an idol is nothing in the world and that there is no God but one. This verse gives theological clarity against fear of idols as rival gods.
- 1Cor.10.19
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?
Paul repeats that the idol is not anything, but the surrounding argument warns against fellowship with demonic powers. Correct doctrine about idols must not become careless practice.
- 1Thess.1.9
For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God
The Thessalonians' conversion is described as turning from idols to serve the living and true God. Idolatry is replaced by living service to the true God.
- 1John.5.21
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
John's closing command, keep yourselves from idols, gives a pastoral boundary to believers who confess the true God and eternal life in His Son.
Old Testament background
In the LXX, εἴδωλον most commonly translates אֱלִיל (H457), the Hebrew word for 'worthless thing' or 'nothingness,' which is used polemically for idols. It also translates other Hebrew terms for carved images and foreign gods. The LXX's choice to render idol-vocabulary with a term connected to εἴδω (to see, to appear) suggests an understanding of the idol as a mere appearance - something that looks like a god but has no substance. The NT inherits this polemical LXX vocabulary.
Passage contextBook context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It idols 4× Romans 2:22, 1 Corinthians 12:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 1 John 5:21
an idol 2× 1 Corinthians 8:4, 1 Corinthians 10:19
[and] idols 1× 2 Corinthians 6:16
by idols 1× Acts 15:20
idol 1× Acts 7:41
idols of 1× Revelation 9:20
to idols 1× 1 Corinthians 8:7
Show sample aligned rows
Acts 7:41 εἰδώλῳ to idol Noun - Dative Neuter Singular Acts 15:20 εἰδώλων to by idols Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural Romans 2:22 εἴδωλα to idols Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural 1 Corinthians 8:4 εἴδωλον to an idol Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular 1 Corinthians 8:7 εἰδώλου to to idols Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular 1 Corinthians 10:19 εἴδωλόν to an idol Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular 1 Corinthians 12:2 εἴδωλα to idols Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural 2 Corinthians 6:16 εἰδώλων to [and] idols Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural 1 Thessalonians 1:9 εἰδώλων to idols Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural 1 John 5:21 εἰδώλων to idols Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Acts 7:41
Aligned rows 11
Books represented 7
Acts 2 Romans 1 1 Corinthians 4 2 Corinthians 1 1 Thessalonians 1 1 John 1 Revelation 1
Source forms
εἰδώλων 4x eidōlōn Acts 15:20, 2 Corinthians 6:16, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 1 John 5:21
εἴδωλα 3x eidōla Romans 2:22, 1 Corinthians 12:2, Revelation 9:20
εἴδωλον 1x eidōlon 1 Corinthians 8:4
εἴδωλόν 1x eidōlon 1 Corinthians 10:19
εἰδώλου 1x eidōlou 1 Corinthians 8:7
εἰδώλῳ 1x eidōlō Acts 7:41
Parsing patterns
Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural 4x Acts 15:20, 2 Corinthians 6:16, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 1 John 5:21
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural 3x Romans 2:22, 1 Corinthians 12:2, Revelation 9:20
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular 2x 1 Corinthians 8:4, 1 Corinthians 10:19
Noun - Dative Neuter Singular 1x Acts 7:41
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular 1x 1 Corinthians 8:7
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Name modern idol patterns by misplaced trust and service, not by rhetorical shock value.
- Help readers turn toward the living God, not merely feel guilty about attachments.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that idols possess true divine existence.
- Do not claim that idolatry is harmless because an idol is nothing in itself.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. An idol is both the physical image and the false god it represents, conflating object with deity.
Strong's G1497
Lexical occurrences 11 verses Greek text appearances 11 times Word forms 5 forms 11 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link 1 John 5:18-21 Source Gloss
idol
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
11 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Acts 7:41 Noun Dative Singular Neuter
εἰδώλῳ, eidwlw
an idol, false god
Read verse Acts 15:20 Noun Genitive Plural Neuter
εἰδώλων eidwlwn
an idol, false god
Read verse Romans 2:22 Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
εἴδωλα, eidwla
an idol, false god
Read verse 1 Corinthians 8:4 Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
εἴδωλον eidwlon
an idol, false god
Read verse 1 Corinthians 8:7 Noun Genitive Singular Neuter
εἰδώλου eidwlou
an idol, false god
Read verse 1 Corinthians 10:19 Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
εἴδωλόν eidwlon
an idol, false god
Read verse 1 Corinthians 12:2 Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
εἴδωλα eidwla
an idol, false god
Read verse 2 Corinthians 6:16 Noun Genitive Plural Neuter
εἰδώλων; eidwlwn
an idol, false god
Read verse 1 Thessalonians 1:9 Noun Genitive Plural Neuter
εἰδώλων, eidwlwn
an idol, false god
Read verse 1 John 5:21 Noun Genitive Plural Neuter
εἰδώλων. eidwlwn
an idol, false god
Read verse Revelation 9:20 Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
εἴδωλα eidwla
an idol, false god
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 5 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 5 Aligned forms 11 Case pattern Genitive (5) Number pattern Plural (7)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · Neuter 1 Cor 8:4 · 1 Cor 10:19 2×
Genitive · Plural · Neuter Acts 15:20 · 2 Cor 6:16 · 1 Thess 1:9 · 1 John 5:21 4×
Genitive · Singular · Neuter 1 Cor 8:7 1×
Dative · Singular · Neuter Acts 7:41 1×
Accusative · Plural · Neuter Rom 2:22 · 1 Cor 12:2 · Rev 9:20 3×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
False representations or substitutes for God.
Additional Occurrences
1-john Idols eídōlon
false representation or substitute deity
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 11 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
εἴδωλον is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Represents any rival allegiance that displaces devotion to the true God. 1 John 5:18-21
The letter ends with a warning that any substitute for the true God undermines authentic faith.
Canonical Themes
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Eidolon exposes the foolishness and danger of worshiping what is not God. Acts 7 shows Israel rejoicing in the works of their hands, which is the tragic reversal of worship: makers bow before what they have made. Paul teaches that an idol has no true divine existence, because there is one God. Yet he also refuses to let that truth become casual participation in idolatrous fellowship.
Acts 15 and 1 Corinthians 10 both recognize that idolatry creates real communal and spiritual compromise. First Thessalonians 1:9 gives the positive movement: the gospel turns people from idols to serve the living and true God. First John closes with the same pastoral sobriety. The word presses modern readers beyond statues to the deeper question of what receives service, allegiance, fear, and hope that belong to God alone.
Anchor passage
1Thess.1.9
Doctrinal connections
- G2936 Ktizo, to create: idolatry exchanges the Creator for created things.
- G2316 Theos, God: idol passages depend on the confession that there is no God but one.
- G3000 Latreuo, to serve or worship: conversion from idols is conversion into service of the living God.
- G1140 Daimonion, demon: 1 Corinthians 10 distinguishes idol non-existence from demonic danger around idolatrous worship.
- G1494 Eidolothuton, food sacrificed to idols: the related food category requires careful conscience and fellowship handling.
- G2198 Zao, to live: 1 Thessalonians contrasts dead idols with the living and true God.
Eidolon refers to an idol or image treated as an object of worship. The word itself does not require that the object has real divine power. New Testament context distinguishes the object, the worship practice, the social setting, and the spiritual powers that may be involved around idolatry.
From Old to New Testament
The prophets mock idols as works of human hands and call Israel back to the living Lord. The New Testament continues that polemic while applying it to Gentile conversion, church fellowship, conscience, and loyalty to the true God revealed in Christ.
Canonical synthesisPastoral application
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain