What does מִכְשׁוֹל (mikĕšwōl) mean in the Bible?
מִכְשׁוֹל (mikĕšwōl): Obstacle that causes moral or spiritual ruin; often denotes idolatry or sin-inducing enticement, not mere difficulty.
Hebrew · H4383
מִכְשׁוֹל
A stumbling-block , literally or figuratively ( obstacle , enticement (specifically an idol), scruple )
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מִכְשׁוֹל H4383
Pronunciation mikĕšwōl
What does מִכְשׁוֹל (mikĕšwōl) mean in the Bible?
מִכְשׁוֹל (mikĕšwōl): Obstacle that causes moral or spiritual ruin; often denotes idolatry or sin-inducing enticement, not mere difficulty.
Full entry for מִכְשׁוֹל (H4383) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4383?
The BSB source-word alignment has 14 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include a stumbling block (3), stumbling block (2), stumbling blocks (2), can make them stumble (1), downfall (1).
Where does מִכְשׁוֹל (mikĕšwōl) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 19:14. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (8), Isaiah (2), 1 Samuel (1), Jeremiah (1).
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 a stumbling block 3× Leviticus 19:14, Ezekiel 3:20, Ezekiel 44:12
stumbling block 2× Ezekiel 14:4, Ezekiel 14:7
stumbling blocks 2× Jeremiah 6:21, Ezekiel 14:3
can make them stumble 1× Psalms 119:165
downfall 1× Ezekiel 18:30
every obstacle 1× Isaiah 57:14
may stumble 1× Ezekiel 21:15
of offense 1× Isaiah 8:14
or guilt 1× 1 Samuel 25:31
the stumbling block 1× Ezekiel 7:19
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 19:14 מִכְשֹׁ֑ל to a stumbling block Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 25:31 וּלְמִכְשׁ֨וֹל to or guilt Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct Psalms 119:165 מִכְשֽׁוֹל׃ to can make them stumble Noun - masculine singular Isaiah 8:14 מִכְשׁ֜וֹל to of offense Noun - masculine singular Isaiah 57:14 מִכְשׁ֖וֹל to every obstacle Noun - masculine singular Jeremiah 6:21 מִכְשֹׁלִ֑ים to stumbling blocks Noun - masculine plural Ezekiel 3:20 מִכְשׁ֛וֹל to a stumbling block Noun - masculine singular Ezekiel 7:19 מִכְשׁ֥וֹל to the stumbling block Noun - masculine singular construct Ezekiel 14:3 וּמִכְשׁ֣וֹל to stumbling blocks Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Ezekiel 14:4 וּמִכְשׁ֤וֹל to stumbling block Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Leviticus 19:14
Aligned rows 14
Books represented 6
Leviticus 1 1 Samuel 1 Psalms 1 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 8
Source forms
וּמִכְשׁ֣וֹל 2x ū·miḵ·šō·wl Ezekiel 14:3, Ezekiel 14:7
הַמִּכְשֹׁלִ֔ים 1x ham·miḵ·šō·lîm Ezekiel 21:15
וּלְמִכְשׁ֨וֹל 1x ū·lə·miḵ·šō·wl 1 Samuel 25:31
וּמִכְשׁ֤וֹל 1x ū·miḵ·šō·wl Ezekiel 14:4
לְמִכְשׁ֖וֹל 1x lə·miḵ·šō·wl Ezekiel 18:30
לְמִכְשׁ֣וֹל 1x lə·miḵ·šō·wl Ezekiel 44:12
מִכְשׁ֜וֹל 1x miḵ·šō·wl Isaiah 8:14
מִכְשׁ֖וֹל 1x miḵ·šō·wl Isaiah 57:14
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 5x Leviticus 19:14, Psalms 119:165, Isaiah 8:14, Isaiah 57:14
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct 3x Ezekiel 14:3, Ezekiel 14:4, Ezekiel 14:7
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct 2x Ezekiel 18:30, Ezekiel 44:12
Article | Noun - masculine plural 1x Ezekiel 21:15
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct 1x 1 Samuel 25:31
Noun - masculine plural 1x Jeremiah 6:21
Noun - masculine singular construct 1x Ezekiel 7:19
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Obstacle that causes moral or spiritual ruin; often denotes idolatry or sin-inducing enticement, not mere difficulty.
Source Gloss
a stumbling-block , literally or figuratively ( obstacle , enticement (specifically an idol), scruple )
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Obstacle that causes moral or spiritual ruin; often denotes idolatry or sin-inducing enticement, not mere difficulty.
a stumbling-block, literally or figuratively (obstacle, enticement (specifically an idol), scruple) BDB: a stumbling Usage: caused to fall, offence, × (no-) thing offered, ruin, stumbling-block.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
מִכְשׁוֹל is built from this root:
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