Does Acts 17:29's charagmati (χαράγματι) also mean image, or icon (eikón)?

Question

Acts 17:29 (NIV) says:

“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image (charagmati) made by human design and skill.

The greek charagmati means, according to Strong's 5480:

definition: a stamp, impress

usage: sculpture; engraving, a stamp, sign

Some people argue this is only a prohibition of making statues, and not two dimensional images, i.e. icons. Since statues are 3D objects, and made of stone, gold ,etc., while icons are painted.

But I think this is somewhat missing the point. For example I wonder if charagmati could not be used to describe coins with images on them? Because in Matthew 22:20, Jesus uses the word eikon, icon, to describe the coin (NIV):

and he asked them, 'Whose image (eikon) is this? And whose inscription?'

Is the greek charagmati related to eikon? Is so, how? Does Acts 17:29 only prohibit statues?

Answer 1

Acts 17:29 does not prohibit images or graven images. It simply teaches that God is not like anything that man could make.

Now to the specific question of the OP. There are two Greek words in view. Here I will quote the meaning as given by the standard lexicon, BDAG:

χάραγμα (charagma)

1. a mark that is engraved, etched, branded, cut, imprinted, mark, stamp, eg, Rev 13:16, 14:9, 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4.
2. an object fashioned by artistic skill involving alteration of a medium, thing formed, image, Acts 17:29.

Thus, in Acts 17:29, χάραγμα (charagma) can mean an image, whether a carved/cast statue or an engraved/stamped image.

εἰκών (eikón)

1. an object shaped to resemble the form or appearance of something, likeness, portrait, eg, Matt 22:20, Mark 12:16, Luke 20:24, Rev 13:14, 14:9, 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4
2. That which has the same form as something else (not a crafted object as in 1 above), living image, eg, 1 Cor 11:7, 15:59, 2 Cor 4:4, Col 1:15.
3. that which represents something else in terms of basic form and features, form appearance, eg, Rom 1:23, 8:29, 2 Cor 3:18, Heb 10:1, Col 3:10.

Note that the word can include a carved statue, image or an engraved/stamped image as per a coin in Matt 22:20, Mark 12:16, Luke 20:24.

It is immediately apparent that the meanings of these two words overlap. In the book of Revelation, they are held as quite distinct.

However, Paul's point in Acts 17:29 is that the true "unknown God" (Acts 17:23) is unlike anything man-made, whether cast, graven, etched, stamped, etc. That is, God is not like, and cannot be represented by any χάραγμα (charagma) whether, carved in a statue, or engraved, or stamped on a coin.