Picture
The umbrella collects scattered references where the older English "picture" stands for figured stones, carved imagery, and similes for the well-spoken word. UPDV's wording renders these mostly as "figured stone," "figured stones," "pleasant imagery," or — in the Proverbs case — a comparison to apples of gold in silver network. Two of the four references occur in laws against idol-imagery; one is a prophetic indictment of luxury imagery; one is a simile for fitly chosen speech.
Forbidden Figured Stones
The first occurrence appears in the Levitical opening of the holiness laws, prohibiting Israel from manufacturing or installing carved imagery for worship:
"You⁺ will not make yourselves idols, neither will you⁺ rear yourselves up a graven image, or a pillar, neither will you⁺ place any figured stone in your⁺ land, to bow down to it: for I am Yahweh your⁺ God." (Le 26:1).
The same prohibition appears as a positive command in the conquest instructions of Numbers, where Israel is to remove every existing pagan image found in the land:
"then you⁺ will drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you⁺, and destroy all their figured [stones], and destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places:" (Nu 33:52).
In both verses the figured stone is paired with graven image, molten image, pillar, and high place — the standard inventory of forbidden worship apparatus.
Pleasant Imagery in Isaiah's Indictment
Isaiah names "pleasant imagery" alongside ships of Tarshish in a catalog of human pride that the day of Yahweh will bring low:
"and on all the ships of Tarshish, and on all pleasant imagery." (Isa 2:16).
The phrase is grouped with luxuries and high things that fall under judgment in Isaiah 2.
A Word Fitly Spoken
The fourth reference is a Proverb's simile, pairing visible craftsmanship with a verbal one:
"A word fitly spoken Is [like] apples of gold in network of silver." (Pr 25:11).
The likeness compares well-chosen speech to a finely worked image — ornament made with intention.