G4602 — σιγή (sigē)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G4602
Original: σιγή
Transliteration: sigē
Pronunciation: see-gay'
Part of Speech: Feminine noun
Root: σίζω (sizō) — to hiss, hist, or hush
Occurrences: 2 in NT
First Occurrence: Acts 21:40 — "Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence…"
Hapax Legomenon: No (also Rev 8:1)

Lexicon Definition¶

From σίζω (sizō), meaning to hiss, hist, or hush; silence — a cessation of sound, the state of being still and not speaking.

KJV usage: silence (2×)

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain: 33 — Communication
Subdomain: 033.008 — Keep Silent
Other words in domain: ἐπιστομίζω (G1993), ἡσυχάζω (G2270), ἡσυχία (G2271), σιγάω (G4601), σιωπάω (G4623), στόμα (G4750), φιμόω (G5392), φράσσω (G5420)

UBS Semantic Domains¶

Code	Domain Label	Notes
033	Communication	`search_relationships.py` keeps sigē inside the communication field, highlighting silence as the suspension of speech or noise rather than a separate ontological state.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
silence	2	100%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Acts	1	0.1
Revelation	1	0.2

Both occurrences are in narrative (one historical, one visionary), separated by author. The word is absent from epistles, gospels, and the LXX corpus — it is a distinctly NT Greek literary term.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Commanded Silence for Listening (Acts)¶

A crowd is hushed so a speaker can be heard — the silence is earned, sudden, and purposeful.

Acts 21:40 — "And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence (σιγή), he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue."

Pattern: σιγή + γίνομαι ("great silence came/was made") — the noun is used adjectivally in a genitive construction emphasizing the totality of the hush.

2. Cosmic/Eschatological Silence (Revelation)¶

Heaven itself becomes silent at the opening of the seventh seal — a pregnant pause before the final judgments.

Rev 8:1 — "And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence (σιγή) in heaven about the space of half an hour."

Pattern: σιγή + ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ — the silence is localized in heaven and defined by duration (ἡμιώριον, "half an hour"), suggesting it is a deliberate, expectant, and solemn pause.

Common Collocations¶

No strong content-word collocations (only 2 verses). The two most theologically notable co-occurrences:

Word	Strong's	Co-occ	Pattern
οὐρανός (heaven)	G3772	1×	"silence in heaven" — Rev 8:1
σφραγίς (seal)	G4973	1×	7th seal opened → silence — Rev 8:1

Word Family / Cognates¶

G4601 σιγάω (sigaō) — verb form: to keep silence, hold one's peace (3× NT: Luke 9:36; Acts 15:12; 1 Cor 14:28, 30, 34). The verb is more frequent than the noun.

Synonyms¶

No direct synonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G4602.

Antonyms¶

No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G4602.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared KJV Translation	Key Difference
ἡσυχία (hēsychía)	G2271	"silence"	ἡσυχία = peaceful stillness, tranquility, quietude; σιγή = cessation of noise/speech
σιωπάω (siōpaō)	G4623	"hold his peace"	σιωπάω = refuse to speak, be speechless (often emotional restraint); σιγή = the state of silence achieved
φιμόω (phimoō)	G5392	—	φιμόω = to muzzle, silence by force; σιγή = the result (the silence itself), not the act

Domain Neighbors (LN 033.008 — Keep Silent)¶

Strong's	Lemma	Total vv	Primary KJV	Key Difference
G4601	σιγάω	3	held their peace	Cognate verb; voluntary / commanded hush
G2271	ἡσυχία	4	silence, quietness	Tranquil stillness; peaceful rest (also G2272 adj.)
G4623	σιωπάω	5	held his peace	Speechlessness; often involuntary or emotional
G5392	φιμόω	6	Hold thy peace	Forcible silencing; muzzle
G2270	ἡσυχάζω	4	held their peace	To rest, settle down, cease activity
G1993	ἐπιστομίζω	2	mouths stopped	Stop the mouth; rebuke into silence
G5420	φράσσω	2	stopped	Close up, shut fast (mouths or arguments)

Hebrew Source¶

No LXX attestation found. σιγή does not appear in the Septuagint; it is a classical Greek literary term adopted by NT authors. The LXX uses different terms for silence (e.g., dᵉmāmāh H1827 → ἡσυχία; dāmam H1826 → σιωπάω context).