WG: Sign / Token / Wonder¶
Overview¶
The "sign" concept in Hebrew Scripture involves five words spanning the semantic range from divine signals to physical banners. The core word ʼowth (H226) functions as the broadest term, with mowpheth (H4159) emphasizing the spectacular dimension, nes (H5251) the physical/visible marker, and ʼath (H852) serving as the Aramaic equivalent.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H226 | אוֹת | ʼowth | f. noun | 77 | Core term: sign as communicative signal | H226-owth.md |
| H4159 | מוֹפֵת | mowpheth | m. noun | 35 | The spectacular dimension: wonder, prodigy | TODO(need H4159 study) |
| H5251 | נֵס | nes | m. noun | 20 | Physical signal: banner, standard, flagstaff | TODO(need H5251 study) |
| H852 | אָת | ʼath | f. noun | 3 | Aramaic cognate of ʼowth: portent, sign | TODO(need H852 study) |
| H6725 | צִיּוּן | tsiyuwn | m. noun | 3 | Waymark, monument: physical landmark sign | TODO(need H6725 study) |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- ʼowth (H226) and ʼath (H852) — cognates across Hebrew and Aramaic
- mowpheth (H4159) and tsiyuwn (H6725) — both derive from roots with the sense of "conspicuousness"
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| ʼowth (H226) | mowpheth (H4159) | 18x | "signs and wonders" — fixed formula for God's mighty acts (Exo 7:3, Deu 4:34, 6:22, 26:8, 34:11, Neh 9:10, Jer 32:20-21) |
The remaining pairs (H226+H5251, H226+H852, etc.) show 0 co-occurrences — these words occupy distinct contexts and do not appear together in the same verse.
LXX Overlaps¶
| Hebrew Words | Shared Greek Target | Co-occ Counts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ʼowth + mowpheth + nes | all → σημεῖον (G4592) | 72, 22, 9 | Greek conflates three distinct Hebrew terms into one |
| ʼowth + mowpheth | both → τέρας (G5059) | 17, 32 | "wonders" — mowpheth is the primary Hebrew source |
Roles in the Concept¶
- Communicative signal: ʼowth (אוֹת) — the broadest term; any visible sign that points beyond itself (covenant marks, miracles, prophecy confirmations, celestial markers)
- Spectacular prodigy: mowpheth (מוֹפֵת) — emphasizes the awe-inspiring, conspicuous nature; frequently paired with ʼowth as "signs and wonders"
- Physical banner/standard: nes (נֵס) — a raised signal visible from a distance; military and rallying contexts
- Aramaic portent: ʼath (אָת) — Aramaic equivalent of ʼowth, appearing only in Daniel
- Waymark/monument: tsiyuwn (צִיּוּן) — a heap or pillar marking a route or grave; the most concrete/physical member
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Exo 7:3 — "multiply my signs (ʼowth) and my wonders (mowpheth) in the land of Egypt"
- Deu 4:34 — "by signs (ʼowth), and by wonders (mowpheth), and by war, and by a mighty hand"
- Deu 6:22 — "the LORD shewed signs (ʼowth) and wonders (mowpheth), great and sore, upon Egypt"
- Deu 26:8 — "with great terribleness, and with signs (ʼowth), and with wonders (mowpheth)"
- Deu 34:11 — "in all the signs (ʼowth) and the wonders (mowpheth), which the LORD sent him to do"
- Jer 32:20 — "hast set signs (ʼowth) and wonders (mowpheth) in the land of Egypt"
The ʼowth-mowpheth pair is a stereotyped formula appearing predominantly in Exodus-Deuteronomy recital contexts.
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py Last updated: 2026-04-15