Wonders and Portents

[פָּלָא71] vb. denom. Niph. etc., be surpassing, extraordinary (cf. Gerber 212);— Niph. Pf. 3 fs. נִפְלָאת ψ 118:23 (Ges§ 44 f); נִפְלְאַ֫תָה 2 S 1:26 (Köi. 610 f., 614 Ges§ 7500); 3 pl. נִפְלְאוּ Pr 30:18; Impf. יִפָּלֵא Dt 17:8 + 6 times; Pt. mpl. נִפְלָאִים ψ 139:14; fs. נִפְלֵאת Dt 30:11; pl. נִפְלָאוֹת Jos 3:5 +; sf. נִפְלְאֹתַי Ex 3:20, etc.;— †1. be beyond one’s power, difficult to do, לעשׂות 2 S 13:2; בְּעֵינֵי פ׳ Zc 8:6(×2); c. מן pers. too difficult for Dt 30:11, for י׳ Gn 18:14 (J) Je 32:17, 27. †2. be difficult to understand; c. מן pers. too difficult for ψ 131:1; Pr 30:18; Jb 42:3, to decide Dt 17:8. Especially †3. a. be extraordinary, wonderful, 2 S 1:26 ψ 119:18; of God’s acts, נ׳ בְּעֵינֵינוּ 118:23, cf. 139:14. b. Pt. as subst. marvellous things Jb 37:14 (acts of God), Dn 11:36 (presumptuous words); as adv. wondrously Jb 37:5; Dn 8:24. 4. נִפְלָאוֹת = wonderful acts of י׳ in judgment and redemption, Ex 3:20 (J) Ju 6:13; Je 21:2 1 Ch 16:9, 24 ψ 9:2; 26:7 + 15 times ψψ; also עשׂה נ׳ Ex 34:10; Jos 3:5 (J) Jb 5:9 = 9:10, + 9 times Chr ψψ; הראה נ׳ Mi 7:15 ψ 78:11. †Pi. Inf. cstr. לְפַלֵּא נֶדֶר make a special votive offering, Lv 22:21 Nu 15:3, 8 (P). Hiph. Pf. 3 ms. הִפְלִיא ψ 31:22; 2 Ch 26:15; הִפְלִא Is 28:29; וְהִפְלָא consec. Dt 28:59 (Ges§ 7500); Impf. יַפְלִא Lv 27:2; Nu 6:2; Inf. abs. הַפְלֵא Is 29:14; 2 Ch 2:8; cstr. הַפְלִיא Is 29:14; Jo 2:26; Pt. מַפְלִא Ju 13:19;— 1. do a hard or difficult thing: הפ׳ (לִנְדֹּר) נֶדֶר make a hard vow Lv 27:2; Nu 6:2 (cf. Pi.). 2. make wonderful, do wondrously: of God, הפ׳ מַכּוֹת make plagues wonderful (exceptional), Dt 28:59; הפ׳ עֵצָה Is 28:29 make counsel wondrous, 29:14 do wonderfully with people, + הַפְלֵא וָפֶלֶא; עשׂה עמכם לה׳ Jo 2:26 dealt with you doing wondrously; הפ׳ חַסְדּוֹ לִי ψ 31:22; הפ׳ לְהֵעָזֵר 2 Ch 26:15 did marvellously in receiving help; of the temple גָּדוֹל וְהַפְלֵא 2 Ch 2:8 (KöSynt. § 318 e). 3. of God, מַפְלִא לעשׂות Ju 13:19 working wonders in doing. †Hithp. Impf. תִּתְפַּלָּא בִי Jb 10:16 thou dost shew thyself marvellous (act inexplicably) against me.

† מוֹפֵת n.m. Dt 29:2 wonder, sign, portent (= מֹאפֵת)—מוֹפֵת Ex 7:9 + 14 times; מוֹפֶתְכֶם Ez 12:11; מוֹפְתִים Dt 4:34 + 4 times; מֹפְתִים Dt 6:22 + 9 times; מוֹפְתַי Ex 7:3; 11:9; מוֹפְתָיו ψ 78:43; מֹפְתָיו 1 Ch 16:12 ψ 105:5— 1. wonder, as special display of God’s power Ex 7:3; 11:9 ψ 105:5 1 Ch 16:12 Jo 3:3; by Moses and Aaron Ex 4:21; 11:10 cf. 7:9 (in mouth of Pharaoh), by false proph. Dt 13:2, 3 (‖ אות); usually ‖ אות Dt 4:34; 6:22; 7:19; 26:8; 29:2; 34:11 ψ 78:43; 105:27; 135:9 Je 32:20, 21 Ne 9:10; applied to effect of Yahweh’s curse Dt 28:46 (‖ אות); to one protected by י׳ ψ 71:7. 2. sign or token of future event (cf. אוֹת) 1 K 13:3(×2), 5 2 Ch 32:24, 31; symbolic act Is 20:3 (‖ אות); as such the term is applied to persons Is 8:18 (‖ אות) Ez 12:6, 11; 24:24, 27; cf. אַנְשֵׁי מ׳ Zc 3:8 men who serve as a symbol or sign.—Vb. used, of divine act, is נתן Ex 7:9 etc., שׂים Je 32:20; שׂים also of entrusting to human power Ex 4:21, cf. דִּבֶּר 1 K 13:3; of human agency עשׂה Ex 4:21; 11:10, נתן 1 K 13:3, 5.

τέρας, τό: genitive Epic dialect αος (not in Refs 8th c.BC+, Ionic dialect εος Refs 5th c.BC+: plural, nominative Epic dialect τέραα Refs 8th c.BC+, Ionic dialect τέρεα Refs 5th c.BC+; genitive Epic dialect τεράων Refs 8th c.BC+; dative Epic dialect τεράεσσι LXX+8th c.BC+; genitive singular τέρως variant in Refs 8th c.BC+:— sign, wonder, marvel, portent, ἡμῖν μὲν τόδ᾽ ἔφηνε τ. Ζεύς Refs 8th c.BC+; ᾐτέομεν δὲ θεὸν φῆναι τ. Refs 8th c.BC+; Ζεὺς δ᾽ Ἔριδα προΐαλλε.., πολέμοιοτ. μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχουσαν a sign of coming battle, Refs 8th c.BC+; especially of signs in heaven, ἀστέρα ἧκε Κρόνου πάϊς.., ναύτῃσι τRefs; and with passive Verbs, τ. φανήτω Refs 8th c.BC+:—so always when the first syllable is lengthened, NT+8th c.BC+ __II in concrete sense, monster, Διὸς τ. αἰγιόχοιο, of the Refs 8th c.BC+; of a serpent, Refs; δάϊον τ., of Typhoeus, Refs 4th c.BC+; ἀπρόσμαχον τ., of Cerberus, Refs 5th c.BC+; οὔρειον τ., of the Sphinx, Refs 5th c.BC+; ταῦρον, ἄγριον τ. Refs 4th c.BC+; used by Cicero of Caesar, Refs __II.2 monstrous birth, monstrosity, Refs 5th c.BC+; ὡς ἔθρεψεν ἔκπαγλον τ. Refs 4th c.BC+ __III in colloquial language, τέρας λέγεις καὶ θαυμαστόν Refs 5th c.BC+; 'a marvel' of a cup, Refs 3rd c.BC+: plural, of incredible statements, Refs 1st c.BC+

† פֶּלֶא n.m. wonder (NH id.; as unusual, extraordinary);—פ׳ Ex 15:11 + 6 times; sf. פִּלְאֲךָ ψ 89:6; פִּלְאֶ֑ךָ 77:12; 88:13; pl. פְּלָאִים La 1:9; fpl. פְּלָאוֹת ψ 119:129 Dn 12:6;— 1. wonder: extraordinary, hard to be understood, God’s dealings with His people Is 29:14; the testimonies of the Law ψ 119:129; פֶּלֶא יוֹעֵץ Is 9:5 marvel of a counsellor (Baer פֵּלֶא), wonderful counsellor (of Mess. king); pl. as adv. acc. וַתֵּרֶד פ׳ La 1:9 she (Jerus.) hath come down marvellously. 2. wonder: of God’s acts of judgment and redemption ψ 77:12; 88:13; 89:6; עשׂה פ׳ Ex 15:11; Is 25:1 ψ 77:15; 78:12; 88:11; of extraord. trials קֵץ הפ׳ Dn 12:6.

† [תְּמַהּ] n.m. wonder, as wrought by God (𝔗 Syriac; cf. BH [תָּמַהּ]);—pl. abs. תִּמְהִין Dn 6:28; emph. תִּמְהַיָּא 3:32, pl. sf. תִּמְה֫וֹהִי v 33.

θαῦμα, ατος, τό, Ionic dialect θῶμα (compare θαυμάζω): (see. θεάομαι): __I of objects, wonder, marvel, in Epic dialect always in singular, Refs 8th c.BC+; θαῦμ᾽ ἐτέτυκτο πελώριον, of Polyphemus, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἄσπετόν τι θ., of Hercules, Refs 5th c.BC+infinitive, θ. ἰδέσθαι a wonder to behold, Refs 8th c.BC+; θαῦμ᾽ ὅτι.. strange that.., Refs 3rd c.BC+; οὐ θαῦμά [ἐστι] no wonder, Refs 5th c.BC+; so καὶ θ. γ᾽ οὐδέν and no wonder, Refs 5th c.BC+; τί τοῦτο θ.; Refs 8th c.BC+; τινος Refs 8th c.BC+; θαυμάτων κρείσσονα or πέρα things more than wondrous, Refs __I.2 in plural, also, puppetshow, toy theatre, θ. δεικνύναι, ἐπιδεικνύναι, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐν θ. Refs 4th c.BC+; mountebank-gambols, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐν τοῖς θ. ὑπεκρίνετο μίμους in the jugglers' booths, Refs 2nd c.AD+; of menageries, Refs 5th c.BC+; of mechanical devices, Refs 4th c.BC+: singular, puppet, Refs 5th c.BC+; trick, τὸ τῆς σοφιστικῆς δυνάμεως θ. Refs __II wonder, astonishment, θ. μ᾽ ἔχει ὡς.. Refs 8th c.BC+; ἔσχον θ. Refs 5th c.BC+; μ᾽ ἐλάμβανε θ. Refs 5th c.BC+; θαύματος ἄξιος worthy of wonder, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐν θώματι εἶναι to be astonished, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐν θώματι ἔχεσθαι, ἐνέχεσθαι, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐν θ. ἐνέχεσθαί τινος at a thing, Refs 5th c.BC+

θαυμάσι-ος [ᾰ], α, ον, Ionic dialect θωμ-, rarely ος, ον Refs 2nd c.AD+:— wonderful, marvellous, ὄσσα Refs 8th c.BC+; θωμάσια wonders, marvels, Refs: superlative -ώτατα Refs 5th c.BC+; ἧττον θαυμαστά, καίπερ ὄντα θαυμάσια less admired, though admirable, Refs 1st c.AD+: with infinitive, τέρας θ. προσιδέσθαι Refs 5th c.BC+; οὐ θ. [ἐστι] with infinitive, Refs 5th c.BC+; θ. τοῦ κάλλους marvellous for beauty, Refs 5th c.BC+ exceedingly, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ -ώτατον what is most wonderful, Refs 1st c.BC+ __2 adverb -ίως wonderfully, i.e. exceedingly, Refs 5th c.BC+ marvellously wretched, Refs 5th c.BC+; θ. ἂν ὡς ηὐλαβούμην I should be wonderfully cautious, Refs 4th c.BC+ __3 disposed to wonder, in adverb, ὧν οὐ -ίως γ᾽ ἔχουσι Refs 5th c.BC+ __II admirable, excellent, with slight irony, Refs 5th c.BC+; ὦ -ώτατε ἄνθρωπε, in scorn, Refs 5th c.BC+ __III θ. καὶ ἄλογον strange and absurd, Refs 5th c.BC+; θαυμάσια.. ἐργαζομένους behaving in an extraordinary manner, Refs