אוֹת H0226
Sign, miraculous portent, covenant token, or tribal standard; a visible marker conveying divine meaning or group identity.
Hebrew 'ot is one of Scripture's most versatile words for divine communication through visible phenomena. It ranges from the mark on Cain (Gen 4:15) to the plagues of Egypt to the promised sign of Immanuel (Isa 7:14). Spanish 'señal' and German 'Zeichen' both cover this broad field, though neither captures the theological weight the word carries in covenantal contexts — the rainbow (Gen 9:12), circumcision (Gen 17:11), and the Sabbath all serve as 'ot. The word reminds us that in biblical thought, signs are never arbitrary; they are divinely invested with meaning and demand a response of faith.
Senses
1. sign, miraculous sign — A visible sign, portent, or miraculous act serving as evidence of divine power or prophetic authenticity. This is the dominant sense, covering everything from the plagues of Egypt (Exod 4:8-9) to prophetic confirmations (1 Sam 10:7) to the sign promised to Ahaz (Isa 7:14). In all four major European translations — English 'sign,' Spanish 'señal,' French 'signe,' German 'Zeichen' — the same core word is used, reflecting the universality of the concept. The emphasis is on divine communication: God makes himself known through visible, often extraordinary, acts. 71×
AR["آيَةً", "الآيَةُ", "الآيَةِ", "الْآيَةُ", "الْعَلَامَةُ", "عَلامَةً", "عَلامَةٌ", "عَلامَةَ", "عَلَامَةً"]·ben["একটি-চিহ্ন", "চিহ্ন", "চিহ্ন-", "চিহ্নের"]·DE["Zeichen", "der-Zeichen", "ein-Zeichen"]·EN["a-sign", "is-the-sign", "sign", "the-sign"]·FR["[אות]", "le-signe", "signe", "un-signe"]·heb["אות", "ה-אות"]·HI["आवाज़", "चिनह", "चिन्ह", "चिह्न"]·ID["tanda"]·IT["il-segno", "segno", "un-segno"]·jav["pratandha", "tanda", "tandha"]·KO["그-표적이", "그-표징", "그-표징이", "그-표징이다", "표적-을", "표적을", "표적이나", "표지요", "표징", "표징으로", "표징을", "표징이냐", "표징이다", "표징이라"]·PT["o-sinal", "sinal", "um-sinal"]·RU["-знамение", "знак", "знаком", "знамение", "знамением", "знамения"]·ES["la-señal", "señal", "señal-de"]·SW["alama", "ishara", "ishara-ya"]·TR["belirti", "isaret", "isareti", "işaret", "işaret-", "işareti", "işaretin", "onu"]·urd["-نشانی", "نشان", "نشانی", "نشانی-کی"]
2. token, covenant mark — A token, pledge, or distinguishing mark that memorializes a covenant or agreement between God and his people. The rainbow after the flood (Gen 9:12-17), the rite of circumcision (Gen 17:11), and the blood of the Passover lamb (Exod 12:13) are all called 'ot in this sense. French 'signe de' and German 'zum Zeichen' both use prepositional constructions that highlight the relational, commemorative function. Unlike sense 1, the emphasis is not on the miraculous but on the enduring, memorial quality of the sign. 6×
AR["عَلَامَةً", "عَلَامَةُ", "لِ-آيَةٍ", "لِ-عَلَامَةِ", "لِآيَةٍ"]·ben["-চিহ্ন-হিসাবে", "চিহ্ন-", "চিহ্ন-রূপে", "চিহ্ন-হিসেবে"]·DE["Zeichen", "das-Zeichen-", "zum-Zeichen"]·EN["for-sign", "for-sign-of", "sign-of-"]·FR["pour-signe-de", "signe", "signe-de-"]·heb["אות", "ל-אות"]·HI["चिनह-", "चिनह-के-लिये", "चिह्न-के-लिए", "चिह्नके-लिए", "निशन-के-लिये"]·ID["menjadi-tanda", "sebagai-tanda", "tanda", "untuk-tanda"]·IT["per-segno-di", "segno", "segno-di-"]·jav["dados-tandha", "kangge-pratandha", "kangge-tandha", "pratandha"]·KO["에-표징", "표적으로-", "표지요", "표징", "표징으로-"]·PT["para-sinal", "para-sinal-de", "sinal-de"]·RU["в-знак", "в-знамение", "знаком", "знамение-"]·ES["como-señal", "para-señal-de", "por-señal-de", "señal-de-"]·SW["alama-ya", "ishara-ya", "kwa-alama-ya", "kwa-ishara", "kwa-ishara-ya-"]·TR["isaret-", "isaret-icin", "işaret-olarak", "işareti-"]·urd["نشانی", "نشانی-کے-طور-پر", "نشانی-کے-لیے"]
3. standard, ensign, banner — A military or tribal standard, ensign, or banner used for identification and rallying. This rare sense appears in Ps 74:4 where enemies set up their 'signs' (standards) in the temple precincts, and possibly in Job 21:29 referring to travelers' tokens or markers. The multilingual evidence shows uncertainty here — French and German sometimes leave the Hebrew transliterated — suggesting translators recognize this as a distinct and difficult sense. The shift from divine sign to human insignia is notable. 2×
AR["عَلاماتِهِمْ", "وَ-آيَاتِهِمْ"]·ben["এবং-তাদের-সাক্ষ্য", "তাদের-চিহ্নগুলো"]·DE["[ואתתם]", "ihr-Zeichen"]·EN["and-their-signs", "their-signs"]·FR["[אותתם]", "et-leur-ואתתם-eux"]·heb["אותותם", "ו-אותותם"]·HI["और-उनके-चिह्न"]·ID["dan-tanda-tanda-mereka", "tanda-tanda-mereka"]·IT["e-e-loro-signs-loro", "segno"]·jav["lan-tandha-tandhanipun", "tandha-ipun"]·KO["그들-의-깃발들-을", "그리고-그들의-표지들을"]·PT["e-seus-sinais", "seus-sinais"]·RU["знаки-свои", "и-знаки-их"]·ES["Y-sus-señales", "sus-señales"]·SW["ishara-zao", "na-ishara-zao"]·TR["işaretlerini-onların", "ve-işaretlerini"]·urd["اور-نشانیاں-اُن-کی", "اپنے-نشان"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
אוֹת n.m.79 Ex 4:8 (f. Jos 24:17) sign (Arabic آيَة, pl. آىٌ, Aramaic אָתָא, ܐܳܬܳܐ )—א׳ Gn 4:15 +; cstr. 9:12 +; pl. אוֹתוֹת Ex 4:9 + etc.— 1. sign, pledge, token Gn 4:15 (J); אוֹת אֱמֶת true token Jos 2:12 (J); of blood of passover Ex 12:13 (P); אוֹת לְטוֹבָה token for good ψ 86:17; pledges, assurances of travellers Jb 21:29. 2. signs, omens promised by prophets as pledges of certain predicted…