H6725 H6725
sign-post, marker, monument; a physical indicator used for navigation, commemoration, or identification
The term refers to markers or monuments—physical signs that communicate information. In 2 Kings 23:17, it's a gravestone marking a prophet's tomb. Jeremiah 31:21 calls for setting up road markers or guideposts to remember the way home from exile. Ezekiel 39:15 describes markers placed beside human bones found in the land. The function shifts from commemoration to navigation to identification, but the core idea remains: a visible sign communicating to those who pass by. The multilingual evidence varies—some see proper nouns (French 'Sion', German 'Zion'), while most recognize common markers or monuments.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The three contexts reveal different purposes for markers: memorial (gravestone), navigational (road signs), and identificatory (bone markers). Jeremiah's 'road markers' guide returning exiles, while Ezekiel's markers flag locations needing burial. The diversity in translations (Spanish 'monumento/señal', French debates between 'Sion' and 'marker') reflects the word's functional range. What unites them is visibility and communication—these markers tell people something important about place, memory, or presence. 3×
AR["النَّصْبُ", "عَلَامَاتٍ", "عَلَامَةً"]·ben["চিহ্ন", "স্তম্ভগুলি", "স্মারক-স্তম্ভ"]·DE["Zion", "[צינים]", "der-marker"]·EN["marker", "road-markers", "the-marker"]·FR["Sion", "[צינים]", "le-marker"]·heb["ה-ציון", "ציון", "ציונים"]·HI["चिह्न", "मील-के-पत्थर", "ह-स्मारक-स्तम्भ"]·ID["penunjuk-penunjuk-jalan", "tanda"]·IT["Sion", "[צינים]", "il-marker"]·jav["tandha", "tandhà-dalan"]·KO["그-표식은", "표지들을", "표지를"]·PT["a-lápide", "marco", "marcos"]·RU["знак", "знаки", "надгробие"]·ES["el-monumento", "señal", "señales"]·SW["alama", "alama-za-njia"]·TR["işaret", "işaret-", "yol-işaretleri"]·urd["نشان", "نشانیاں", "یادگار"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† צִיּוּן n.m. sign-post, monument (NH id. (צִיֵּין Pi. denom.); prob. from √ in orig. physical sense, v. especially Arabic صُوَّةٌ, صَوَّانٌ Syriac ܨܘܳܝܳܐ, cf. SchulthHom. Wurz. 57 Köii. 1. 154; > √ צין Buhl);—abs. צ׳, grave-stone 2 K 23:17; sign-post Ez 39:15; guide-posts, pl. צִיֻּנִים Je 31:21 (‖ תַּמְרוּרִים).