אוֹת
sign
‘sign’ is one of 2 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Absolute-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Gender
- Both
- Attested as both masculine and feminine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
1 verse where H226 appears in the Construct state in the Book of Jeremiah. Filtered view — show all forms. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Jeremiah
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
At its core, אות (ʼôwth) means “sign.” Scripture first uses it in Genesis 1:14. It turns up in 77 verses across 14 books, a moderately common footprint. Carrying more than one sense, it rewards its full sense range. It shares a root with אות, אתה and את. Each statement above links to its evidence; the full detail follows below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H226 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 77
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 77 distinct verses.
- 14 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 14 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #506
- by frequency
- Top 1000 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 506 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 77 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Exodus 15 verses 19%
- Deuteronomy 12 verses 16%
- Isaiah 11 verses 14%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 77 distinct verses.
- Torah (Pentateuch) 38 verses · 49%
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 30 verses · 39%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 9 verses · 12%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Signs 20×, Sign 11×, Shall be a sign 6×
- American Standard Version: Signs 23×, Sign 10×, Shall be the sign 7×
- Berean Standard Bible: Sign 26×, Signs 26×, Will be a sign 7×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Signs 30×, Sign 26×, Sign of 6×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H226 across 79 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 18 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H226 across 80 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 24 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H226 across 78 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 10 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H226 across 80 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 5 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
8 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 8 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
- 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. e.g. Genesis 4:15
- 2. signs, omens promised by prophets as pledges of certain predicted events 1 S 10:7, 9 + v 1 where א׳ ins. 𝔊 𝔙, vid. We Dr; especially phr. זֶה הָאוֹת לְ Ex 3:12; 1 S 2:34; 14:10; 2 K 19:29; Je 44:29; Is 7:11, 14; prob. also Is 44:25 (of false proph.). e.g. 1 Samuel 10:7
- 3. sign, symbol of prophets Is 8:18 cf. Ez 4:3. e.g. Isaiah 8:18
- 4. signs, miracles, as pledges or attestations of divine presence & interposition Ex 4:8(×2), 9 (J) 7:3 (P) 8:19 (J) ψ 65:9; 74:9; 2 K 19:29; 20:8, 9 = Is 37:30; 38:7, 22; c. עָשָׂה Ex 4:17, 30; Nu 14:11, 22; Jos 24:17 (all JE) Dt 11:3; Ju 6:17; c. צִוָּה Ex 4:28 (J); c. שִׁית 10:1 (J); c. שִׂים Ex 10:2 (J) ψ 78:43; Is 66:19; הָאוֹת וְהַמּוֹפֵת (v. מוֹפֵת Dt 13:3 cf. 28:46 Is 20:3; א׳ אוֹ מ׳ Dt 13:2; אוֹתוֹת וּמוֹפְתִים Dt 4:34; 7:19; 26:8; 29:2; Je 32:21; c. נָתַן Dt 6:22; Ne 9:10; c. שִׂים Je 32:20 ψ 105:27; c. שָׁלַח Dt 34:11 ψ 135:9. e.g. Exodus 4:8
- 5. signs, memorials, stones from Jordan Jos 4:6 (J); metal of censers Nu 17:3 (P); Aaron’s rod Nu 17:25 (P); א׳ עוֹלָם Is 55:13 prob. also Ez 14:8 (‖ מָשָׁל); signs on hands, etc., Ex 13:9, 16 (J) = Dt 6:8; 11:18, prob. belong here; also memorial pillar in Egypt Is 19:20. e.g. Joshua 4:6
- 6. sign, pledge of covenant, א׳ הַבְּרִית (v. ברית) e.g. rainbow, of Noachian covenant Gn 9:12, 13, 17 (P); circumcision, of Abrahamic covenant Gn 17:11 (P); the sabbath Ex 31:13, 17 (P) Ez 20:12, 20. e.g. Genesis 9:12
- 7. ensigns, standards Nu 2:2 (P) ψ 74:4. e.g. Numbers 2:2
- 8. signs, tokens of changes of weather & times Gn 1:14 (P; of heavenly luminaries) אוֹתוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם Je 10:2 (changes of the heavens as omens to frighten the nations) cf. ψ 65:9. e.g. Genesis 1:14
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
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.—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from אות (ʼûwth) (H225) — to agree.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
אוֹת I
- to join, fit.
- (b. h.) to be suited, pleased, whence to be gratified, to enjoy. Y. Ber. III, 6ᶜ top ראה את עצמו נ׳ וכ׳ he dreamt he felt sexual gratification; Y. Yoma VII, 44ᵈ bot.; Y. Taan. I, 64ᶜ bot.—Y. Bets. I, 61ᵃ כל שנֵאותין בו בי"ט whatever you are permitted to make use of on Holy Days.—Fut. יֵאוֹת. Ber. VIII, 6 עד שיֵאוֹתוּ לאורו until being near enough to enjoy its light. Y. Ab. Zar. I, 39ᶜ top, a. e., differences as to spelling יֵאוֹתוּ or יֵעוּתוּ.—Denom. הֲנָאָה, נָאֶה, נָאוֶה, נוֹי.
אוֹת II
- c. (b. h.; v. אוי,
- 1. mark, sign, emblem; test, signal, military ensign. Ḥag. 16ᵃ (play on ואתה Deut. XXXIII, 2; cmp. foreg.) אות הוא וכ׳ He is the ensign among his myriad; v. דּוּגְמָא. M. Kat. 25ᵇ אל תזניחנו בא׳ וכ׳ forsake us not in the symbolic trial of bitter waters (in our trials). Pl. אוֹתוֹת. Kil. IX, 10 א׳ הגרדין וכ׳ the marks which the weavers &c. put on goods in their charge. B. Kam. 119ᵇ you must not buy from the dyer לא א׳ ולא דוגמות either tests (pieces cut off to test the color) or samples (as specimens of color). e.g. Deuteronomy 33:2
- 2. letter, writing, symbol. B. Bath. 15ᵃ אות אחת one letter. Sabb. 103ᵃ; a. fr.—Pl. אוֹתִיּוֹת (fr. אוֹתוּת or אוֹתִית). Kidd. 30ᵃ סופרים כל הא׳ recorded (or counted) all the letters of the Torah. Snh. X, 1 השם באוֹתִיוֹתָיו the Divine Name with the letters in which it is written (Jehovah). Kidd. 71ᵃ שם בן ארבע א׳ the quadriliteral Name; cmp. שֵׁם.—Lev. R. s. 26, beg. ח׳ א׳ eight letters. Sabb. XII, 3; a. fr.—Trnsf. notes, documents. Tosef. Kidd. I, 7; B. Bath. 75ᵇ; a. e.
אוֹת III
- v. אֵת) only with pronominal suffix
- 1. indicating the objective case, אוֹתִי me, אוֹתְךָ thee, &c.—2) with pronom., &c.
- 2. with pronom. suffix of third person, for emphasizing the subject, אוֹתוֹ he himself, this one, the same, he who &c. Gen. R. s. 2, beg. ישב לו א׳ וכ׳ the latter now sat there confounded &c. Y. Git. VI, 47ᵈ באותו ענין on this very subject (divorce). Sabb. 13ᵇ זכור אותו האיש וכ׳ may that man be remembered for good. Ber. V, 3 באוֹתָהּ שעה in that hour; a. fr.—אותו מקום euphem. for pudenda. Nidd. 47ᵇ. Git. 69ᵇ; a. e.—אותו ואת בנו the law concerning the killing of the young with its mother on the same day (Lev. XXII, 28). Ḥull. V, 1; a. fr.—Pl. אוֹתָן. Y. Meg. IV, 74ᵈ top א׳ שבפה those laws delivered orally. Keth. 4ᵃ כל א׳ הימים all those days; a. fr. [In later writings אותו האיש is freq. used for Jesus of Nazareth. e.g. Leviticus 22:28
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 54 distinct written forms H226 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H226, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Derived from this word
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 5 — not the complete family. They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 72 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 77 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 1:14
- Exodus 3:12
- Numbers 2:2
- Deuteronomy 4:34
- Joshua 2:12
- Judges 6:17
- 1 Samuel 2:34
- 2 Kings 19:29
- Job 21:29
- Psalms 65:8
- Isaiah 7:11
- Jeremiah 10:2
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
