Lexical Summary
oth: Sign, token, mark, miracle
Original Word:אוֹת
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:owth
Pronunciation:[ōth]
Phonetic Spelling:(oth)
KJV: mark, miracle, (en-)sign, token
NASB:sign, signs, banners, omens, pledge, standards, witness
Word Origin:[probably fromH225 (אוּת - consent) (in the sense of appearing)]
1. a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
mark, miracle, ensign
Probably from'uwth (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc. -- mark, miracle, (en-)sign, token.
see HEBREW'uwth
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
avahDefinitiona sign
NASB Translationbanners (1), omens (1), pledge (1), sign (43), signs (30), standards (1), witness (1), wondrous (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
79Exodus 4:8 (
Joshua 24:17) sign (Arabic
, plural
, Aramaic ,
) —
Genesis 4:15 +; construct
Genesis 9:12 +; plural
Exodus 4:9 #NAME?
sign, pledge, tokenGenesis 4:15 (J);true, tokenJoshua 2:12 (J); of blood of passoverExodus 12:13 (P);token for goodPsalm 86:17;pledges, assurances of travellersJob 21:29.
signs, omens promised by prophets as pledges of certain predicted events1 Samuel 10:7,9 +1 Samuel 10:1 where insert , see We Dr; especially phraseExodus 3:12;1 Samuel 2:34;1 Samuel 14:10;2 Kings 19:29;Jeremiah 44:29;Isaiah 7:11,14; probably alsoIsaiah 44:25 (of false prophets).
sign, symbol of prophetsIsaiah 8:18 compareEzekiel 4:3.
signs, miracles, as pledges or attestations of divine presence & interpositionExodus 4:8 (twice in verse);Exodus 4:9 (J)Exodus 7:3 (P)Exodus 8:19 (J)Psalm 74:9;2 Kings 19:29;2 Kings 20:8,9 =Isaiah 37:30;Isaiah 38:7,22; withExodus 4:17,30;Numbers 14:11,22;Joshua 24:17 (all J E)Deuteronomy 11:3;Judges 6:17; withExodus 4:28 (J); withExodus 10:1 (J); withExodus 10:2 (J)Psalm 78:43;Isaiah 66:19; (see )Deuteronomy 13:3; compareDeuteronomy 28:46;Isaiah 20:3;Deuteronomy 13:2;Deuteronomy 4:34;Deuteronomy 7:19;Deuteronomy 26:8;Deuteronomy 29:2;Jeremiah 32:31; withDeuteronomy 6:22;Nehemiah 9:10; withJeremiah 32:20;Psalm 105:27; withDeuteronomy 34:11;Psalm 135:9.
signs, memorials, stones from JordanJoshua 4:6 (J); metal of censersNumbers 17:3 (P); Aaron's rodNumbers 17:25 (P);Isaiah 55:13 probably alsoEzekiel 14:8 ("" ); signs on hands, etc.,Exodus 13:9,16 (J) =Deuteronomy 6:8;Deuteronomy 11:18, probably belong here; also memorial pillar in EgyptIsaiah 19:20.
sign, pledge of convenant, (see )e.g. rainbow, of Noachian convenantGenesis 9:12,13,17 (P); circumcision, of Abrahamic convenantGenesis 17:11 (P); the sabbathExodus 31:13,17 (P);Ezekiel 20:12,20.
ensigns, standardsNumbers 2:2 (P)Psalm 74:4.
signs, tokens of changes of weather & timesGenesis 1:14 (P; of heavenly luminaries)Jeremiah 10:2 (changes of the heavens as omens to frighten the nations) comparePsalm 65:9.
Topical Lexicon
Concept and Range of Useאוֹת designates an observable indicator by which God communicates, authenticates or memorializes truth. The eighty-minus-one Old Testament occurrences span visible marks placed on individuals, celestial phenomena, covenant emblems, military banners, prophetic portents and miraculous acts. In every setting the sign is God-initiated, God-interpreted and God-directed toward faith, obedience and remembrance.
Signs Embedded in Creation
The first mention anchors the theme in the created order: “let them be signs to mark seasons and days and years” (Genesis 1:14). The sun, moon and stars therefore function not merely as physical lights but as divinely appointed timekeepers and heralds of God’s governance over history. Later prophetic texts draw upon this precedent when heavenly disturbances proclaim judgment or restoration (Joel 2:30–31;Isaiah 13:10).
Protective and Judicial Marks
The earliest personal sign is the gracious mark placed on Cain, both restraining further bloodshed and testifying to divine justice (Genesis 4:15). A similar dynamic appears inExodus 12:13, where the blood on Israelite doorposts becomes “a sign” sparing the firstborn, foreshadowing the ultimate Passover in the Lamb of God.
Covenant Confirmations
1. Noahic: “I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant” (Genesis 9:12-17). Every appearance of the bow reaffirms God’s sworn restraint of universal flood.
2. Abrahamic: “You are to circumcise… and this will be a sign of the covenant” (Genesis 17:11). The physical mark in the flesh continually reminds the descendants of Abraham of election and promise.
3. Mosaic:
• Passover blood (Exodus 12:13).
• Feast of Unleavened Bread bound “as a sign on your hand” (Exodus 13:9, 16;Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18).
• Sabbath: “This will be a sign between Me and you… so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you” (Exodus 31:13, 17;Ezekiel 20:12, 20).
These covenantal signs emphasize remembrance, identity and ongoing consecration.
Miraculous Signs in Redemptive History
When God calls Moses, He equips him with signs to validate the message: the staff-serpent, the leprous hand, and water turned to blood (Exodus 4:1-9, 17). The ensuing plagues are repeatedly called “signs” (Exodus 7:3;Numbers 14:11;Nehemiah 9:10;Psalm 78:43; 135:9), underscoring that each wonder confronts Egyptian deities and convinces Israel. Throughout Israel’s journey, signs authenticate leadership (Numbers 16:38), mark judgment (Numbers 26:10), and protect the faithful (Joshua 4:6-7;Joshua 24:31).
Authentication of Prophets and Messages
Deuteronomy 13:1-3 warns that even a dreamer who predicts a sign must be judged by fidelity to revealed truth, demonstrating that the sign serves Scripture, not vice-versa. Genuine prophetic ministries receive confirmatory signs:
• Samuel gives Saul three successive signs to assure him of God’s call (1 Samuel 10:1-9).
• In the time of Isaiah, Hezekiah receives the retrograde shadow as “a sign from the LORD” of extended life (Isaiah 38:7-8, 22).
• Isaiah himself and his children are “signs and symbols in Israel” (Isaiah 8:18).
• Ezekiel’s symbolic actions—brick warfare, rationed food, muteness—are called signs to the house of Israel (Ezekiel 4:3; 24:24, 27).
Thus אוֹת validates a true messenger, illustrates the content of revelation and calls hearers to repentance.
Signs in National and Royal Experience
Banners identifying tribal encampments (Numbers 2:2) remind Israel of ordered community under Yahweh. Military deliverance becomes a sign of divine favor, as when David prays, “Give us aid against the foe… That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand and answer us!” (implied contextPsalm 60; cf.Psalm 86:17). In royal courts, defeat of Assyria is confirmed by a sign of agricultural recovery (Isaiah 37:30).
Messianic and Eschatological Signs
The climactic Old Testament promise isIsaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.” The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ fulfill and surpass every previous sign, as the New Testament term σημεῖον repeatedly affirms (Matthew 12:38-40;John 2:11). Yet Old Testament prophecy also looks forward to cosmic signs that accompany the Day of the Lord (Joel 2:30-31) and the ingathering of nations (Isaiah 11:10, using synonyms yet rooted in the same conceptual field).
Liturgical and Sacramental Dimensions
The Old Testament signs anticipate and shape Christian ordinances. Passover becomes the Lord’s Supper; circumcision of the flesh yields to circumcision of the heart displayed in baptism (Colossians 2:11-12); the Sabbath anticipates the rest found in Christ (Hebrews 4:9-10). Each New Covenant practice operates as an אוֹת—visible, God-ordained, theologically loaded.
Pastoral and Evangelistic Applications
1. Encourage faith: Like Gideon’s fleece, believers may seek confirmation, yet Scripture’s completed canon stands as the ultimate sign (Luke 16:31).
2. Guard against deception: The presence of a sign never overrides doctrine; discernment remains tethered to the whole counsel of God.
3. Cultivate remembrance: Families can follow Joshua’s stone memorial by establishing tangible reminders of God’s acts, fostering intergenerational discipleship (Joshua 4:6-7).
4. Proclaim the gospel: The rainbow assures common grace, and Immanuel proclaims saving grace; both equip witness to a skeptical world.
Summary
אוֹת weaves through Scripture as a divinely authored pointer—backward to creation, forward to consummation, inward to covenant identity and outward to global testimony. Whether etched on the flesh, arcing across the heavens, or enacted in prophetic drama, each sign magnifies the Lord’s sovereignty, faithfulness and redemptive purpose, calling every generation to trust and obey.
Forms and Transliterations
א֑וֹת א֔וֹת א֖וֹת א֗וֹת א֣וֹת א֥וֹת א֨וֹת אֹ֣תֹתַ֔י אֹֽתֹתָיו֙ אֹֽתוֹתָ֑יו אֹת֣וֹת אֹת֨וֹת אֹתֹ֨ת אֹתֹתַ֖י אֹתֹתַ֛י אֹתֹתַ֥י אֹתֽוֹת׃ אֹתוֹתָ֑יו אֽוֹתֹתֵ֗ינוּ אֽוֹת־ אוֹתֹ֣ת אוֹתֹתָ֣ם אות אות־ אותת אותתינו אותתם אתות אתות׃ אתותיו אתת אתתי אתתיו בְּאֹת֣וֹת בְּאֹתֹ֨ת בְאֹתֹת֙ באתות באתת הָ֨אֹת֜וֹת הָֽאֹת֔וֹת הָא֔וֹת הָא֖וֹת הָא֗וֹת הָאֹ֣ת הָאֹ֥ת הָאֹת֜וֹת הָאֹת֤וֹת הָאֹת֥וֹת הָאֹתֹ֖ת הָאֹתֹ֧ת הָאֹתֹֽת׃ הָאֽוֹת׃ הָאוֹת֙ האות האות׃ האת האתות האתת האתת׃ וְ֝אֹתֹתָ֗ם וְהָאֹתֹ֤ת וּבְאֹת֖וֹת וּמֵאֹת֥וֹת ואתתם ובאתות והאתת ומאתות לְא֔וֹת לְא֖וֹת לְא֜וֹת לְא֣וֹת לְא֥וֹת לְאֹ֗ת לְאֹת֥וֹת לְאֹתֹת֙ לְאוֹת֙ לאות לאת לאתות לאתת מֵאוֹתֹתֶ֑יךָ מאותתיך ’ō·ṯō·ṯāw ’ō·ṯō·ṯay ’ō·ṯō·w·ṯāw ’ō·ṯō·wṯ ’ō·ṯōṯ ’ō·w·ṯō·ṯām ’ō·w·ṯō·ṯê·nū ’ō·w·ṯōṯ ’ō·wṯ ’ō·wṯ- ’ōṯōṯ ’ōṯōṯāw ’ōṯōṯay ’ōṯōwṯ ’ōṯōwṯāw ’ōwṯ ’ōwṯ- ’ōwṯōṯ ’ōwṯōṯām ’ōwṯōṯênū bə’ōṯōṯ ḇə’ōṯōṯ bə’ōṯōwṯ bə·’ō·ṯō·wṯ bə·’ō·ṯōṯ ḇə·’ō·ṯōṯ beoTot hā’ōṯ hā’ōṯōṯ hā’ōṯōwṯ hā’ōwṯ hā·’ō·ṯō·wṯ hā·’ō·ṯōṯ hā·’ō·wṯ hā·’ōṯ haot haoTot lə’ōṯ lə’ōṯōṯ lə’ōṯōwṯ lə’ōwṯ lə·’ō·ṯō·wṯ lə·’ō·ṯōṯ lə·’ō·wṯ lə·’ōṯ leot leoTot mê’ōwṯōṯeḵā mê·’ō·w·ṯō·ṯe·ḵā meotoTeicha ot oTot otoTai otoTam otoTav otoTeinu ū·ḇə·’ō·ṯō·wṯ ū·mê·’ō·ṯō·wṯ ūḇə’ōṯōwṯ ūmê’ōṯōwṯ umeoTot uveoTot vehaoTot veoTot veotoTam wə’ōṯōṯām wə·’ō·ṯō·ṯām wə·hā·’ō·ṯōṯ wəhā’ōṯōṯ
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