Lexical Summary sémeion: Sign, miracle, token, indication Original Word: σημεῖον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance miracle, sign, token, wonder. Neuter of a presumed derivative of the base of semaino; an indication, especially ceremonially or supernaturally -- miracle, sign, token, wonder. see GREEK semaino HELPS Word-studies 4592 sēmeíon – a sign (typically miraculous), given especially to confirm, corroborate or authenticate. 4592 /sēmeíon ("sign") then emphasizes the end-purpose which exalts the one giving it. Accordingly, it is used dozens of times in the NT for what authenticates the Lord and His eternal purpose, especially by doing what mere man can not replicate of take credit for. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as sémainó Definition a sign NASB Translation distinguishing mark (1), miracle (2), sign (35), signs (39). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4592: σημεῖονσημεῖον, σημείου, τό (σημαίνω (or σῆμα)), from Aeschylus and Herodotus down, Hebrew אות, a sign, mark, token; 1. universally, that by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and known: Matthew 26:48; Luke 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:17; σημεῖον περιτομῆς (explanatory genitive (cf. Buttmann, § 123, 4)), equivalent to σημεῖον, ὁ ἐστι περιτομή, circumcision which should be a sign of the covenant formed with God, Romans 4:11; τά σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου, the tokens by which one is proved to be an apostle, 2 Corinthians 12:12; a sign by which anything future is pre-announced, Mark 13:4; Luke 21:7; τό σημεῖον τῆς σής παρουσίας, genitive of the object, Matthew 24:3; τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, the sign which indicates that the Messiah will shortly, or forthwith, come from heaven in visible manifestation, Matthew 24:30; with a genitive of the subjunctive τά σημεῖα τῶν καιρῶν, i. e. the indications of future events which οἱ καιροί furnish, what οἱ καιροί portend, Matthew 16:3 (T brackets WH reject the passage); a sign by which one is warned, an admonition, 1 Corinthians 14:22. used of noteworthy personages, by whom God forcibly admonishes men and indicates to them what he would have them do: thus σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον is said of Jesus Christ, Luke 2:34; Ἰωνᾶς ἐγένετο σημεῖον τοῖς Νινευίταις (Jonah 3:4), Luke 11:30; hence, τό σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ, Luke 11:29, is equivalent to τό σημεῖον like to that ὅς ἦν Ἰωνᾶς, i. e. to the sign which was given by the mission and preaching of Jonah, to prompt men to seek salvation (Winer's Grammar, 189 (177)); in the same sense, ὁ υἱός τοῦ ἀνθρώπου says that he will be a σημεῖον, to the men of his generation, Luke 11:30; but in Matthew 12:39; Matthew 16:4 τό σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ is the miraculous experience which befell Jonah himself, cf. Matthew 12:40; that Luke reproduces Christ's words more correctly than Matthew is shown by De Wette and Bleek on Matthew 12:40, by Neander, Leben Jesu, p. 265f edition 1 (English translation, (3rd edition N. Y. 1851) § 165, p. 245f), and others; (but that Luke's report is less full than Matthew's, rather than at variance with it, is shown by Meyer, Weiss, Keil, and others (on Matthew, the passage cited)). 2. a sign, prodigy, portent, i. e. an unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of nature; a. of signs portending remarkable events soon to happen: Luke 21:11, 25; Acts 2:19; Revelation 12:1, 3; Revelation 15:1. b. of miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God's: Matthew 12:38; Matthew 16:1, 4; Mark 8:11; Mark 16:17, 20; Luke 11:16, 29; Luke 23:8; John 2:11, 18, 23; John 3:2; John 4:54; John 6:2, 14, 26, 30; John 7:31; John 9:16; John 10:41; John 11:47; John 12:18, 37; John 20:30; Acts 2:22, 43; Acts 8:6; 1 Corinthians 1:22; but time power διδόναι σημεῖα, by which men are deceived, is ascribed also to false teachers, false prophets, and to demons: Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22; Revelation 13:13; Revelation 16:14; Revelation 19:20; 2 Thessalonians 2:9. σημεῖα καί τέρατα (וּמֹפְתִים אֹתות) or (yet less frequent) τέρατα καί σημεῖα (terms which differ not in substantial meaning but only in origin; cf. Fritzsche, Romans, vol. iii., p. 270f; (Trench, § xci.)) are found conjoined: Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22; John 4:48; Acts 2:19, 43; Acts 4:30; Acts 5:12; Acts 6:8; Acts 7:36; Acts 14:3; Acts 15:12; Romans 15:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:9, (Deuteronomy 28:46; Deuteronomy 34:11; Nehemiah 9:10; Isaiah 8:18; Isaiah 20:3; Jeremiah 39:20 In the New Testament σῆμεῖον stands at the intersection of God’s self-revelation and human perception. Whether describing an unmistakable miracle, a prophetic marker, or an identifying token, the word gathers together manifestations in which the invisible purposes of God are made visible to faith. The seventy-seven occurrences form a coherent testimony that the living God authenticates His word, His Son, and His servants—and that every genuine sign ultimately directs the observer to the glory of Jesus Christ. Old Testament Background The Septuagint uses σῆμεῖον for Hebrew ’ôt, a “sign” that authenticates covenant promises (Genesis 9:12-17; Exodus 31:13), verifies prophetic commission (Exodus 4:8-9), or announces eschatological deliverance (Isaiah 7:14). Thus first-century Jews naturally expected Messiah to be accompanied by heaven-sent σημεῖα (John 6:30). The New Testament writers build on this background, showing Jesus as the climactic fulfillment of every earlier sign. Signs in the Ministry of Jesus 1. Public authentication John organizes his Gospel around selected “signs” that reveal Jesus’ messianic glory (John 2:11; 4:54; 20:30-31). Each miracle is more than a display of power; it functions as a theological pointer to His identity as the Christ, the Son of God. 2. Compassion joined to revelation Multitudes “followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick” (John 6:2). The same acts that alleviated human suffering also demanded a response of faith (John 7:31). 3. The crisis of unbelief Religious leaders repeatedly demanded further signs (Matthew 12:38; 16:1; John 2:18). Jesus exposed this as hardness of heart, not lack of evidence, declaring, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 12:39). The Sign of Jonah Jonah’s three days in the fish prefigured Christ’s burial and resurrection. By identifying His rising from the dead as the decisive σῆμεῖον, Jesus shifted attention from spectacular wonders to the gospel event itself. The resurrection remains the definitive, irrepeatable validation of His claims (Romans 1:4). The Sign of the Son of Man Eschatologically, “the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven” (Matthew 24:30). Whether understood as the visible glory that surrounds His return or as the very appearance of Christ Himself, this future σῆμεῖον will compel universal acknowledgment and usher in judgment. Signs and Wonders in Acts The risen Christ continues His ministry through the Spirit-empowered Church: • Pentecost: “I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below” (Acts 2:19). These passages reveal σημεῖα as divine accreditation of gospel proclamation, never ends in themselves. Apostolic Credentials Paul appeals to “the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders, and miracles” (2 Corinthians 12:12). The unusual concentration of such manifestations in the apostolic era authenticated foundational revelation (Hebrews 2:4) and laid the groundwork for the inscripturated New Testament. Signs Requested by Jews “Jews demand signs” (1 Corinthians 1:22). While God met this desire through Christ’s miracles, Paul insists that the ultimate sign is “Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23). Thus the cross replaces temporary wonders with the permanent power of God. Circumcision as a Covenant Sign Paul calls circumcision “a sign” (Romans 4:11) that sealed Abraham’s faith-righteousness. Here σῆμεῖον functions not as miracle but as symbolic token, reminding readers that outward rites must correspond to inward belief. Tongues as a Sign “Tongues are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers” (1 Corinthians 14:22). In the Corinthian context, xenolalic speech operated as a judicial indicator to the unconverted Jewish mind, echoing Isaiah’s warning of foreign lips (Isaiah 28:11-12). Eschatological and Deceptive Signs Revelation depicts both true and counterfeit σημεῖα: • True: “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun” (Revelation 12:1). Thus discernment is essential; miracles by themselves do not guarantee divine origin (Mark 13:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:9). Pastoral Implications 1. Faith anchored in Scripture and the risen Christ guards against sensationalism. Conclusion Strong’s 4592 portrays a God who graciously punctuates history with visible realities that corroborate His word, climaxing in the resurrection and anticipated in the return of Christ. Every true σῆμεῖον—past, present, or future—serves this singular purpose: “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). Englishman's Concordance Matthew 12:38 N-ANSGRK: ἀπὸ σοῦ σημεῖον ἰδεῖν NAS: we want to see a sign from You. KJV: we would see a sign from thee. INT: from you a sign to see Matthew 12:39 N-ANS Matthew 12:39 N-NNS Matthew 12:39 N-ANS Matthew 16:1 N-ANS Matthew 16:3 N-ANP Matthew 16:4 N-ANS Matthew 16:4 N-NNS Matthew 16:4 N-NNS Matthew 24:3 N-NNS Matthew 24:24 N-ANP Matthew 24:30 N-NNS Matthew 26:48 N-ANS Mark 8:11 N-ANS Mark 8:12 N-ANS Mark 8:12 N-ANS Mark 13:4 N-NNS Mark 13:22 N-ANP Mark 16:17 N-NNP Mark 16:20 N-GNP Luke 2:12 N-NNS Luke 2:34 N-ANS Luke 11:16 N-ANS Luke 11:29 N-ANS Luke 11:29 N-NNS Strong's Greek 4592 |
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