Lexical Summary sigé: Silence Original Word: σιγή Strong's Exhaustive Concordance silence. Apparently from sizo (to hiss, i.e. Hist or hush); silence -- silence. Compare siopao. see GREEK siopao NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition silence NASB Translation hush (1), silence (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4602: σιγήσιγή, σιγῆς, ἡ (from σίζω (onomatopoetic, Etym. Magn. 712, 29) i. e. to command silence by making the sound st or sch; (yet σιγή probably has no connection with σίζω, but is of European origin (cf. German schweigen); cf. Fick, Part 3:843; Curtius, § 572)), from Homer down, silence: Acts 21:40; Revelation 8:1. Topical Lexicon Scope and Occurrences The noun σιγή (silence) appears twice in the Greek New Testament: Acts 21:40 and Revelation 8:1. Both occurrences stand at pivotal moments in redemptive history, inviting reflection on the theological weight of holy quietness. Silence in the Divine Drama of Revelation 8:1 “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” The six seals that precede this verse resound with thunder, earthquakes, and cosmic upheaval. Yet the opening of the seventh seal arrests every voice—angelic and human alike. Heaven’s stillness functions as: In worship today, intentional silence echoes this heavenly pattern, underscoring reverence and sober expectation as God’s purposes unfold. Silence as Readiness to Hear (Acts 21:40) Having secured permission from the Roman commander, Paul “stood on the steps and motioned to the people for silence. When all was quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew”. Here σιγή signals ordered attentiveness, preparing the crowd for gospel proclamation. The setting—turbulent, ethnically charged Jerusalem—illustrates how godly silence can calm hostility and create space for truth. Silence and Old Testament Anticipation The Old Testament repeatedly links silence with submission and hope: Such verses forecast both the heavenly hush of Revelation 8 and the evangelistic quiet Paul secured in Acts 21. Themes and Ministry Significance 1. Reverent Worship Silence is not emptiness; it is the creature’s fitting response to incomparable majesty. Congregational liturgies that include moments of quiet imitate the heavenly order and cultivate awe. 2. Spiritual Discernment Elijah heard the “gentle whisper” on Horeb (1 Kings 19:12). Likewise, believers attune their hearts to God’s voice by withdrawing from noise (Isaiah 30:15). σιγή reminds the church that revelation often follows restraint. 3. Judgment and Warning Heaven’s silence precedes intensified wrath in Revelation 8. The hush testifies that divine patience has an appointed end (Romans 2:4-5). Preachers may employ measured pauses to convey the gravity of coming judgment. 4. Evangelistic Strategy Paul’s gesture-induced σιγή transformed a riotous mob into an audience for the gospel (Acts 22:1-21). Christian leaders today still secure attention—sometimes by quiet presence rather than louder argumentation. 5. Pastoral Care and Counsel Job’s friends were at their best when “they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him” (Job 2:13). Wise shepherds know when silence comforts more than speech. Practical Applications • Incorporate silent intervals in corporate prayer, allowing intercession to rise “like incense” (Revelation 8:4). Summary Whether halting heavenly choirs before the final trumpet or stilling a hostile crowd so the gospel can be heard, σιγή frames decisive movements in God’s plan. Holy silence is never mere absence of sound; it is the poised expectancy of faith, the platform from which God’s Word proceeds in power and from which His judgments roll forth in righteousness. Forms and Transliterations σιγη σιγή σιγὴ σιγης σιγής σιγῆς sige sigē sigḕ siges sigês sigēs sigē̂sLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Acts 21:40 N-GFSGRK: πολλῆς δὲ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν NAS: and when there was a great hush, he spoke KJV: a great silence, he spake INT: great moreover silence having taken place he spoke to [them] Revelation 8:1 N-NFS |
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