The Forgotten Meaning of ʾṿot
The Forgotten Meaning of אוֹת
The Hebrew noun ʾṿt is generally understood to refer to a sign, frequently one that is divine or miraculous. This understanding has long informed interpretations of biblical passages and Hebrew inscriptions. The common definition, we argue, is often inapt and fails to account for many instances of t...
| Authors: | ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2026
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| In: |
Vetus Testamentum
Year: 2026, Volume: 76, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-43 |
| Further subjects: | B
Virgin Birth
B Miracles B Signs B Semantics B comparative semitic linguistics B Cain |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The Hebrew noun ʾṿt is generally understood to refer to a sign, frequently one that is divine or miraculous. This understanding has long informed interpretations of biblical passages and Hebrew inscriptions. The common definition, we argue, is often inapt and fails to account for many instances of the term. From ancient biblical translations to modern scholarship, myriad ad hoc explanations have been suggested for difficult passages featuring this word, none of which are persuasive. We propose that ʾṿot has an overlooked constellation of meanings related to proclamations and commitments, which better explains its usage in several biblical passages. Our proposal is further supported by epigraphic and comparative Semitic evidence. The Hebrew noun אות is generally understood to refer to a sign, frequently one that is divine or miraculous. This understanding has long informed interpretations of biblical passages and Hebrew inscriptions. The common definition, we argue, is often inapt and fails to account for many instances of the term. From ancient biblical translations to modern scholarship, myriad ad hoc explanations have been suggested for difficult passages featuring this word, none of which are persuasive. We propose that אוֹת has an overlooked constellation of meanings related to proclamations and commitments, which better explains its usage in several biblical passages. Our proposal is further supported by epigraphic and comparative Semitic evidence. |
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| ISSN: | 1568-5330 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Vetus Testamentum
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685330-bja10189 |