In the context of the Bible, an omen is generally understood as a sign or phenomenon that is believed to foretell future events. The concept of omens is closely related to the broader biblical themes of prophecy, divine revelation, and the discernment of God's will. While the Bible does not explicitly use the term "omen," it addresses the idea through various narratives and teachings, often cautioning against reliance on such signs apart from God's revelation.

Old Testament Context

The Old Testament contains numerous instances where signs are given by God to communicate His will or to confirm His promises. For example, in Genesis 9:12-13, God establishes the rainbow as a sign of His covenant with Noah: "And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.'"

However, the Old Testament also warns against the interpretation of omens apart from divine instruction. In Deuteronomy 18:10-12, the Israelites are explicitly forbidden from engaging in practices associated with divination and interpreting omens: "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable things the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you."

Prophetic Signs

Prophets in the Old Testament often performed signs that could be considered omens, but these were always under the direct command of God. For instance, Isaiah's prophecy to King Ahaz included a sign from God: "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." (Isaiah 7:14) Such signs were meant to confirm God's word and were not to be confused with pagan practices of omen interpretation.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, Jesus addresses the desire for signs and omens among the people. In Matthew 12:38-39, some of the scribes and Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign, to which He responds, "A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." Here, Jesus emphasizes faith and repentance over the seeking of miraculous signs.

The New Testament also warns against false prophets and deceptive signs. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus cautions, "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible." This underscores the importance of discernment and reliance on God's truth rather than on signs alone.

Christian Perspective on Omens

From a biblical standpoint, omens are not to be sought or trusted apart from God's revelation. The Bible consistently points believers to seek God's will through prayer, Scripture, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit rather than through superstitious or pagan practices. The emphasis is on a relationship with God and trust in His sovereign plan, rather than on interpreting signs or omens.1. (n.) An occurrence supposed to portend, or show the character of, some future event; any indication or action regarded as a foreshowing; a foreboding; a presage; an augury.

2. (v. t.) To divine or to foreshow by signs or portents; to have omens or premonitions regarding; to predict; to augur; as, to omen ill of an enterprise.

1426. dusphemia -- to use evil words, to speak ill of
... dusphemia Phonetic Spelling: (doos-fay-mee'-ah) Short Definition: evil report,
defamation Definition: evil report, defamation, words of ill omen. evil report. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1426.htm - 6k

5059. teras -- a wonder, marvel
... word Definition a wonder, marvel NASB Word Usage wonders (16). wonder. Of uncertain
affinity; a prodigy or omen -- wonder. (terasi) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5059.htm - 6k

2176. euonumos -- of good name, euph. for left
... euonumos Phonetic Spelling: (yoo-o'-noo-mos) Short Definition: on the left-hand
side, left Definition: (lit: well-named, to avoid the evil omen attaching to ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2176.htm - 6k

5600. o -- may, might
... flower of her age, should stand, were. see GREEK eimi. see GREEK ei. (omen) --
3 Occurrences. 5599, 5600. o. 5601 . Strong's Numbers.
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5600.htm - 6k

544. omen -- faithfulness
... 543, 544. omen. 545 . faithfulness. Transliteration: omen Phonetic Spelling:
(oh-men') Short Definition: faithfulness. ... 543, 544. omen. 545 . Strong's Numbers
/hebrew/544.htm - 6k

5173. nachash -- divination, enchantment
... 5172, 5173. nachash. 5174 . divination, enchantment. Transliteration: nachash
Phonetic Spelling: (nakh'-ash) Short Definition: omen. ...
/hebrew/5173.htm - 6k

5172. nachash -- to practice divination, observe signs
... 1), divined (1), enchantments (1), indeed practice divination (1), indeed uses
(1), interprets omens (1), practice divination (1), took as an omen (1), used ...
/hebrew/5172.htm - 6k

547. omnah -- pillar
... of aman, qv. pillar Feminine active participle of 'omen (in the original sense of
supporting); a column -- pillar. see HEBREW 'omen. 546, 547. omnah. 548 . ...
/hebrew/547.htm - 5k

551. omnam -- verily, truly
... indeed, no doubt, surely, it is. Adverb from 'omen; verily -- indeed, no doubt,
surely, (it is, of a) true(-ly, -th). see HEBREW 'omen. 550, 551. omnam. 552 ...
/hebrew/551.htm - 6k

545. omnah -- bringing up, nourishment
... brought up. Feminine of 'omen (in the specific sense of training); tutelage -- brought
up. see HEBREW 'omen. 544, 545. omnah. 546 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/545.htm - 6k

226. oth -- a sign
... Probably from 'uwth (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively),
as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc. ...
/hebrew/226.htm - 6k

4159. mopheth -- a wonder, sign, portent
... Or mopheth {mo-faith'}; from yaphah in the sense of conspicuousness; a miracle;
by implication, a token or omen -- miracle, sign, wonder(-ed at). ...
/hebrew/4159.htm - 6k

546. omnah -- verily, truly, indeed
... indeed. Feminine form of 'omen (in its usual sense); adverb, surely -- indeed.
see HEBREW 'omen. 545, 546. omnah. 547 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/546.htm - 6k

Whether Divination by Auguries, Omens, and by Like Observations of ...
... Yet Gedeon made use of an omen, when he listened to the relation and interpreting
of a dream (Judges 7:15): and Eliezer, Abraham's servant, acted in like ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether divination by auguries omens.htm

If any one Wishes to Hear the Arrangements for My Journey from ...
... cradle of the Saviour. I saw also the lake of ill-omen. Nor did I ... cradle
of the Saviour. I saw also the lake of ill-omen. Nor did I ...
/.../22 if any one wishes.htm

Examples from among the Heathen, as Well as from the Church, to ...
... legitimately marrying, have a woman never married but once appointed them as
brideswoman; and if you say that "this is for the sake of the omen," of course it ...
/.../tertullian/on exhortation to chastity/chapter xiii examples from among the.htm

The Death of Darius.
... The omen which seemed to him to portend success to the enterprise in which he had
undertaken to act as guide, was merely that he dreamed one night that he saw ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter xii the death of.htm

The Heathens Made Gods Like Themselves, Whence Springs all ...
... It was a clever remark of Antiphon, who (when one regarded it as an ill omen that
the sow had eaten her pigs), on seeing her emaciated through the ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter iv the heathens made gods.htm

But Why do I Speak of These Trifles? what Man is There who is ...
... public"what was done with his head when cut off, or in what place it was shut up,
and the whole affair carefully concealed, in order that the omen which the ...
/.../arnobius/the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/7 but why do i.htm

But if the Soul of Birds is to be Esteemed Divine Because Future ...
... Ulysses, the friend of Homer's Pallas Athene, was not divine, but understanding
the words spoken by this "divine" grinder of corn as an omen, rejoiced, as the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/origen/origen against celsus/chapter xciv but if the.htm

Whether we Ought to Distinguish Several Species of Divination?
... object men's words uttered unintentionally, which someone twist so as to apply to
the future that he wishes to foreknow, then it is called an "omen": and as ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether we ought to distinguish.htm

Christ's Struggles of Soul, and Submission to the Divine Will. ...
... It is supposed by some that the Bath-Col was nothing else but a subjective
interpretation of the Divine voice in thunder, considered as an omen or Divine sign ...
/.../section 261 christs struggles of.htm

Verbs, 72-84
... Dt.14:33. PERFECT. Is.8:14 pepoithos es. Is.10:20, 17:8 pepoithotes omen.
Nb.22:12 estin gar eulogemenos. ... James 5:16 e pepoiekos. 2 Cor.1:19 pepoithotes omen. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/conybeare/a grammar of septuagint greek/verbs 72-84.htm

Omen (6 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To divine or to foreshow by signs or portents; to have omens or premonitions
regarding; to predict; to augur; as, to omen ill of an enterprise. ...
/o/omen.htm - 8k

Immanuel (3 Occurrences)
... It is evident that the prophet had first intended an omen of deliverance and blessing
(Isaiah 7:4, 7). Did the king's lack of faith alter the nature of the sign ...
/i/immanuel.htm - 16k

Sign (181 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A remarkable event, considered by the ancients as indicating the will of
some deity; a prodigy; an omen. ... 21. (vi) To be a sign or omen. 22. ...
/s/sign.htm - 46k

Omega (3 Occurrences)

/o/omega.htm - 9k

Divination (25 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) An indication of what is future or secret; augury omen; conjectural presage;
prediction. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. DIVINATION. ...
/d/divination.htm - 45k

Omens (3 Occurrences)

/o/omens.htm - 7k

Left (3923 Occurrences)
... sema'li, "belonging to the left," "situated on the left"; aristeros, and
euphemistically euonumos, literally, "having a good name," "of good omen"): The ...
/l/left.htm - 9k

Wool (34 Occurrences)
... quilts, etc., but not for weaving. Gideon used a fleece of wool to seek
an omen from God (Judges 6:37). Mesha, king of Moab, sent ...
/w/wool.htm - 21k

Portent (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) That which portends, especially that which portends
evil; a sign of coming calamity; an omen; a sign. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/p/portent.htm - 7k

Blasphemy (15 Occurrences)
... blas'-fe-mi (blasphemia): In classical Greek meant primarily "defamation" or
"evil-speaking" in general; "a word of evil omen," hence, "impious, and irreverent ...
/b/blasphemy.htm - 20k

What is an omen? | GotQuestions.org

Miscellaneous Bible Questions (All) | GotQuestions.org

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Omen: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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