The term "signifies" in biblical context often refers to the act of indicating, representing, or symbolizing something beyond the literal meaning. In Scripture, God frequently uses signs, symbols, and parables to convey deeper spiritual truths and divine messages. The use of signs and symbols is prevalent throughout the Bible, serving as a means for God to communicate with His people in ways that transcend ordinary language.

Old Testament Usage

In the Old Testament, signs often serve as divine confirmations or warnings. For instance, in Genesis 9:12-13, God establishes the rainbow as a sign of His covenant with Noah, signifying His promise never to flood the earth again: "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.'"

Similarly, in Exodus, the plagues that God sends upon Egypt signify His power and judgment against Pharaoh, as well as His deliverance of the Israelites. Each plague serves as a sign of God's sovereignty and His ability to control nature to fulfill His purposes.

Prophetic Symbolism

The prophets often used symbolic actions and visions to signify future events or spiritual realities. In Ezekiel 4:1-3, the prophet is instructed to perform a symbolic act to represent the siege of Jerusalem: "Now you, son of man, take a brick, place it before you, and draw on it the city of Jerusalem. Then lay siege against it: build a siege wall, erect a ramp, set up camps, and place battering rams all around it. Then take an iron pan and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city. Turn your face toward it; it will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel."

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, Jesus frequently uses parables and miracles as signs to signify the coming of the Kingdom of God and to reveal His identity as the Messiah. In John 2:11, the miracle of turning water into wine at Cana is described as the first of the signs through which Jesus revealed His glory: "Jesus performed this first sign at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him."

The Book of Revelation is replete with symbolic imagery and signs that signify future events and spiritual truths. Revelation 1:1 introduces the book as a revelation given to John through signs: "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John."

Theological Implications

The use of signs and symbols in the Bible underscores the importance of spiritual discernment and the need for believers to seek understanding through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Signs are not merely for the sake of wonder but serve to point to greater truths about God's nature, His plans, and His relationship with humanity. As such, they require careful interpretation within the context of Scripture and the broader narrative of God's redemptive work.

In summary, "signifies" in the biblical sense involves the use of signs, symbols, and actions to convey deeper meanings and divine truths, inviting believers to explore the richness of God's revelation through both literal and symbolic language.4972. sphragizo -- to seal
... what is sealed. 4972 ("to seal") signifies and the full carried by the backing
(full authority) of the owner. "Sealing" in the ancient ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4972.htm - 8k

1096. ginomai -- to come into being, to happen, to become
... as with 1510 (1511 , 2258 ). 1096 () means "to , and signifies " (Vine,
Unger, White, , 109). M. Vincent, "1096 () means implying ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1096.htm - 15k

564. aperitmetos -- uncircumcised
... 564 ("uncircumcised") signifies "" (rebelliously opposed to Him). 564 (), only used
at Ac 7:51, figuratively refers to the unsaved -- ie people standing () . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/564.htm - 7k

5228. huper -- over, beyond, fig. on behalf of, for the sake of ...
... M. Vincent, "5228 () signifies something like ' . .concerning.' JB Lightfoot
(on Gal 1:4) . .remarks that has 'a sense of in,' which is ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5228.htm - 7k

3565. numphe -- a bride, a young woman
... married spouse). 3565 () "signifies both bride and a daughter-in-law (Mt
10:35; Lk 12:53)" (J. Thayer). Word Origin a prim. word ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3565.htm - 7k

3700. optanomai -- to appear
... from eido, which expresses merely mechanical, passive or casual vision; while theaomai,
and still more emphatically its intensive theoreo, signifies an earnest ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3700.htm - 8k

4183. polus -- much, many
... 4183 () "signifies 'many, numerous'; . with the article it is said of a
multitude as being " (Vine, Unger, White, , 113,114) -- ie . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4183.htm - 9k

Whether this Word "Person" Signifies Relation?
... The definition of "person" Whether this word "person" signifies relation? ... the
answer is, Three persons." Therefore person signifies essence. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether this word person signifies.htm

Whether the Power of Begetting Signifies a Relation, and not the ...
... OF THE PERSONS IN REFERENCE TO THE NOTIONAL ACTS (SIX ARTICLES) Whether the
power of begetting signifies a relation, and not the essence? ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the power of begetting.htm

That the Construction of Man Throughout Signifies his Ruling Power ...
... III."Philosophical Works. IV. That the construction of man throughout signifies
his ruling power . 1. For as in our own life artificers ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/iv that the construction of.htm

What the Traditional Number of the Angels Signifies.
... DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE ON THE HEAVENLY HIERARCHY. CAPUT XIV. What the
traditional number of the Angels signifies. This also is ...
/.../dionysius/on the heavenly hierarchy/caput xiv what the traditional.htm

What the Blood of the Grape Signifies.
... Chapter LIV."What the blood of the grape signifies. "And that expression which
was committed to writing [2118] by Moses, and prophesied ...
/.../chapter liv what the blood of.htm

Of the Gifts* of the Blessed (Five Articles) [*The Latin 'dos' ...
... OF THE GIFTS* OF THE BLESSED (FIVE ARTICLES) [*The Latin 'dos' signifies
a dowry.]. We must now consider the gifts of the blessed ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/of the gifts of the.htm

Of the Term Mass.
... the remission of sins, etc. Leitourgia, they say, signifies a sacrifice,
and the Greeks call the Mass liturgy. Why do they here ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 33 of the term.htm

Moreover, --To Touch Briefly Some of the More Recondite Topics ...
... That this was so done Moses signifies in the Song in Deuteronomy, "When the Most
High divided the nations, He appointed the bounds of the nations according to ...
/.../15 moreoverto touch briefly some.htm

At the Dedication of a Church
... It has no face; all is pure gold; and this signifies the unknown pure Godhead, which
is poured forth over the image in the place of the head; for the pure ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/sermon xxxv at the dedication.htm

On the History of Jonah.
... For it seems that the whale signifies Time, which never stands still, but is always
going on, and consumes the things which are made by long and shorter ...
/.../methodius/the writings of methodius fragments/on the history of jonah.htm

Signifies (4 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Signifies (4 Occurrences). ... And they said to him, Rabbi
(which, being interpreted, signifies Teacher), where abidest thou? (DBY). ...
/s/signifies.htm - 7k

Nazarene (19 Occurrences)
... speak of Christ as "despised of men" (Isaiah 53:3). Some, however, think that in
this name there is an allusion to the Hebrew netser, which signifies a branch ...
/n/nazarene.htm - 18k

Teaching (372 Occurrences)
... as both progressive and completed. The causative conception signifies
achievement in the sphere of instruction. It is used of the ...
/t/teaching.htm - 62k

Faint (76 Occurrences)
... Lamentations 2:19), or the despondency of Jonah dispelled by his remembrance of
God's mercies (Jonah 2:7). Dawway, from a root which signifies the sickness ...
/f/faint.htm - 38k

Teacher (103 Occurrences)
... as both progressive and completed. The causative conception signifies
achievement in the sphere of instruction. It is used of the ...
/t/teacher.htm - 61k

Teach (172 Occurrences)
... as both progressive and completed. The causative conception signifies
achievement in the sphere of instruction. It is used of the ...
/t/teach.htm - 65k

Repentance (28 Occurrences)
... 1. Repent-"to Care," "Be Concerned": The term metamelomai, literally signifies to
have a feeling or care, concern or regret; like nacham, it expresses the ...
/r/repentance.htm - 31k

Occupy (25 Occurrences)
... (3) `Arabh (Ezekiel 27:9) signifies "to exchange" (the English Revised Version and
the American Revised Version margin, but the American Standard Revised ...
/o/occupy.htm - 16k

Firstborn (119 Occurrences)
... The "first-born of the poor" signifies the most miserable of the poor (Isaiah
14:30). The "church of the first-born" signifies the church of the redeemed. ...
/f/firstborn.htm - 46k

Fullness (31 Occurrences)
... Etymologically, pleroma-which itself is derived from the verb pleroo, "I
fill"-signifies "that which is or has been filled"; it also means "that which fills ...
/f/fullness.htm - 22k

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