Biblical Hebrew Forum

["sdavis" <sdavis AT inter.net.il>]

)OTH (Isaiah 7:14) is an interesting word. I am back to my favourite book
(after the Bible) ie Mandelkern's "Concordantiae". )OTH occurs about 100
times in the Bible. IMHO it almost always does not translate as miracle. A
miracle is an amazing event that breaks the laws of nature. )OTH should
properly be translated as sign.
Let's have a look how the Bible uses the word )OTH :
Gen 4:15. )OTH is a sign here some sort of warning sign. Maybe a tattoo.
No miracle.
Gen 9:12,17. Rainbows are amazing but not miraculous.
Exodus 31:13,17. The Sabbath is not a miracle (I do it all the time).
Deut 13:2. This is tricky. Could be a miracle here. But the whole point of
this passage is to warn people of false prophets who pretend to perform
miracles that are really magic or some other trick.
Joshua 2:12. Good example of sign and not miracle.
Joshua 4:6. 12 stones are not a miracle.
Judges 6:17. Gideon asks for a sign from the angel. (Note that malakh is
better translated as messenger.) The sign is that the offering is set
alight. Anyone with a lighter can light a bonfire. But could be a miracle
here.
Kings 2 20:4. OK the sun going back is a miracle.
Isaiah 20:3. No miracle here just people walking around barefoot as an
expression for prisoners of war.
Isaiah 38:22. I don't fully understand what this verse refers to but there
are certainly no miracles here. (Similar passage as in Kings 2 20:4.)
Isaiah 66:19. Refuges going far away is not a miracle.
Ezekiel 4:3. Something about a frying pan. No miracle.
Psalms 86:17. Maybe one could say that David is asking for a miracle.
Considering that he didn't ask for one anywhere else (as far as I know) I
think it is best to say he isn't asking for one here.

As a rule (my rule) the Bible does not really like miracles or mention
them very much; great events do occur but almost always there is a
rational explanation. So, IMHO, )OTH, as in Isaiah 7:14, is not a miracle
(eg a virgin giving birth) but a plain old sign (ie a young woman giving
birth).

Saul Davis
Beer-Sheva, Israel