What does σιγάω (sigáō) mean in the Bible?
σιγάω (sigáō): Enforced silence or restraint—often ecclesial context of speakers being required to cease speaking
Greek · G4601
σιγάω
To keep silent (transitively or intransitively)
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σιγάω G4601
Pronunciation sigáō
What does σιγάω (sigáō) mean in the Bible?
σιγάω (sigáō): Enforced silence or restraint—often ecclesial context of speakers being required to cease speaking
Full entry for σιγάω (G4601) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4601?
The BSB source-word alignment has 10 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include are to be silent (1), concealed (1), fell silent (1), had finished speaking (1), he should remain silent (1).
Where does σιγάω (sigáō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 9:36. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (3), Acts (3), Luke (3), Romans (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It are to be silent 1× 1 Corinthians 14:34
concealed 1× Romans 16:25
fell silent 1× Acts 15:12
had finished speaking 1× Acts 15:13
he should remain silent 1× 1 Corinthians 14:28
kept this to themselves 1× Luke 9:36
should stop 1× 1 Corinthians 14:30
silence 1× Acts 12:17
they fell silent 1× Luke 20:26
to be silent 1× Luke 18:39
Show sample aligned rows
Luke 9:36 ἐσίγησαν to kept this to themselves Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Luke 18:39 σιγήσῃ to to be silent Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 20:26 ἐσίγησαν to they fell silent Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Acts 12:17 σιγᾶν to silence Verb - Present Infinitive Active Acts 15:12 Ἐσίγησεν to fell silent Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Acts 15:13 σιγῆσαι to had finished speaking Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active Romans 16:25 σεσιγημένου to concealed Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Neuter Singular 1 Corinthians 14:28 σιγάτω to he should remain silent Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1 Corinthians 14:30 σιγάτω to should stop Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1 Corinthians 14:34 σιγάτωσαν to are to be silent Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Luke 9:36
Aligned rows 10
Books represented 4
Luke 3 Acts 3 Romans 1 1 Corinthians 3
Source forms
ἐσίγησαν 2x esigēsan Luke 9:36, Luke 20:26
σιγάτω 2x sigatō 1 Corinthians 14:28, 1 Corinthians 14:30
Ἐσίγησεν 1x Esigēsen Acts 15:12
σεσιγημένου 1x sesigēmenou Romans 16:25
σιγᾶν 1x sigan Acts 12:17
σιγάτωσαν 1x sigatōsan 1 Corinthians 14:34
σιγῆσαι 1x sigēsai Acts 15:13
σιγήσῃ 1x sigēsē Luke 18:39
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 2x Luke 9:36, Luke 20:26
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular 2x 1 Corinthians 14:28, 1 Corinthians 14:30
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x Acts 15:12
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active 1x Acts 15:13
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x Luke 18:39
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Neuter Singular 1x Romans 16:25
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Plural 1x 1 Corinthians 14:34
Verb - Present Infinitive Active 1x Acts 12:17
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Enforced silence or restraint—often ecclesial context of speakers being required to cease speaking
Strong's G4601
Lexical occurrences 9 verses Greek text appearances 9 times Word forms 4 forms 9 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Luke 9:28-36 Source Gloss
to keep silent (transitively or intransitively)
Extended definition Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Enforced silence or restraint—often ecclesial context of speakers being required to cease speaking
(σιγή), [in LXX for חָרַשׁ, חָשָׁה, etc. ;]
1intrans., to be silent, keep silence: Luk.9:36 18:39 20:26, Act.12:17 15:12-13, 1Co.14:28 14:30 14:34.
2Trans., to keep secret; pass., to be kept secret: Rom.16:25.
Synonymsἡσυχάζω, σιωπάω
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
9 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Luke 9:36 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
ἐσίγησαν, esighsan
I keep silent
Read verse Luke 20:26 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
ἐσίγησαν. esighsan
I keep silent
Read verse Acts 12:17 Verb Present Active Infinitive
σιγᾷν, sigan
I keep silent
Read verse Acts 15:12 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
Ἐσίγησε esighsen
I keep silent
Read verse Acts 15:13 Verb Aorist Active Infinitive
σιγῆσαι sighsai
I keep silent
Read verse Romans 16:25 Verb Perfect Passive Participle Genitive Singular Neuter
σεσιγημένου, sesighmenou
I keep silent
Read verse 1 Corinthians 14:28 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Imperative
σιγάτω sigatw
I keep silent
Read verse 1 Corinthians 14:30 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Imperative
σιγάτω. sigatw
I keep silent
Read verse 1 Corinthians 14:34 Verb Third Person Plural Present Active Imperative
σιγάτωσαν· sigatwsan
I keep silent
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 4 Aligned forms 9 Tenses Aorist, Present Voices Active
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 3×
Aorist Active Luke 9:36 · Luke 20:26 · Acts 15:12 3×
Imperative command or strong request 3×
Present Active 1 Cor 14:28 · 1 Cor 14:30 · 1 Cor 14:34 3×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 1×
Aorist Active Luke 18:39 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 2×
Present Active Acts 12:17 1×
Aorist Active Acts 15:13 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 9 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 5 present 4
Voice
active 9
Mood
imperative 3 indicative 3 infinitive 2 subjunctive 1
NT Occurrences
Luke 9:36 ἐσίγησαν aorist active indicative completed Luke 18:39 σιγήσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 20:26 ἐσίγησαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 12:17 σιγᾶν present active infinitive infinitive Acts 15:12 Ἐσίγησεν aorist active indicative completed Acts 15:13 σιγῆσαι aorist active infinitive infinitive 1 Corinthians 14:28 σιγάτω present active imperative imperative 1 Corinthians 14:30 σιγάτω present active imperative imperative 1 Corinthians 14:34 σιγάτωσαν present active imperative imperative
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
intransitive: disciples remained silent about the transvision experience
intransitive: instruction for maintaining silence in congregational assembly
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 9 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
σιγάω is built from this root:
σιγή G4602
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain