Lexical Summary sig: To put, place, set, appoint Original Word: שִׂיג Strong's Exhaustive Concordance pursuing From suwg; a withdrawal (into a private place) -- pursuing. see HEBREW suwg NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originthe same as sig, q.v. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence• 1 Kings 18:27: “At noon Elijah began to mock them. ‘Shout louder,’ he said. ‘For surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or traveling. Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened!’” The single Old Testament appearance of שִׂיג underscores Elijah’s taunt that Baal might be “occupied”—too pre-engaged with personal affairs to respond. Narrative Setting Mount Carmel stands at the heart of Israel’s apostasy under King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Eight hundred fifty prophets of Baal and Asherah contend with one solitary prophet of the LORD. Shouts, frantic dancing, and self-laceration characterize the pagan ritual, yet no fire descends. Elijah’s interjection employing שִׂיג exposes the vanity of Baalism; an idol can be “busy” because it is nothing at all, while the living God answers immediately with fire (1 Kings 18:38). Linguistic and Literary Nuances The term carries ideas such as being preoccupied, withdrawn, or otherwise indisposed. Elijah piles up four possibilities (“deep in thought,” “occupied,” “traveling,” “asleep”) to lampoon Baal’s supposed limitations. The comic effect heightens the contrast with the omnipresent LORD, who “neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4). Historical Background Northern Israel in the ninth century BC had embraced Canaanite fertility worship, seeking agricultural prosperity through Baal. Agricultural collapse in the preceding drought (1 Kings 17:1) revealed Baal’s impotence. Elijah’s use of שִׂיג at high noon—Baal’s presumed peak hour of power—highlights how entrenched idolatry had blinded the nation. Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty: The LORD is never “occupied.” He is always able to hear and act (Isaiah 40:28). Ministry Application • Apologetics: Shִׂיג arms believers with biblical precedent for exposing the inadequacy of rival worldviews—always with truth and humility (1 Peter 3:15). Homiletical Insight The solitary appearance of שִׂיג invites a sermon titled “When Gods Are Busy and God Is Not.” Elijah’s mockery becomes a mirror: anything we prioritize above the LORD will ultimately prove unresponsive. The text urges wholehearted allegiance to the One who answers with consuming fire—and later, by His Spirit (Acts 2:3–4). Summary שִׂיג serves as a razor-sharp word of satire that unmasks false deities and magnifies the LORD’s unrivaled attentiveness. In a single occurrence it crystallizes the folly of trusting anything that can become “occupied,” pointing every generation back to the living God who is ever present, ever powerful, and always ready to respond to faith. Forms and Transliterations שִׂ֛יג שיג sig śîḡLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 18:27 HEB: שִׂ֧יחַ וְכִֽי־ שִׂ֛יג ל֖וֹ וְכִֽי־ KJV: either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, INT: is occupied either is pursuing either A journey |
    |