אֶשְׁמַ֣ע
𐤀𐤔𐤌𐤏
shâmaʻ
I should obey
To perceive sound or speech with the ear; by extension, to listen, pay attention, or heed, often with the implication of responding appropriately. In many contexts, carries the sense of attentive or obedient listening, sometimes extending to 'obey,' especially in covenantal or legal passages. Also used causatively ('to make hear,' 'cause to be announced'), with a secondary sense of proclaiming, reporting, or making known information to others. The verb can also connote understanding, discerning, or acknowledging a message or instruction.
Exodus 5:2 · Word #6
Lexicon H8085
| Lemma | שָׁמַע |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤔𐤌𐤏 |
| Transliteration | shâmaʻ |
| Strong's | H8085 |
| Definition | To perceive sound or speech with the ear; by extension, to listen, pay attention, or heed, often with the implication of responding appropriately. In many contexts, carries the sense of attentive or obedient listening, sometimes extending to 'obey,' especially in covenantal or legal passages. Also used causatively ('to make hear,' 'cause to be announced'), with a secondary sense of proclaiming, reporting, or making known information to others. The verb can also connote understanding, discerning, or acknowledging a message or instruction. |
Morphology HVqi1cs
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state |
| Binyan | q — Qal — Simple active |
| Conjugation | i — Imperfect — Incomplete or ongoing action |
| Person | 1 — 1st person — First person ("I" / "we") |
| Gender | c — Common — Common (both genders) |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
Common Translation
| Phrase | I should obey |
SIBI-P1 Translation H8085-09
I will hear
| Morphological Notes | Verb, Qal stem, imperfect (yiqtol), 1st person common singular. |
| Rendering Rationale | The Qal imperfect 1st person singular expresses simple future or ongoing action: "I will hear" or "I hear." The rendering preserves the root sense of auditory perception and attentive listening without importing contextual nuance. |
View full lexicon entry for H8085 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
I should obey
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | P1 'I will hear' misses the context of obedience that is indicated by the Hebrew 'shema' in this idiom. In context it means 'I should obey,' matching the sense in the common column and silex_definition. |