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שְׁמוּאֵל

𐤔𐤌𐤅𐤀𐤋

Shemuel

H8050 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שמע + אל to hear, to listen, to pay attention; God, deity

Definition

A personal name meaning 'El/hearing of El' or 'El has heard.' Used as the given name of prominent individuals, notably the prophet Samuel, but also other lesser-known Israelites. The name signifies a relationship to the divine through the act of hearing or responding.

Semantic Range

personal name, 'El has heard,' 'heard by El,' 'hearing of El,' given name of individuals, especially the prophet Samuel, also another Israelite (1 Chr 7:2), and one among the Levites (1 Chr 6:18)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the roots שָׁמַע ('to hear, listen, pay attention') and אֵל ('God, deity'), the name is constructed as either 'El has heard' or 'name of El/heard by El.' The exact morphological pattern is debated, but it clearly signals invocation or experience of divine attention or response.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שְׁמוּאֵל is most prominently the name of the prophet Samuel, a central figure in the transition from the period of the Judges to the monarchy (late Iron Age). It appears occasionally as the name of other Israelites in genealogies. The etymological sense is reflected in the narrative of Samuel’s birth (1 Samuel 1:20), where his mother Hannah explains the name as related to her prayer having been heard, though the explanation connects more closely to the root 'to ask' (שׁאל) than to 'to hear.' This apparent shift reflects both common folk etymology and the theological importance placed on God's attentiveness. Later translation traditions (including Greek and English Bibles) standardly render שְׁמוּאֵל as 'Samuel,' but the original form parallels other ancient Israelite theophoric names. The use and understanding of this name remained consistent throughout Israelite and later Judean tradition, being both a significant personal name and a symbol of divine response. The term should be distinguished from other names invoking El, as well as from names with the root שָׁמַע but without the theophoric element. English 'Samuel' is not an accurate representation of the original meaning and is shaped by later linguistic tradition; the name has never referred to a group identity, only always to individuals.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the passive participle of שָׁמַע and אֵל; heard of God; Shemuel, the name of three Israelites; Samuel, Shemuel.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שמע + אל (š-m-ʿ + ʾ-l) — to hear, to listen, to pay attention; God, deity

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8050-02 שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל shemuel HNp Samuel El has heard 123
H8050-03 וּ/שְׁמוּאֵ֕ל ushemuel HC/Np and Samuel and El-has-heard 14
H8050-01 לִ/שְׁמוּאֵל֮ lishemuel HR/Np to Samuel to El-has-heard 3

Occurrences in Scripture

140 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8050-02 Numbers 34:20 שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל shemuel HNp Shemuel El has heard
H8050-02 1 Samuel 1:20 שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל shemuel HNp Samuel El has heard
H8050-03 1 Samuel 2:18 וּ/שְׁמוּאֵ֕ל ushemuel HC/Np But Samuel and El-has-heard
H8050-02 1 Samuel 2:21 שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל shemuel HNp Samuel El has heard
H8050-02 1 Samuel 2:26 שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל shemuel HNp Samuel El has heard
H8050-02 1 Samuel 3:1 שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל shemuel HNp Samuel El has heard
H8050-03 1 Samuel 3:3 וּ/שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל ushemuel HC/Np and Samuel and El-has-heard
H8050-02 1 Samuel 3:4 שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל shemuel HNp Samuel El has heard
H8050-02 1 Samuel 3:6 שְׁמוּאֵל֒ shemuel HNp Samuel El has heard
H8050-02 1 Samuel 3:6 שְׁמוּאֵל֙ shemuel-2 HNp Samuel El has heard
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