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שְׁמַע

𐤔𐤌𐤏

shᵉmaʻ

H8086 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שׁמע to hear, listen, pay attention, heed

Definition

To hear, listen, or pay attention to; specifically, to perceive sounds or speech and, often by implication, to heed or respond. In some contexts, connotes obedience or compliance to what has been heard, especially in legal, royal, or cultic settings. Carries nuances of active engagement and receptivity, not mere physical hearing.

Semantic Range

to hear sounds, to listen attentively, to heed, to accept or comply with instructions or a decree, to obey, to be told, to be reported

Root / Etymology

Root: שׁמע. The root שׁמע generally means 'to hear, to listen.' The Aramaic verb שְׁמַע (shᵉmaʻ) in the Hebrew Bible is a cognate of the more common Hebrew שָׁמַע (shāma‘), with closely aligned semantic domains. The core root in both languages pertains to the process of hearing or perceiving sound. The Aramaic form usually marks language spoken or written in Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, especially in later texts.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שְׁמַע appears primarily in Aramaic passages within the Hebrew Bible, notably in Daniel and Ezra. Its semantic range parallels the common Hebrew שָׁמַע but is distinguished by context; active attentive hearing often overlaps with the notions of understanding, responding to, and obeying, especially in interactions with authorities (e.g., royal edicts) or the divine. While in later English translations the term may be rendered simply as 'hear,' biblical contexts often signal a required response or obedient action tied to the hearing. In legal or official documents, as in the Aramaic sections of Ezra, שְׁמַע also means 'to heed' or 'to comply.' Compared to other verbs for hearing (like הקשׁיב 'to listen attentively'), שְׁמַע conveys a broader band of perception, from neutral hearing to binding obedience. The English term 'obey' is sometimes used in translation, especially when the act of hearing demands action, but this can miss the primary communicative nuance embedded in the original.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to שָׁמַע; {to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)}; hear, obey.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׁמע (sh-m-ʿ) — to hear, listen, pay attention, heed

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1953 הוֹשָׁמָע Yahweh-has-heard
H3460 יִשְׁמַעְיָה Yahweh hears
H4926 מִשְׁמָע to report-of
H4928 מִשְׁמַעַת their obedience
H8037 שַׁמָּא he heard

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8086-01 שָֽׁמְעִ֣ין shamein AVqrmpa they-hear listening ones 2
H8086-04 תִשְׁמְע֡וּן tishemeun AVqi2mp you hear you (masc. pl.) will heed 2
H8086-03 שִׁמְעֵ֣ת shimeet AVqp1cs have heard I heard 1
H8086-05 וְ/שִׁמְעֵ֣ת veshimeet AC/Vqp1cs I have heard and I heard 1
H8086-06 וְ/יִֽשְׁתַּמְּעֽוּן veyishetameun AC/VMi3mp and obey they will heed 1
H8086-02 שְׁמַ֗ע shema AVqp3ms heard Listen! 1
H8086-07 יִשְׁמַ֡ע yishema AVqi3ms hears he will hear 1

Occurrences in Scripture

9 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8086-04 Daniel 3:5 תִשְׁמְע֡וּן tishemeun AVqi2mp you hear you (masc. pl.) will heed
H8086-01 Daniel 3:7 שָֽׁמְעִ֣ין shamein AVqrmpa they-hear listening ones
H8086-07 Daniel 3:10 יִשְׁמַ֡ע yishema AVqi3ms hears he will hear
H8086-04 Daniel 3:15 תִשְׁמְע֡וּן tishemeun AVqi2mp you hear you (masc. pl.) will heed
H8086-05 Daniel 5:14 וְ/שִׁמְעֵ֣ת veshimeet AC/Vqp1cs I have heard and I heard
H8086-03 Daniel 5:16 שִׁמְעֵ֣ת shimeet AVqp1cs have heard I heard
H8086-01 Daniel 5:23 שָׁמְעִ֛ין shamein AVqrmpa hear listening ones
H8086-02 Daniel 6:15 שְׁמַ֗ע shema AVqp3ms heard Listen!
H8086-06 Daniel 7:27 וְ/יִֽשְׁתַּמְּעֽוּן veyishetameun AC/VMi3mp and obey they will heed
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