שֹׁמַע
𐤔𐤌𐤏
shômaʻ
H8089 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A report, news, or information that is heard or communicated; the act or content of being told something, especially by hearsay or oral transmission. By extension, it can also denote reputation or renown — that is, the standing or fame someone has based on what is heard about them.
Semantic Range
report, news, information received by hearing, fame, reputation, rumor, hearsay
Root / Etymology
From the root שָׁמַע (sh-m-ʻ), meaning 'to hear' or 'listen.' שֹׁמַע is a nominal formation indicating 'that which is heard' or 'a hearing.' While the root means 'to hear,' this noun refers to the thing being heard—an account, rumor, or news.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שֹׁמַע appears most often in poetic or elevated narrative contexts, such as reports about military movements (e.g., 1 Samuel 2:24 – 'report'), or the fame/reputation that accrues to a person or nation (Joshua 6:27). The term overlaps in meaning with שֶׁמוּעָה (H8052), which similarly means 'report' or 'rumor,' but שֹׁמַע seems to emphasize the status or outcome of being talked about (i.e., renown, fame), whereas שֶׁמוּעָה often stresses the content of the report itself. Unlike modern uses of 'reputation,' שֹׁמַע in biblical Hebrew remains closely tied to its auditory/communicative root — it is what becomes known by being heard, not an abstract social quality. English translations such as 'report,' 'news,' or 'fame' approximate the meaning, but do not always capture the oral, transmitted nuance essential to the Hebrew term. Usage is attested in the monarchy period, especially where the fame or reputation of a leader or people spreads through hearsay or military exploits.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁמַע; a report; fame.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁמע (š-m-ʿ) — hearing, listening, attentive perception
| 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
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8089-01 |
שָׁמְע֖/וֹ | shameo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his fame | his hearing | 3 |
H8089-02 |
וְ/שָׁמְע֖/וֹ | veshameo | HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
and his fame | and his report | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8089-01 |
Joshua 6:27 | שָׁמְע֖/וֹ | shameo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his fame | his hearing |
H8089-01 |
Joshua 9:9 | שָׁמְע֔/וֹ | shameo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his fame | his hearing |
H8089-01 |
Jeremiah 6:24 | שָׁמְע֖/וֹ | shameo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
report of it | his hearing |
H8089-02 |
Esther 9:4 | וְ/שָׁמְע֖/וֹ | veshameo | HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
and his fame | and his report |