שְׁמוּעָה
𐤔𐤌𐤅𐤏𐤄
shᵉmûwʻâh
H8052 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A report or message that is heard and transmitted, typically referring to spoken news, announcement, or information received through word of mouth. שְׁמוּעָה commonly denotes a communicated message, whether formal or informal, public proclamation or rumor, with emphasis on the act of hearing the information. Its semantic range includes report, news, rumor, tidings, announcement, or reputation, depending on context, but always with an auditory aspect—something transmitted by hearing.
Semantic Range
report, news, rumor, tidings, announcement, message, reputation, fame
Root / Etymology
From the root שׁמע (to hear, listen, obey), שְׁמוּעָה is a feminine form indicating 'that which is heard,' i.e., a communication or message received audibly. The connection to 'hearing' is foundational, as the word refers not to the act of hearing but to the content that is received or disseminated via hearing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שְׁמוּעָה appears throughout the Hebrew Bible, particularly in narrative, prophetic, and wisdom literature, referring to received information—often bearing significance for action, fear, or decision-making. In the monarchic and exilic periods, it frequently relates to political or military intelligence, announcements of victory or defeat, and the spread of information (or misinformation) about events of national importance. In some prophetic books (e.g., Jeremiah, Ezekiel), it is associated with foreboding rumors of disaster or approaching armies. In wisdom literature, it may refer to one’s reputation or report among people. Later use occasionally nuances the meaning toward 'fame' or 'renown,' but the element of something audibly transmitted remains central. Standard English translations render it as 'report,' 'news,' 'rumor,' 'tidings,' or 'message,' but sometimes these terms can slightly over-specify aspects (e.g., 'rumor' implies unverifiability; not all שמועה bear that sense). שְׁמוּעָה should be distinguished from other related terms such as דָּבָר (word, matter), which is more general and not necessarily heard, and בְּשׂוֹרָה (good news, glad tidings), which is specifically positive news.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine passive participle of שָׁמֵם; something heard, i.e. an announcement; bruit, doctrine, fame, mentioned, news, report, rumor, tidings.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁמע (sh-m-ʿ) — to hear, listen, obey
| 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
10 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8052-06 |
שְׁמוּעָ֖ה | shemuah | HNcfsa |
a rumor | heard report | 11 |
H8052-02 |
הַ/שְּׁמֻעָה֙ | hashemuah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the-rumor | the heard report | 6 |
H8052-08 |
וּ/שְׁמֻעָ֥ה | ushemuah | HC/Ncfsa |
and-good-news | and heard-report | 2 |
H8052-10 |
וְ/הַ/שְּׁמֻעָ֣ה | vehashemuah | HC/Td/Ncfsa |
and-the-news | and the heard-report | 2 |
H8052-03 |
לִ/שְׁמוּעָ֖ה | lishemuah | HR/Ncfsa |
for-a-hearing | for a heard-report | 1 |
H8052-04 |
לִ/שְׁמֻעָתֵ֑/נוּ | lishemuatenu | HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cp |
our message | to our heard-report | 1 |
H8052-09 |
וּ/שְׁמֻע֣וֹת | ushemuot | HC/Ncfpa |
But reports | heard reports | 1 |
H8052-01 |
בַּ/שְּׁמוּעָ֖ה | bashemuah | HRd/Ncfsa |
at-the-rumor | in the heard-report | 1 |
H8052-07 |
שְׁמֻעַת֩ | shemuat | HNcfsc |
of the news | report of | 1 |
H8052-05 |
מִ/שְּׁמוּעָ֣ה | mishemuah | HR/Ncfsa |
from evil tidings | from a heard report | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
27 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8052-02 |
1 Samuel 2:24 | הַ/שְּׁמֻעָה֙ | hashemuah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the report | the heard report |
H8052-02 |
1 Samuel 4:19 | הַ/שְּׁמֻעָ֔ה | hashemuah | HTd/Ncfsa |
news | the heard report |
H8052-07 |
2 Samuel 4:4 | שְׁמֻעַת֩ | shemuat | HNcfsc |
of the news | report of |
H8052-10 |
2 Samuel 13:30 | וְ/הַ/שְּׁמֻעָ֣ה | vehashemuah | HC/Td/Ncfsa |
and the report | and the heard-report |
H8052-10 |
1 Kings 2:28 | וְ/הַ/שְּׁמֻעָה֙ | vehashemuah | HC/Td/Ncfsa |
and-the-news | and the heard-report |
H8052-02 |
1 Kings 10:7 | הַ/שְּׁמוּעָ֖ה | hashemuah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the fame | the heard report |
H8052-06 |
2 Kings 19:7 | שְׁמוּעָ֖ה | shemuah | HNcfsa |
a rumor | heard report |
H8052-06 |
Isaiah 28:9 | שְׁמוּעָ֑ה | shemuah | HNcfsa |
the message | heard report |
H8052-06 |
Isaiah 28:19 | שְׁמוּעָֽה | shemuah | HNcfsa |
the message | heard report |
H8052-06 |
Isaiah 37:7 | שְׁמוּעָ֖ה | shemuah | HNcfsa |
a rumor | heard report |