שְׁמַע (H8086) — Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁמַע

𐤔𐤌𐤏

shᵉmaʻ

H8086 verb

SILEX Entry

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.

Translation Consistency

primary "hear" 8 occurrences

"Hear" is the standard, natural English verb that best covers the primary range of שְׁמַע: perceiving sounds/speech, listening attentively, and by extension heeding or being told. It is the common translation in key contexts (e.g., the Shema) and allows natural inflection for different grammatical forms. Alternatives like "listen" or "heed" are narrower (active attention vs. obedience) and would not cover the full typical usage as broadly and idiomatically as "hear."

Alternatives (1 occurrence):

"heed" (1x)

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

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

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

Root שׁמע 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
H8039	שִׁמְאָה	Hearing-one
H8051	שַׁמּוּעַ	Heard-One
H8052	שְׁמוּעָה	in the heard-report
H8085	שָׁמַע	I will cause to hear
H8087	שֶׁמַע	Listen!
H8088	שֵׁמַע	as report of
H8089	שֹׁמַע	his hearing
H8090	שְׁמָע	and Shema
H8091	שָׁמָע	he heard
H8094	שְׁמָעָה	Yahweh-has-heard
H8095	שִׁמְעוֹן	Hearer
H8096	שִׁמְעִי	to Yahweh-has-heard
H8098	שְׁמַעְיָה	to YHWH-has-heard
H8100	שִׁמְעַת	Shimath
H8101	שִׁמְעָתִי	Shimʻah clansmen

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H8086-01`	שָֽׁמְעִ֣ין	shamein	`AVqrmpa`	they-hear	listening ones	hearing ones	2
`H8086-04`	תִשְׁמְע֡וּן	tishemeun	`AVqi2mp`	you hear	you (masc. pl.) will heed	you (masc. pl.) will hear	2
`H8086-03`	שִׁמְעֵ֣ת	shimeet	`AVqp1cs`	have heard	I heard	I heard	1
`H8086-05`	וְ/שִׁמְעֵ֣ת	veshimeet	`AC/Vqp1cs`	I have heard	and I heard	and I have heard	1
`H8086-06`	וְ/יִֽשְׁתַּמְּעֽוּן	veyishetameun	`AC/VMi3mp`	and obey	they will heed	and they will heed	1
`H8086-02`	שְׁמַ֗ע	shema	`AVqp3ms`	heard	Listen!	was heard	1
`H8086-07`	יִשְׁמַ֡ע	yishema	`AVqi3ms`	hears	he will hear	he will hear	1

Occurrences in Scripture

9 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H8086-04`	Daniel 3:5	תִשְׁמְע֡וּן	tishemeun	`AVqi2mp`	you hear	you (masc. pl.) will heed	you (masc. pl.) will hear
`H8086-01`	Daniel 3:7	שָֽׁמְעִ֣ין	shamein	`AVqrmpa`	they-hear	listening ones	hearing ones
`H8086-07`	Daniel 3:10	יִשְׁמַ֡ע	yishema	`AVqi3ms`	hears	he will hear	he will hear
`H8086-04`	Daniel 3:15	תִשְׁמְע֡וּן	tishemeun	`AVqi2mp`	you hear	you (masc. pl.) will heed	you (masc. pl.) will hear
`H8086-05`	Daniel 5:14	וְ/שִׁמְעֵ֣ת	veshimeet	`AC/Vqp1cs`	I have heard	and I heard	and I have heard
`H8086-03`	Daniel 5:16	שִׁמְעֵ֣ת	shimeet	`AVqp1cs`	have heard	I heard	I heard
`H8086-01`	Daniel 5:23	שָׁמְעִ֛ין	shamein	`AVqrmpa`	hear	listening ones	hear
`H8086-02`	Daniel 6:15	שְׁמַ֗ע	shema	`AVqp3ms`	heard	Listen!	was heard
`H8086-06`	Daniel 7:27	וְ/יִֽשְׁתַּמְּעֽוּן	veyishetameun	`AC/VMi3mp`	and obey	they will heed	and they will heed

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