שִׁמְעָא
𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤀
Shimea
H8092 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Shim'a is a personal name meaning 'Yah(weh) hears' or 'he has heard.' It identifies several individual male Israelites in various genealogies and narratives of the Hebrew Bible. Depending on context, the name may also reflect a prayerful hope or acknowledgement of divine attentiveness.
Semantic Range
(personal name) 'Yah has heard'; individual Israelite name; sometimes appears as Shimea, Shimei, or Shamma in English translations; theophoric name reflecting divine attentiveness or response
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שׁמע (to hear, listen, obey), plus the theophoric ending suggesting the divine name (Yah or Yahweh). The form שִׁמְעָא reflects a shortened or alternate spelling for a theophoric personal name.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שִׁמְעָא appears primarily in genealogical lists or personal name registers of the Hebrew Bible, particularly in the books of Chronicles. The name's structure is similar to other names invoking God as the one who hears or listens, which was a meaningful concept in biblical Israelite society. English translations vary: some render the name as 'Shimea,' others as 'Shimei' or 'Shamma,' reflecting the fluidity of vowel points and transmission in the tradition. The Greek Septuagint renders it in different forms (e.g., Semea, Samaia), often reflecting attempts to capture the Hebrew sound rather than consistent translation. The theophoric element indicates direct acknowledgment of the Israelite deity. There is no later geographic, religious, or Judean connotation to the name; its function is as a personal identifier within various tribal or familial listings, especially among Judahites and Simeonites.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
for שִׁמְעָה; Shima, the name of four Israelites; Shimea, Shimei, Shamma.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שמע (š-m-ʿ) — to hear, to listen, to obey
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2045 | הַשְׁמָעוּת | for proclamation of |
| H3457 | יִשְׁמָא | He-will-hear |
| H3459 | יִשְׁמָעֵאלִי | the Yishmaʿelite |
| H3460 | יִשְׁמַעְיָה | and Yah-hears |
| H4927 | מִשְׁמָע | Mishma |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8092-01 |
שִׁ֠מְעָא | shimea | HNp |
Shimea | Yah Has Heard | 4 |
H8092-02 |
שִׁמְעָ֖ה | shimeah | HNp |
Shimea | Yah has heard | 1 |
H8092-03 |
וְ/שִׁמְעָ֖א | veshimea | HC/Np |
and Shimea | and Yah-has-heard | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8092-02 |
2 Samuel 21:21 | שִׁמְעָ֖ה | shimeah | HNp |
Shimea | Yah has heard |
H8092-03 |
1 Chronicles 2:13 | וְ/שִׁמְעָ֖א | veshimea | HC/Np |
and Shimea | and Yah-has-heard |
H8092-01 |
1 Chronicles 3:5 | שִׁ֠מְעָא | shimea | HNp |
Shimea | Yah Has Heard |
H8092-01 |
1 Chronicles 6:15 | שִׁמְעָ֥א | shimea | HNp |
Shimea | Yah Has Heard |
H8092-01 |
1 Chronicles 6:24 | שִׁמְעָֽא | shimea | HNp |
Shimea | Yah Has Heard |
H8092-01 |
1 Chronicles 20:7 | שִׁמְעָ֖א | shimea | HNp |
Shimea | Yah Has Heard |