Hebrew · H8085, G5218 · unreviewed

שָׁמַע

To hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell , etc.) · obedience

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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant

שָׁמַע H8085 to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell , etc.)
Pronunciation šāmaʿ
Hearing that demands obedience: listening as covenantal response, not mere acoustic perception.
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ὑπακοή G5218 obedience
Pronunciation hypakoḗ
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What does שָׁמַע (shama) mean in the Bible?

שָׁמַע · ὑπακοή is a Hebrew word meaning "to hear and obey".

Full entry for שָׁמַע (H8085, G5218) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to hear and obey
Grammatical Forms

How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.

Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 659×
Perfect 1Kgs 5:14 · 1Sam 13:4 · 1Sam 14:22 · 2Kgs 3:21 · 2Kgs 17:14 · 2Kgs 17:40 · 2Kgs 18:12 · 2Kgs 21:9 · 2Kgs 22:13 · 2Sam 18:5 · Esth 1:18 · Exod 6:9 · Exod 6:12 · Exod 15:14 · Exod 16:20 · Ezek 12:2 271×
Sequential imperfect 1Kgs 22:28 · 1Sam 22:7 · 2Chr 18:18 · 2Chr 18:27 · 2Kgs 7:1 · 2Kgs 18:28 · 2Sam 20:16 · Amos 3:1 · Amos 3:13 · Amos 4:1 · Amos 5:1 · Amos 8:4 · Ezek 6:3 · Ezek 13:2 · Ezek 18:25 · Ezek 25:3 157×
Imperfect 1Kgs 8:30 · 1Kgs 8:32 · 1Kgs 8:34 · 1Kgs 8:36 · 1Kgs 8:39 · 1Kgs 8:43 · 1Kgs 11:38 · 1Sam 24:10 · 2Chr 6:21 · 2Chr 6:23 · 2Chr 6:25 · 2Chr 6:27 · 2Chr 6:30 · 2Chr 6:33 · 2Sam 15:35 · Deut 13:4 141×
Participle active 1Kgs 3:9 · 1Kgs 10:1 · 1Sam 2:23 · 1Sam 2:24 · 1Sam 3:9 · 1Sam 3:10 · 1Sam 15:14 · 2Kgs 10:6 · 2Kgs 18:26 · 2Sam 20:17 · Deut 4:12 · Deut 21:18 · Deut 21:20 · Eccl 7:5 · Exod 32:18 · Ezek 13:19 48×
Infinitive absolute 1Sam 23:10 · Deut 1:16 · Deut 11:13 · Deut 15:5 · Deut 28:1 · Exod 15:26 · Exod 19:5 · Exod 22:22 · Exod 23:22 · Isa 6:9 · Isa 55:2 · Jer 17:24 · Jer 31:18 · Job 13:17 · Job 21:2 · Job 37:2 17×
Jussive 2Kgs 18:31 · 2Kgs 18:32 · Isa 36:16 · Jer 23:16 · Jer 27:9 · Jer 27:14 · Jer 27:16 · Jer 27:17 · Jer 29:8 · 1Kgs 20:8 · 1Sam 13:3 · 1Sam 26:19 12×
Infinitive construct 1Sam 15:22 · Dan 9:11 · Deut 17:12 · Isa 28:12 · Isa 30:9 · Jer 16:12 · Jer 17:23 · Jer 18:10 · Jer 19:15 · Jer 42:13 · Num 30:9 11×
Cohortative Jer 4:21 · Ps 85:9
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 34×
Perfect 1Kgs 6:7 · Eccl 12:13 · Ezek 10:5 · Ezra 3:13 · Gen 45:16 · Isa 15:4 · Jer 3:21 · Jer 8:16 · Jer 9:18 · Jer 38:27 · Jer 49:21 · Jer 50:46 · Neh 6:1 · Neh 6:6 · Song 2:12 · Dan 10:12 16×
Imperfect 1Sam 1:13 · Exod 23:13 · Ezek 19:9 · Ezek 26:13 · Isa 60:18 · Isa 65:19 · Jer 6:7 · Jer 33:10 · Job 37:4 · Nah 2:14 · Neh 6:7 · 2Sam 22:45 · Ps 18:45 · Jer 18:22 14×
Participle passive Eccl 9:16 · Eccl 9:17 · Jer 31:15
Participle active Ps 19:4
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 29×
Sequential imperfect Amos 3:9 · Amos 4:5 · Isa 48:20 · Jer 4:5 · Jer 4:16 · Jer 31:7 · Jer 50:2 · Jer 50:29 · Jer 51:27
Participle active 1Chr 15:16 · 1Chr 15:28 · 1Chr 16:5 · Isa 41:26 · Isa 52:7 · Nah 2:1
Perfect 1Kgs 15:22 · 2Kgs 7:6 · Isa 45:21 · Isa 62:11 · Jer 48:4 · Ps 76:9
Imperfect Ezek 36:15 · Isa 42:9 · Isa 42:2 · Ps 106:2 · Josh 6:10 · Neh 8:15
Jussive Judg 18:25
Hebrew Verb Forms

How this verb appears across 722 occurrences in the Hebrew OT (OSHB Leningrad Codex).

Aspect / Form
Perfect 293 Imperfect 174 Imperative 166 Participle 56 Infinitive absolute 17 Infinitive construct 11 Participle passive 3 Cohortative 2
Stem
Qal 659 Niphal 34 Hiphil 29
Mood
Indicative 293 Imperative 166 Indicative/jussive 138 Indicative/cohortative 23 Jussive 13
OT Occurrences
Gen 3:10 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 3:17 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 4:23 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Gen 11:7 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Gen 16:11 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 18:10 Qal · Participle Gen 21:12 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Gen 21:17 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 21:26 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 22:18 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 24:52 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 26:5 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 27:5 Qal · Participle Gen 27:6 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 27:8 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Gen 27:13 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Gen 27:43 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Gen 29:33 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 30:6 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 34:5 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 34:17 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Gen 37:6 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Gen 37:17 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 39:10 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 41:15 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 41:15 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Gen 42:2 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 42:21 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 42:22 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 42:23 Qal · Participle Gen 43:25 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 45:16 Niphal · Perfect · Indicative Exod 3:7 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Exod 4:1 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Exod 4:8 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Exod 5:2 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/cohortative Exod 6:5 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Exod 6:9 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Exod 6:12 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Exod 6:30 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive +682 more occurrences

Aspect in Hebrew reflects grammatical form, not tense. "Perfect" (Perfective) typically denotes completed action; "Imperfect" (Imperfective) denotes incomplete or ongoing action. Stem modifies the action type (Qal=simple, Niphal=passive, Piel=intensive, etc.).

Morphology: OSHB WLC (Open Scriptures, CC BY 4.0) · STEPBible TEHMC (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0)

Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources