שָׁמַע
To hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell , etc.)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does שָׁמַע (šāmaʿ) mean in the Bible?
שָׁמַע (šāmaʿ) is a Hebrew word meaning "to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell , etc.)". to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc. Affirms God’s attentive response to prayer.
Meaning
Hearing that demands obedience: listening as covenantal response, not mere acoustic perception.
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.) BDB: hear Usage: × attentively, call (gather) together, × carefully, × certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, × diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), × indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, × surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.
Why This Word Matters
Affirms God’s attentive response to prayer. Isaiah 38:1-8
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×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 34×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 29×
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Old Testament Witnesses
Showing 8 of 1165 occurrences in the biblical text.
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.