Lexical Summary
shemuah: Report, news, rumor, tidings
Original Word:שְׁמוּעָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:shmuw`ah
Pronunciation:shem-oo-AH
Phonetic Spelling:(sehm-oo-aw')
KJV: bruit, doctrine, fame, mentioned, news, report, rumor, tidings
NASB:report, news, rumor, message, heard, rumors, tidings
Word Origin:[feminine passive participle ofH8074 (שָׁמֵם - desolate)]
1. something heard, i.e. an announcement
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bruit, doctrine, fame, mentioned, news, report, rumor, tidings
Feminine passive participle ofshamem; something heard, i.e. An announcement -- bruit, doctrine, fame, mentioned, news, report, rumor, tidings.
see HEBREWshamem
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
shamaDefinitiona report
NASB Translationheard (1), message (3), news (6), report (10), rumor (4), rumors (1), tidings (1), what it means (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — absolute
1 Samuel 4:19 +,
1 Samuel 2:24 +; construct
2 Samuel 4:4; suffix
Isaiah 53:1; plural absolute
Daniel 11:44; —
report, sometimes after1 Samuel 2:24;1 Samuel 4:19 (=news),1 Kings 10:7 2Chronicles 9:6;2 Kings 19:7=Isaiah 37:7;Jeremiah 51:46;Jeremiah 49:23, comparePsalm 112:7, andProverbs 15:30;Proverbs 25:25;tidings about Saul2 Samuel 4:4; with2 Samuel 13:30 (+ ),1 Kings 2:28;Ezekiel 21:12;Jeremiah 10:22, compareJeremiah 51:46 + ( omitted)Jeremiah 51:46;Ezekiel 7:28;Daniel 11:44;Isaiah 53:1the report that reached us compare alsoIsaiah 28:9,19;Jeremiah 49:14;Obadiah 1 (De Du and others specifically of prophetic message but see GieBeiträge 155 f. We NowObadiah).
=mentionEzekiel 16:56.
Topical Lexicon
General Conceptשְׁמוּעָה most often denotes a “report,” “news,” or “rumor,” whether welcomed or dreaded. Its core idea is information that is heard, not seen; it therefore tests the hearer’s faith, discernment, and obedience.
Distribution across Scripture
About twenty-seven occurrences are spread through the Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, and Prophets. Narratives highlight how reports shape national events; Wisdom texts celebrate life-giving news; prophetic passages employ the word both for terrifying rumors of judgment and for the glorious proclamation of salvation.
Reports in Israel’s National Story
1 Samuel 2:24 shows Eli grieved by the “bad report” about his sons’ corruption, illustrating how evil news exposes hidden sin and prompts divine discipline. In1 Samuel 4:19 the “news that the ark of God had been captured” precipitates the death of Phinehas’ wife and names her son Ichabod, marking a national crisis.
Royal courts relied on accurate reports: when Absalom murders Amnon, “the report came to David” that all the king’s sons were dead (2 Samuel 13:30), momentarily paralyzing the kingdom until clarified. In the opposite direction, the Queen of Sheba declares, “I did not believe these reports until I came and saw with my own eyes” (1 Kings 10:7), revealing how a true report can draw the nations to behold God’s wisdom in Israel.2 Chronicles 9:5-6 repeats the scene, reinforcing the evangelistic power of trustworthy testimony.
Rumor as Divine Instrument of Fear and Judgment
Prophets often portray שְׁמוּעָה as an ominous rumor that saps courage before judgment falls. “Disaster upon disaster will come, and rumor will follow rumor” (Ezekiel 7:26); the anxious expectation itself is part of the punishment. “Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land—one rumor comes this year and another the next” (Jeremiah 51:46); yet the hearer is still called to steadfast trust in the LORD.Isaiah 37:7 (parallel2 Kings 19:7) shows God turning rumors against Israel’s foes: “I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land,” demonstrating divine sovereignty over the psychological dimension of warfare.
Prophetic Usage and the Promise of Salvation
Isaiah 53:1 transforms the term: “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” The “report” becomes the saving message of the Suffering Servant. Habakkuk echoes this reverent hearing: “LORD, I have heard the report of You; I stand in awe of Your deeds” (Habakkuk 3:2). The same noun that once conveyed panic now carries hope when its content is the redemptive work of God.
Wisdom Literature on Good News
Proverbs celebrates the restorative power of a positive שְׁמוּעָה: “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones” (Proverbs 15:30). “Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land” (Proverbs 25:25). The sayings underscore that words heard can revive the whole person, a truth fulfilled supremely in the Gospel.
New Covenant Resonance
Paul citesIsaiah 53:1 inRomans 10:16 to explain Israel’s unbelief and immediately affirms, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The Greek ἀκοή (akoe, “report/hearing”) mirrors שְׁמוּעָה, linking the Old Testament concept to the New Testament proclamation. The move from rumor to revelation reaches its climax in the incarnate Word whose good news must be heard and believed.
Pastoral and Ministry Applications
1. Guard truthfulness:Exodus 23:1 forbids spreading a false report; believers must resist gossip and verify information before repeating it.
2. Cultivate courage: when unsettling rumors abound (Jeremiah 51:46), the faithful anchor their hearts in God’s unchanging promises.
3. Proclaim the Gospel:Isaiah 53:1 andRomans 10:16-17 remind the church that salvation is transmitted through a trustworthy report; therefore clear, scriptural preaching remains central.
4. Rejoice in good news: echoing Proverbs, pastors can refresh weary souls by sharing testimonies of God’s work locally and globally.
Summary
שְׁמוּעָה traces a movement from fear-inducing rumor to life-giving proclamation. Whether exposing sin, warning of judgment, or announcing redemption, every “report” confronts hearers with a choice: skepticism, panic, or faith. Scripture consistently commends the third response, culminating in the Gospel, the supreme “good news” that demands to be heard, believed, and shared.
Forms and Transliterations
בַּשְּׁמוּעָ֖ה בשמועה הַשְּׁמֻעָ֔ה הַשְּׁמֻעָה֙ הַשְּׁמוּעָ֔ה הַשְּׁמוּעָ֖ה הַשְּׁמוּעָ֗ה השמועה השמעה וְהַשְּׁמֻעָ֣ה וְהַשְּׁמֻעָה֙ וּשְׁמֻע֣וֹת וּשְׁמֻעָ֥ה וּשְׁמוּעָ֥ה והשמעה ושמועה ושמעה ושמעות לִשְׁמֻעָתֵ֑נוּ לִשְׁמוּעָ֖ה לשמועה לשמעתנו מִשְּׁמוּעָ֣ה משמועה שְׁמֻעַת֩ שְׁמֻעָ֥ה שְׁמוּעָ֑ה שְׁמוּעָ֖ה שְׁמוּעָ֣ה שְׁמוּעָ֤ה שְׁמוּעָ֥ה שְׁמוּעָ֨ה שְׁמוּעָֽה׃ שְׁמוּעָה֙ שמועה שמועה׃ שמעה שמעת baš·šə·mū·‘āh bashshemuAh baššəmū‘āh haš·šə·mu·‘āh haš·šə·mū·‘āh hashshemuAh haššəmu‘āh haššəmū‘āh liš·mu·‘ā·ṯê·nū liš·mū·‘āh lishmuAh lishmuaTenu lišmū‘āh lišmu‘āṯênū miš·šə·mū·‘āh mishshemuAh miššəmū‘āh šə·mu·‘āh šə·mū·‘āh šə·mu·‘aṯ šəmu‘āh šəmū‘āh šəmu‘aṯ shemuAh shemuAt ū·šə·mu·‘āh ū·šə·mū·‘āh ū·šə·mu·‘ō·wṯ ūšəmu‘āh ūšəmū‘āh ūšəmu‘ōwṯ ushemuAh ushemuot vehashshemuAh wə·haš·šə·mu·‘āh wəhaššəmu‘āh
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