Lexical Summary
shema: Report, news, fame, rumor
Original Word:שֵׁמַע
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:shema`
Pronunciation:shay-mah'
Phonetic Spelling:(shay'-mah)
KJV: bruit, fame, hear(-ing), loud, report, speech, tidings
NASB:report, fame, about, hearing, news, proclamation
Word Origin:[fromH8085 (שָׁמַע - heard)]
1. something heard, i.e. a sound, rumor, announcement
2. abstractly, audience
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bruit, fame, hearing, loud, report, speech, tidings
Fromshama'; something heard, i.e. A sound, rumor, announcement; abstractly, audience -- bruit, fame, hear(-ing), loud, report, speech, tidings.
see HEBREWshama'
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
shamaDefinitiona hearing, report
NASB Translationabout (1), fame (4), hear* (1), hearing (1), news (1), proclamation (1), report (8).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. [ ; —
Psalm 150:5 ("" ).
(on from compare LagBN 143); — absoluteIsaiah 23:5; constructIsaiah 23:5 +; suffixIsaiah 66:19 etc.; —report, usually with Genitive object: accusative withGenesis 29:13 (J)the tidings about Jacob,Isaiah 23:5 #NAME?Numbers 14:15 (JE),Deuteronomy 2:25;1 Kings 10:1= 2Chronicles 9:1;Nahum 3:19;Habakkuk 3:2;Jeremiah 37:5;Jeremiah 50:43;Isaiah 66:9; with GenitiveIsaiah 23:5;Hosea 7:12 usuallyaccording to the report (heard by) their congregation (!), but inexplicable and probably corrupt, We Now; Marti (compare Oettli) ( as gloss)according to their wickedness;Exodus 23:1 (E)take up (utter)a false report;Psalm 18:45 i.e. as soon as heard of, =mere reportJob 42:5 (opposed to personal knowledge), compareJob 28:22.
Topical Lexicon
Scope of Meaningשֵׁמַע (śémaʿ) embraces the ideas of a report, news, fame, reputation, or the very act of hearing. Whether the context is personal (Genesis 29:13), judicial (Exodus 23:1), international (Deuteronomy 2:25), or doxological (Psalm 150:5), the term gathers around one reality: what is heard shapes belief, emotion, and action.
Key Theological Themes
1. Veracity versus falsehood
Exodus 23:1 situates שֵׁמַע in Israel’s judicial ethic: “You shall not spread a false report.” The safeguard of truth in speech is foundational to covenant community life.
2. The reputation of the LORD among the nations
Numbers 14:15–16 andDeuteronomy 2:25 tie Israel’s destiny to what surrounding nations will “hear” of God’s acts. Divine glory is advanced or maligned through the nations’ שֵׁמַע.
3. The magnetism of godly wisdom
The Queen of Sheba “heard the report of Solomon’s fame” (1 Kings 10:1;2 Chronicles 9:1) and traveled far to test it. Right hearing kindles a quest for wisdom and worship.
4. Personal encounter with God
Job moves from secondhand information to first-hand experience: “My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You” (Job 42:5). Shifts from report to revelation mark deepening faith.
5. Prophetic warning and judgment
Isaiah 23:5;Jeremiah 37:5;Jeremiah 50:43;Nahum 3:19 show how news of military movements or collapse spreads dread or celebration. Shêmaʿ amplifies prophetic credibility.
6. Awe-inspiring worship
Psalm 150:5 celebrates “resounding cymbals.” The audible intensity underscores that praise itself becomes a report declaring God’s greatness.
Representative Occurrences
•Genesis 29:13 – Laban, upon “hearing the news” of Jacob, runs to greet him, illustrating family ties mediated through report.
•Deuteronomy 2:25 – “They will hear the report of you and tremble,” evidencing prevenient fear that prepares victory.
•Isaiah 66:19 – Missionary vision: those “who have not heard My fame” will receive the proclamation.
•Habakkuk 3:2 – “LORD, I have heard Your report; I stand in awe of Your deeds.” Prior reports fuel present intercession.
Relationship to Divine Revelation
Shêmaʿ illuminates how God sovereignly employs proclamation. Salvation history moves by hearing: nations hear of plagues, sea crossings, and resurrections; individuals hear rebuke, promise, and gospel.Romans 10:17, while Greek, echoes the principle: “faith comes from hearing.” The Old Testament groundwork of שֵׁמַע anticipates the New Testament kerygma.
Implications for Worship
The climactic psalm of the Psalter invites instruments whose sound is itself a report (Psalm 150:5). Corporate praise becomes audible testimony, evangelizing worshipers and onlookers alike.
Applications in Ministry
• Guard speech: likeExodus 23:1, Christian testimony must resist embellishment and slander.
• Promote God’s fame: recount His works so that contemporary “nations” may hear and fear.
• Validate truth claims: invite seekers, as Solomon did, to test the report of the gospel.
• Cultivate experiential faith: move congregations from hearing about God to encountering Him.
• Utilize audible witness: music, testimony, and preaching generate fresh שֵׁמַע that reverberates beyond church walls.
In every age, שֵׁמַע reminds the people of God that what is heard about Him shapes destinies.
Forms and Transliterations
כְּשֵׁ֖מַע כְּשֵׁ֥מַע כשמע לְשֵׁ֣מַֽע לשמע שְׁמַעְתִּ֑יךָ שִׁמְעֲךָ֔ שִׁמְעֲךָ֖ שִׁמְעֲךָ֗ שִׁמְעֲךָ֮ שִׁמְעִי֙ שִׁמְעָ֔ם שִׁמְעָ֖ם שִׁמְעָֽהּ׃ שֵׁ֖מַע שֵׁ֣מַע שֵׁ֣מַע ׀ שֵׁ֥מַע שָׁ֑מַע שמע שמעה׃ שמעי שמעך שמעם שמעתיך kə·šê·ma‘ kəšêma‘ keShema lə·šê·ma‘ ləšêma‘ leShema šā·ma‘ šāma‘ šê·ma‘ šə·ma‘·tî·ḵā šêma‘ šəma‘tîḵā Shama Shema shemaTicha shimaCha shimAh shimAm shimI šim‘āh šim‘ăḵā šim‘ām šim‘î šim·‘ă·ḵā šim·‘āh šim·‘ām šim·‘î
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