שָׁמַע
to hear
also: listen to, obey fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Qal verb in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
Stem
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”). Here: ‘subj. pers. hum.’
- Niphal
- Usually the simple passive or reflexive of the Qal (“he was written”). Here: ‘be heard’
- Hiphil
- The causative active stem (“he caused / brought about”). Here: ‘of man’
- Piel
- An intensive or resultative active stem.
Form
- Imperative
- A direct command (“write!”).
- Sequential Imperfect
- An imperfect with prefixed waw — the standard past-narrative form (waw-consecutive imperfect).
- Infinitive Construct
- A bound verbal noun, frequently with prepositions (“to write / in writing”).
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
- Imperfect
- An incomplete, ongoing, or future action (“he will / would write”).
- Participle Active
- A verbal adjective expressing ongoing or characteristic action (“writing / one who writes”).
- Sequential Perfect
- A perfect with prefixed waw continuing a preceding imperfect or command (waw-consecutive perfect).
- Infinitive Absolute
- An unbound verbal noun, often intensifying or standing in for a finite verb.
- Jussive
- A third- or second-person volitional form expressing wish or command (“let him write”).
- Cohortative
- A first-person volitional form expressing wish or resolve (“let me / let us write”).
- Participle Passive
- A verbal adjective expressing action received (“written”).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Person
- 2nd Person
- The one addressed (“you”).
- 3rd Person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
- 1st Person
- The speaker (“I / we”).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Common
- Either gender — not distinguished for this form.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
- Singular
- One.
Every verse where H8085 appears in the Book of Exodus — 44 distinct verses. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Exodus
- Exodus 2:15 וַ/יִּשְׁמַ֤ע conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.
- Exodus 2:24 וַ/יִּשְׁמַ֥ע conj + Qal wimpf 3ms God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
- Exodus 3:7 שָׁמַ֨עְתִּי֙ Qal pf 1cs Yahweh said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
- Exodus 3:18 וְ/שָׁמְע֖וּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp They will listen to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, 'Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh, our God.'
- Exodus 4:1 יִשְׁמְע֖וּ Qal impf 3mp Moses answered, "But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, 'Yahweh has not appeared to you.'"
- Exodus 4:8 יִשְׁמְע֔וּ Qal impf 3mp "It will happen, if they will neither believe you nor listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
- Exodus 4:9 יִשְׁמְעוּ/ן֙ Qal impf 3mp + sfx n It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land."
- Exodus 4:31 וַֽ/יִּשְׁמְע֡וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp The people believed, and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.
- Exodus 5:2 אֶשְׁמַ֣ע Qal impf 1cs Pharaoh said, "Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don't know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go."
- Exodus 6:5 שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי Qal pf 1cs Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.
- Exodus 6:9 שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ Qal pf 3cp Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn't listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
- Exodus 6:12 שָׁמְע֣וּ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣/נִי Qal pf 3cp Qal impf 3ms + sfx pers 1cs Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, "Behold, the children of Israel haven't listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am of uncircumcised lips?"
- Exodus 6:30 יִשְׁמַ֥ע Qal impf 3ms Moses said before Yahweh, "Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?"
- Exodus 7:4 יִשְׁמַ֤ע Qal impf 3ms But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
- Exodus 7:13 שָׁמַ֖ע Qal pf 3ms Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.
- Exodus 7:16 שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ Qal pf 2ms You shall tell him, 'Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness:" and, behold, until now you haven't listened.
- Exodus 7:22 שָׁמַ֣ע Qal pf 3ms The magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.
- Exodus 8:15 שָׁמַ֖ע Qal pf 3ms But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and didn't listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.
- Exodus 8:19 שָׁמַ֣ע Qal pf 3ms Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God:" and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.
- Exodus 9:12 שָׁמַ֖ע Qal pf 3ms Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn't listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.
- Exodus 11:9 יִשְׁמַ֥ע Qal impf 3ms Yahweh said to Moses, "Pharaoh won't listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt."
- Exodus 15:14 שָֽׁמְע֥וּ Qal pf 3cp The peoples have heard. They tremble. Pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia.
- Exodus 15:26 שָׁמ֨וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַ֜ע Qal inf.abs Qal impf 2ms and he said, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am Yahweh who heals you."
- Exodus 16:7 בְּ/שָׁמְע֥/וֹ prep + Qal inf.cs + sfx pers 3ms and in the morning, then you shall see the glory of Yahweh; because he hears your murmurings against Yahweh. Who are we, that you murmur against us?"
- Exodus 16:8 בִּ/שְׁמֹ֤עַ prep + Qal inf.cs Moses said, "Now Yahweh shall give you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to satisfy you; because Yahweh hears your murmurings which you murmur against him. And who are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against Yahweh."
- Exodus 16:9 שָׁמַ֔ע Qal pf 3ms Moses said to Aaron, "Tell all the congregation of the children of Israel, 'Come near before Yahweh, for he has heard your murmurings.'"
- Exodus 16:12 שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי Qal pf 1cs "I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, 'At evening you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread: and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God.'"
- Exodus 16:20 שָׁמְע֣וּ Qal pf 3cp Notwithstanding they didn't listen to Moses, but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and became foul: and Moses was angry with them.
- Exodus 18:1 וַ/יִּשְׁמַ֞ע conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, how that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.
- Exodus 18:19 שְׁמַ֤ע Qal impv 2ms Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.
- Exodus 18:24 וַ/יִּשְׁמַ֥ע conj + Qal wimpf 3ms So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
- Exodus 19:5 שָׁמ֤וֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ Qal inf.abs Qal impf 2mp Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine;
- Exodus 19:9 יִשְׁמַ֤ע Qal impf 3ms Yahweh said to Moses, "Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever." Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh.
- Exodus 20:19 וְ/נִשְׁמָ֑עָה conj + Qal coh 1cp They said to Moses, "Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don't let God speak with us, lest we die."
- Exodus 22:23 שָׁמֹ֥עַ אֶשְׁמַ֖ע Qal inf.abs Qal impf 1cs If you take advantage of them at all, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry;
- Exodus 22:27 וְ/שָׁמַעְתִּ֖י conj + Qal wpf 1cs for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What would he sleep in? It will happen, when he cries to me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.
- Exodus 23:13 יִשָּׁמַ֖ע Niphal impf 3ms "Be careful to do all things that I have said to you; and don't invoke the name of other gods, neither let them be heard out of your mouth.
- Exodus 23:21 וּ/שְׁמַ֥ע conj + Qal impv 2ms Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don't provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.
- Exodus 23:22 שָׁמֹ֤עַ תִּשְׁמַע֙ Qal inf.abs Qal impf 2ms But if you indeed listen to his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.
- Exodus 24:7 וְ/נִשְׁמָֽע conj + Qal impf 1cp He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, "All that Yahweh has spoken will we do, and be obedient."
- Exodus 28:35 וְ/נִשְׁמַ֣ע conj + Niphal wpf 3ms It shall be on Aaron to minister: and the sound of it shall be heard when he goes in to the holy place before Yahweh, and when he comes out, that he not die.
- Exodus 32:17 וַ/יִּשְׁמַ֧ע conj + Qal wimpf 3ms When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is the noise of war in the camp."
- Exodus 32:18 שֹׁמֵֽעַ Qal ptcp.act ms He said, "It isn't the voice of those who shout for victory, neither is it the voice of those who cry for being overcome; but the noise of those who sing that I hear."
- Exodus 33:4 וַ/יִּשְׁמַ֣ע conj + Qal wimpf 3ms When the people heard this evil news, they mourned: and no one put on his jewelry.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
שמע (shâmaʻ) is a Hebrew word most often rendered “to hear.” Translators differ — “hear” in the King James Version, then “listen” (unfoldingWord Literal Text), as the renderings breakdown shows. It turns up in 1,072 verses across 39 books, one of the most common footprint. It first appears in Genesis 3:8. It also covers “listen to” and “obey”, alongside “to hear” — see its full sense range. The sections below give every sense, occurrence, and version rendering.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H8085 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 1,072
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 1,072 distinct verses.
- 39 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 39 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #32
- by frequency
- Top 50 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 32 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 1,072 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Jeremiah 168 verses 16%
- Isaiah 95 verses 9%
- Deuteronomy 82 verses 8%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 1,072 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 583 verses · 54%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 267 verses · 25%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 222 verses · 21%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 3 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Hear 202×, Heard 142×, Hearken 58×
- American Standard Version†: Hear 173×, Heard 114×, Hearken 48×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Hear 169×, Listen 167×, Heard 114×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Listen 189×, Hear 182×, Heard 163×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H8085 across 1,160† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 264 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H8085 across 1,157† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 300 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H8085 across 1,133† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 202 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 26 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H8085 across 1,441† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 145 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
41 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each.
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 41 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
שמע I hear (NH id.
Qal
- Pf. 3 ms. שׁ׳ Gn 24:52 +, שָׁמֵ֑עַ Je 36:13 + 3 times; 2 fs. שָׁמַעַתְּ 1 K 1:11 + 2 times; 3 pl. שָׁמֵ֑עוּ Ju 2:17 + 12 times; Impf. 3 ms. יִשְׁמַע Ex 6:30 +, 1 s. cohort. אֶשִׁמְעָה Nu 9:8, וָאֶשְׁמֳעָה (on—ֳ cf. Ges§ 10 h; Ol § 65 c. qu. reading) Dn 8:13; 2 mpl. תִּשְׁמְע֔וּן Dt 8:20 +, תִּשְׁמָע֔וּן Dt 1:17, etc.; Imv. ms. שְׁמַע Am 7:16 +, שִׁמְעָה Jb 32:10 + (especially ψψ), שְׁמָ֮עָה֮ Dn 9:19; fpl. שְׁמַ֫עְנָה Is 32:9; Je 9:19, שְׁמַ֫עַן Gn 4:23 (Ges§ 46 f), etc.; Inf. abs. שָׁמוֹעַ Is 6:9 +; cstr. שְׁמֹעַ 1 S 15:22 +; sf. שָׁמְעוֹ Dt 29:18 +, שָׁמְעָתוֹ Is 30:19 (Ges§ 45 d), etc.; Pt. שֹׁמֵעַ Gn 42:23 +; f. שֹׁמַ֫עַת Gn 18:10 +, etc.;— e.g. Genesis 24:52
- 1. subj. pers. hum. (vel rei personif.):
- a. hear (perceive by ear), acc. rei, especially קוֹל Gn 3:10 (J) + 46 times, דבר(ים) Am 8:11 + 50 times, etc.; acc. חָכְמָה i.e. wise sayings 1 K 5:14 + 4 times; any utterance or sound (c. 150 times) + (obj. om.) Dt 4:33 + 32 times + (cl. temp.) 1 S 14:27 + 6 times; c. ב 1 S 14:6, שׁ׳ בְּסוֹד י׳ Jb 15:8; 26:14; 37:2; c. obj. cl., כִּי Ex 4:31 + 52 times + Is 39:1b (read כִּי שׁ׳ 𝔊 𝔖 ‖ 2 K 20:12), אֶת־אֲשֶׁר Jos 2:10; 5:1 (both RD),—ֹֹמַה־ Ju 7:11 + 3 times; without connect. שׁ׳ אֹתָהּ עָשִׂיתִי †2 K 19:25 = Is 37:26; sq. orat. rect. †Is 40:28; Zc 8:23. e.g. Genesis 3:10
- b. acc. pers. + מְדַבֵּר hear one speaking Gn 27:6 (J), Je 26:7; Dn 8:13, so בֹּכֶה Nu 11:10 (J), נִבָּא Je 20:1, מְקַלְלֶ֑ךָ Ec 7:21; occas. pers. om., דֹּבְרִים Gn 37:17 (JE), אֶת־מִדַּבֵּר Ez 2:2; 43:6 (v. דבר Hithp.); acc. pers. only Dn 12:7. e.g. Genesis 27:6
- c. c. לֵאמֹר only, hear say = hear it said, 1 S 13:4; 2 S 19:3; Dt 13:13; Jos 22:11 (P), 1 K 16:16; + עַל pers. concerning Gn 41:15 (E), Is 37:9; אֶל pers. id. 2 K 19:9. e.g. 1 Samuel 13:4
- d. hear of, concerning: (1) acc. rei, אֵת (כָּל־)אֲשֶׁר Ex 18:1; 2 K 19:11 + 5 times, דבר(ים) 1 S 3:11 + 4 times, רָעָה Je 19:3 + 5 times, etc.; כַּאֲשֶׁר 1 S 23:11 ψ 48:9, כָּזֹאת Is 66:8 hear of anything like this, כָּאֵלֶּה Je 18:13; acc., etc., om. Ju 9:46 + 43 times; (2) less often acc. pers. Jb 42:5, אֶל pers. Ez 19:4, pers. om. Dt 9:2; c. ב pers. hear exultantly of their fate †ψ 92:12 (prob. imitated from ‖ הִבִּיט בְּ v a; v. especially ראה 8 a (6)). e.g. Exodus 18:1
- e. hear, abs., = have power to hear, 2 S 19:36 (c. בְּקוֹל), Is 21:3; 32:3; Pr 20:12; Zc 7:11; in sim. ψ 38:15; c. neg. of idols Dt 4:28 ψ 115:6; fig. (spiritual power) Je 5:21; Dt 29:3; Ez 12:2; Is 42:20.—Pr 21:28 is probably corrupt, v. Toy. e.g. 2 Samuel 19:36
- f. hear with attention, interest, listen to (sometimes ‖ הֶאֱזִין, הִקְשִׁיב), acc. דבר(ים) (54 times) Am 4:1 +, especially דבר(י) י׳ Nu 12:6 (JE) + 45 times; אִמְרָה Is 28:23, קוֹל v 23, זֹאת Mi 3:9, etc.; often abs. Ju 5:3 + 57 times, + (neg.) ψ 38:14 pay no attention; abs. לֵב שֹׁמֵעַ 1 K 3:9, אִישׁ שֹׁמֵעַ Pr 21:28. e.g. Amos 4:1
- g. understand (language), שָׂפָה Gn 11:7 (J), Is 33:19, לָשׁוֹן Dt 28:49, דְּבָרִים Ez 3:6, מַה־יְּדַבֵּר Je 5:15, no acc. Gn 42:23 (E), 2 K 18:26 = Is 36:11. e.g. Genesis 11:7
- h. specif. of hearing a (judicial) case, דָּבָר Dt 1:17, cf. v 17; acc. om. בֵּין pers. v 16, of י׳ Ju 11:10; c. מִשְׁפָּט 1 K 3:11; לִשׁ׳ הַטּוֹב וְהָרֵע 2 S 14:17, וְשֹׁמֵע אֵין לְךָ 15:3, cf. Jb 31:35. e.g. Deuteronomy 1:17
- i. c. acc. pers. in polite address, hear us (me)! Gn 23:6, 8, 11, 13, 15 (all P), 1 Ch 28:2; 2 Ch 13:4; 15:2; 20:20. e.g. Genesis 23:6
- j. listen, give heed (sometimes ‖ הִקְשִׁיב), abs., Gn 42:21 (E) + 18 times, + (usually ‖ הִטָּה אֹזֶן), Je 7:13 + 14 times Je, + (opp. חָדַל) Ez 2:5 + 3 times Ez; + שִׂים עַל־לֵב Mal 2:2; hear + do Dt 5:24; 2 K 18:12, etc.; = consent, agree, Gn 37:27 (J), grant request Ju 11:17; c. ל pers. (mostly late) Ju 19:25; 1 S 30:24; Jb 15:17 + 16 times, לי׳ Ho 9:17; Lv 26:14, 18, 21, 27; לְדִבְרֵי י׳ 1 S 15:1, לְעֵצָה Pr 12:15. k. c. אֶל pers. + listen to, yield to Gn 49:2; Ju 2:17 + 69 times (אֶל־י׳ 15 times, especially Je 7:26 + 10 times Je), עַל pers. 2 K 20:13; אֶל־דִּבְרֵי etc., Dt 18:19; Je 29:19 + 14 times, עַל־דִּבְרֵי etc., 2 K 22:13 + 3 times; very rarely acc. rei 1 S 24:10 (Gi v 9). l. שׁ׳ לְקוֹל = id., obey, Gn 3:17 (J) + 11 times + (לְקוֹל י׳) Ju 2:20; Ex 15:26 (JE). m. very often, שׁ׳ בְּקוֹל = obey 1 S 8:7 + 25 times, + שׁ׳ בְּקוֹל י׳ (י׳’s word, etc.) Dt 4:30; Je 3:13 + 65 times (Dt 18 times, Je 18 times). n. obey, c. acc. דבר(ים) Jos 1:18 + 2 times + (ד׳ י׳) Je 11:3 + 5 times Je, 1 K 12:24 = 2 Ch 11:4, etc.; acc. pers. Ex 6:12 (P), 2 Ch 28:11. o. abs. be obedient (especially to י׳) Is 1:19; Mi 5:14; Je 12:17 + 4 times Je + 7 times. e.g. Genesis 42:21
- 2. י׳ (God) subj.:
- a. acc. קוֹל, דברים, etc., Gn 21:17 (E), 2 K 19:4(×2), 16, usually with favour implied Nu 20:16; Dt 33:7 +, so especially acc. תְּפִלָּה, תְּחִנָּה, etc., 1 K 8:45 ψ 6:10 +. e.g. Genesis 21:17
- b. obj. cl. כִּי Gn 29:33 (J). e.g. Genesis 29:33
- c. no obj. (32 times) Is 59:2; Je 22:21, usually hear and forgive, help, etc., 1 K 8:30, 32; Is 30:19 +; hear and be angry ψ 78:59, cf. 55:20. e.g. Isaiah 59:2
- d. = be able to hear Is 59:1 ψ 94:9. e.g. Isaiah 59:1
- e. שׁ׳ בְּקוֹל = hear (and grant) Gn 30:6 (J) + 6 times. e.g. Genesis 30:6
- f. hear and answer, c. אֶל of cry, etc., Gn 21:17; 16:11 1 K 8:28 + 8 times; c. אֶל pers. Dt 3:26 + 12 times. e.g. Genesis 21:17
- g. c. לְ of utterance Je 18:19 ψ 61:6; ל pers. Jos 24:10 (E). e.g. Jeremiah 18:19
- h. hear, acc. pers. + מִתְנוֹדֵד Je 31:18; favourably, c. acc. pers. Mi 7:7 + 3 times, so, + ל concerning, Gn 17:20 (P); obj. om. 2 K 22:19 ψ 22:25 + 3 times + ψ 34:7, 18 (hear and deliver); c. cl. temp. Je 11:14. e.g. Jeremiah 31:18
Niphal
- Pf. 3 ms. נִשְׁמַע Gn 45:16 +, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִשָּׁמַע Ex 23:13 +, יִשָּׁמֵ֑עַ 1 S 1:13, etc.; Inf. cstr. הִשָּׁמַע Est 2:8; Pt. f. נִשְׁמַ֫עַת Je 51:46, etc.;— e.g. Genesis 45:16
- 1. be heard, of voice, sound, etc., 1 S 1:13; 1 K 6:7; Jb 26:14 (or 1 pl. Qal Impf.?); of a report, נִשׁ׳ … לֵאמֹר Gn 45:16 (E); subj. cl., כִּי, Ne 6:1 (ל pers.), cf. cl. וְהַיְהוּדִים חשְׁבִים Ne 6:6; v 7 be reported, (לַמֶּלֶךְ) כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה; be heard, לִפְנֵי אֱלֹהֶיךָ Dn 10:12. e.g. 1 Samuel 1:13
- 2. be heard of, כָּמֹהוּ Dt 4:32. e.g. Deuteronomy 4:32
- 3. be regarded, obeyed, Ec 9:17; in 2 S 22:45 = ψ 18:45 it is be obedient (לִי), si vera l. (read perhaps Qal, cf. Now). e.g. Ecclesiastes 9:17
- 4. וַיִּשּׁ׳ בְּקוֹלָם 2 Ch 30:27 = (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice. e.g. 2 Chronicles 30:27
Piel
- Impf. 3 ms. וַיְשַׁמַּע 1 S 15:4 he caused the people (acc.) to hear (and respond, i.e. he assembled them), so 23:8 (v. Hiph. 1 d). e.g. 1 Samuel 15:4
Hiphil
- Pf. 3 ms. הִשְׁמִיעַ 1 K 15:22 +, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. sf. יַשְׁמִעֵנִי Dt 30:12, 13; 2 ms. juss. תַּשְׁמַע Ju 18:25, etc.; Imv. ms. sf. הַשְׁמִיעֵנִי ψ 143:8; fs. sf. הַשְׁמִיעִנִי Ct 2:14; 8:13, etc.; Inf. cstr. לַשְׁמִעַ ψ 26:7 (Ges§ 53q); Pt. מַשְׁמִיעַ Je 4:15 +, etc.;— e.g. 1 Kings 15:22
- 1. of man:
- a. cause to hear, acc. pers. + rei Dt 30:12, 13; Ct 2:14; 8:13 + 4 times; obj. rei om. (= make proclamation to) 1 K 15:22; obj. pers. om. Je 5:20 +; acc. שָׁלוֹם †Is 52:7; Na 2:1 i.e. proclaim peace; אָוֶן †Je 4:15 (מִן loc.); הַשׁ׳ קוֹל utter a sound Jos 6:10 (J; ‖ הֵרִיעַ), cf. Ju 18:25 (קוֹלְךָ, + עִמָּנוּ), Is 42:2; 58:4; הִשׁ׳ קוֹל תְּהִלָּתוֹ †ψ 66:8, בְּקוֹל תּוֹדָה †26:7. e.g. Deuteronomy 30:12
- b. abs. as musical term, sound aloud, בִּמְצִלְתַּיִם לְהַשְׁמִיעַ 1 Ch 15:19 (perhaps to mark the time, Gr ψ 67 De: cf. 16:5; also ψ 150:5 בְּצִלְצְלֵי שָׁ֑מַע), מַשְׁמִיעִים 15:16, 28; 16:42, לְהַשׁ׳ קוֹל אֶחָד 2 Ch 5:13 i.e. prob. in unison (PrinceEB iii. 3241), Ne 12:42. e.g. 1 Chronicles 15:19
- c. abs. make proclamation (often ‖ הִגִּיד), Am 3:9; 4:5; Is 41:26; Je 4:5 + 6 times Je. e.g. Amos 3:9
- d. הַשְׁמִיעוּ, acc. pers. + אֶל loc. = summon Je 50:29, עַל loc. 51:27 (cf. Pi.). e.g. Jeremiah 50:29
- 2. י׳ subj.:
- a. cause to hear, acc. pers. et rei Dt 4:10, 36 (מִן loc.), 2 K 7:6 + 4 times; acc. pers. om. Is 30:30 + 3 times; acc. rei om. 44:8; 48:5. e.g. Deuteronomy 4:10
- b. = tell, acc. pers. + כָּזֹאת Ju 13:23; acc. pers. only, Is 42:9; acc. rei only, 48:3; Ez 36:15 (אֵלַיִךְ). e.g. Judges 13:23
- c. abs., make proclamation Is 43:12; 62:11 (אֶל loc.). e.g. Isaiah 43:12
שמע II [m.] sound
שמע III m. usually Σαμα(α), Σεμαα (cf. Sab. n.pr. סמע Hal509)
- 1. in Judah 1 Ch 2:44, שָׁ֑מַע v 43. e.g. 1 Chronicles 2:44
- 2. in Reuben 5:8. e.g. 1 Chronicles 5:8
- 3. in Benj. 8:13 (= שִׁמְעִי v 21). e.g. 1 Chronicles 8:13
- 4. post-ex. Ne 8:4, Σαμαιας. e.g. Nehemiah 8:4
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. vb. hear (NH id.; Ph. שמע Lzb378; Assyrian šemǔ; Arabic سَمِعَ; Sab. סמע, mostly in deriv., especially epith. div. סמע he who hears HomChr 124 FellZMG iiv (1900), 250, 252 DHMHofmus. No. 10, l. 1; Ethiopic ሰምዐ Aramaic שְׁמַע, ܫܡܰܥ, Old Aramaic שמע Lzb 378; cf. also משמעת MI 28 obedience);—
II. n.pr.m. usually Σαμα(α), Σεμαα (cf. Sab. n.pr. סמע Hal509);—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: a primitive root
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
שָׁמַע
- (b. h.) [to be still,] to hear, listen, obey; to understand. R. Hash. IV, 2 כל עיר … ושׁוֹמַעַת וכ׳ every township near Jerusalem from where you can see (the city) and hear (the Shofar) &c. Ib. 21ᵇ עד שיִשְׁמְעוּ … מקודש until they heard from the mouth of the court m’ḳuddash (v. קָרַשׁ). Snh. 90ᵃ שְׁמַע לו listen to him (obey the prophet’s command); אל תִּשְׁמַע לו listen not to him. Keth. 5ᵇ אם יִשְׁמַע וכ׳ if a man hears an improper word &c., v. שָׁפָה II. Ber. 13ᵃ the text (Deut. VI, 4) says ‘hear’ (or ‘understand’), בכל לשון שאתה שׁוֹמֵעַ recite the Sh’mʿa in whatever language you understand. R. Hash. III, 7 אם קול שופר ש׳ if he heard the sound of a Shofar; ואם קול הברה ש׳, v. הֲבָרָה. Y. Hor. I, 46ᵃ top נותנין לו שהות עד שׁיִשְׁמַע we allow him time enough that he may have heard (the decision of the other court), opp. to עד שישמע (not שישפע) (he is not guilty) until he has really heard it; a. v. fr. e.g. Deuteronomy 6:4
- 1. to cause to hear; to announce. Ber. l. c. הַשְׁמַע לאזניך וכ׳ let thy ears hear what thou utterest &c. Ib. לא ה׳ לאזנו if he read the Sh’inʿa inaudibly to himself. R. Hash. 28ᵇ עד שיתכוין שומע ומַשְׁמִיעַ until he that hears (the Shofar) and he that causes to hear (that blows) have the intention to perform a religious act. Shek. I, 1 מַשְׁמִיעִין על השקלים וכ׳ (Y. ed. מְשַׁמְּעִין, Pi.) public announcement is made concerning the contribution of the half-Shekels &c.; a. fr.
- 2. (sub. עצמו) to show one’s self obedient, be persuaded, surrender, v. Nif.
- 1. to announce, v. supra. Y. Shek. I, beg. 45ᶜ; Y. Meg. I, 71ᵃ.
- 2. to assemble for mourning services, invite. Snh. 47ᵃ הלינו לכבודו לשַׁמֵּעַ עליו וכ׳ if burial is postponed for the honor of the dead, to assemble the surrounding townships for his funeral, to bring on lamenting women &c.
- 1. to be heard; to be listened to, be obeyed. Ber. 6ᵃ אין תפלה … נִשְׁמַעַת וכ׳ man’s prayer is heard only in the house of prayer. Y. ib. V, end, 9ᵇ שׁנִשְׁמְעָה תפלתו that his prayer will be heard (his petition be granted). Erub. 18ᵇ כל בית שׁנִשְׁמָעִין וכ׳ a house in which the words of the Law are heard by night will never be destroyed. Yeb. 65ᵇ כשם … דבר הנִשְׁמָע וכ׳ as well as it is proper to say a thing that has been heard (to mention one’s authority), so it is proper not to say a thing that has not been heard (for which you cannot cite your authority); a. fr.
- 2. to show one’s self willing; to submit to authority; (of woman) to surrender. R. Hash. 25ᵇ אשרי הדור שהגדולים נִשְׁמָעִים וכ׳ blessed the generation in which the superiors (in wisdom) submit to the authority of their inferiors, and how much more when inferiors acknowledge the authority of their superiors!—Snh. 82ᵃ הִשָּׁמְעִי לי (ed. הַשְׁמִיעִי לי) surrender thyself to me; לא תִשָּׁמְעִי אלא וכ׳ surrender thyself only to a prominent man among them; Sifré Num. 131; ib. רצונך שׁאֶשָּׁמַע לך הנזר וכ׳ if thou desirest me to surrender myself to thee, renounce the law of Moses; Yalk. ib. 771. Y. Succ. V, 55ᵇ top נִשְׁמָעוֹת … לליגיונותי וכ׳ if you will surrender to my legions, I will not put you to death. Snh. 93ᵃ הַשְׁמִיעִי אל וכ׳ surrender thyself to Zedekiah; a. fr.
שְׁמַע I
- Targ. Gen. XXVII, 5. Targ. Ex. XVIII, 1. Targ. Job IV, 16; a. v. fr.—Part. pass. שְׁמִיעַ; f. שְׁמִיעָא. Targ. Ps. XXIX, 3, sq. Targ. II Chr. VII, 12; a. fr.—Y. Ter. X, 47ᵇ bot. אנא מה דשַׁמְעִית ואינון מה דשַׁמְעוּן I report what I have heard, and they, what they have heard. Sabb. 46ᵇ הא שַׁמְעִינָן ליה לר"ש וכ׳ have we not heard what R. S. says &c.? Y. Sot. VII, beg. 21ᵇ, v. אֲלִנִיסְטִי; a. v. fr.—שמיע ל־ he has heard, he knows of. Erub. 9ᵇ ור"י מי לא ש׳ ליה הא but has R. J. not heard that (does he not know that Boraitha of R. Ḥiya)? ש׳ ליה ולא סבר (v. Rabb. D. S. a. l.) he knows of it, but does not accept it. Ib. 10ᵃ, a. fr. לא ש׳ לי הא שמעתתא this tradition is not known to me. Pes. 34ᵃ מידי ש׳ לך בהא do you know anything about this (hălakhah)?; a. v. fr.—Esp. שמע מ־ to understand from, to infer, prove. Ab. Zar. 72ᵇ, a. fr. ש׳ מינה וכ׳ (abbrev. ש"מ) deduce from this that &c. Ib. שַׁמְעַת מינה וכ׳ wilt thou conclude from this that &c.? Ib., a. fr. אלא מהא ליכא למִשְׁמַע מינה but (the conclusion is,) you can derive nothing from this.—Ib., a. fr. תא שמע (abbrev. ת"ש; v. אֲתָא) come and learn, i.e. derive it from the following. Sabb. 13ᵇ ת"ש … ש"מ ואלו תנן ש"מ I will prove it (from this Tosefta): ‘you must not …, and those are some of the halakhoth &c.’, which proves that the right version is ‘and those’: it stands proved. Y. M. Kat. III, 83ᵃ top נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מן הדא let us prove it from this; a. v. fr.
- 1. to make music; to sing, v. Af.
- שַׁמְּעָא) to minister to, be an attendant of. Ber. 41ᵇ מאן … ונְשַׁמְּעִינָךְ would that we had iron feet, that we could always wait on thee! Meg. 28ᵇ ניחא לי דאֲשַׁמְּעֵיה למר (Ms. M. דאשתמש ליה למר, v. Rabb. D. S. a. l.) it gives me pleasure to be your servant; a. e.
- 1. to cause to hear, cause to be heard, announce, proclaim. Targ. Deut. IV, 36. Targ. Is. LII, 7. Targ. Ps. XXVI, 7; a. fr.—Esp. (interch. with Pa.) to make music, play; to be a musician. Targ. I Sam. XXIX, 5 (Ms. Pa.). Targ. I Chr. XV, 16. Ib. XVI, 42 מַשְׁמְעַיָּא ed. Lag. (ed. Rahmer משמעייאה, Var. מַשְׁמְעַיָּה; h. text מַשְׁמִיעִים) musicians. Targ. Ps. CL, 5 דמְשַׁמְּעִין לבדוחא Ms. (ed. Lag. דמשמעין בלחודיהון; ed. Wil. a. oth. דשמעין בלחודיהון, corr. acc.). Ib. דמַשְׁ׳ ביבבא (Ms. Pa.).
- 2. to give to understand; to teach, prove. Ber. 2ᵃ מילתא … קא מַשְׁמַע לן וכ׳ (the Tannai in using such an expression) wants to teach us something by the way: when do the priests eat &c.; והא קמשמע לן וכ׳ (abbrev. קמ"ל) and it is this he teaches us, that the sacrifice of atonement is not indispensable &c. Ib. 4ᵇ לאפוקי … קמ"ל דחובה in opposition to the opinion that the evening prayer is optional, he gives us to understand that it is obligatory. Sabb. 19ᵃ מהו דתימא … קמ"ל you may have thought (that the cases are different, because) this devolves upon him, and the other does not, therefore he teaches us (that they are the same). Ib. 108ᵃ מאי קמ"ל what does he teach us (is it not a matter of course)? Ber. 21ᵃ sq. דאי אַשְׁמְעִינָן וכ׳, v. צְרִיךְ; a. v. fr.—Part. pass. מַשְׁמֵע a) understood. Yeb. 102ᵇ מ׳ הכי ומ׳ הכי it may be understood thus (it may mean, ‘to take off’), and may be understood thus (it may mean, ‘to strengthen’); a. fr.—2) inferred, proved; evidence. Sabb. 84ᵇ מאי מ׳ how is this proved (from the verse quoted)? Erub. 65ᵃ מאי מ׳ וכ׳ what evidence is there &c.?, v. פּוּק. Ib. מַשְׁמְעֵי, v. infra; a. fr.—V. מַשְׁמָע.
- 1. to be heard, let one’s self be heard. Targ. Gen. XLV, 16. Targ. Job XXXVII, 4 Ms. (ed. ישמע). Targ. Ps. LXXVII, 19; a. fr.—Snh. 95ᵇ (prov.) אגב אורחך … א׳ on thy road let thy enemy hear from thee, i.e. take revenge when occasion offers. R. Hash. 27ᵃ תרתי … לא מִשְׁתַּמְּעֵי … משתמעי two different sounds produced simultaneously by the same person are not distinctly perceived, but if produced by two persons, they are. Erub. l. c. מכדי קראי מִשְׁתַּמְּעֵי בין למר וכ׳ Ms. M. (ed. משמעי, v. Rabb. D. S. a. l. note) since verses may be quoted in favor of the one as well as of the other, what is the practical difference between them?; a. fr.
- 2. to make one’s self subservient, obey; to surrender to the enemy, desert. Targ. II Kings XXV, 11 (h. text נפלו). Ib. VII, 4. Targ. Ps. XVIII, 45; II Sam. XXII, 45; a. fr. e.g. 2 Samuel 22:45
שְׁמַע II
- (v. Deut. VI, 4) Sh’mʿa, the confession of faith in the morning and evening prayers (recitation of Deut. VI, 4-9; XI, 13-21; Num. XVI, 37-41). Targ. Y. I Num. XXV, 6. Targ. II Esth. III, 8.—Ber. I, 1 מאימתי קורין את ש׳ וכ׳ from what time of the day may we read the Sh’mʿa of the evening prayer? Ib. II, 2 (13ᵃ) למה קדמה (פרשת) ש׳ וכ׳ why does the reading of the section of Sh’mʿa (Deut. VI, 4–9) precede that of v’hayah (ib. XI, 13-21) Ib. בין שניה לש׳ ובין ש׳ וכ׳ between the second benediction and Sh’mʿa (the first section), and between Sh’mʿa and v’hayah &c.; a. fr.—קריאת ש׳ (abbr. ק"ש), v. קְרִיאָה. Ib. 2ᵃ ק"ש דשכיבה the recitation of Sh’mʿa at bed-time. Num. R. s. 2020 עומדין … וחוטפין ק"ש וכ׳ they rise from their sleep like lions, and hasten to read the Sh’mʿa, and proclaim the kingship of the Lord &c. Ib. והוא … בק"ש משומרי וכ׳ and with the recital of the Sh’mʿa he is handed over from the guards of the day to those of the night. Ber. 4ᵇ אע"פ שקרא אדם ק"ש וכ׳ although one has read the Sh. in synagogue, it is proper to recite it again on going to bed. Ib. 5ᵃ אם … ואם לאו יקרא ק"ש if he conquers it (the evil thought), it is well, and if not, let him read the Sh.; a. v. fr. e.g. Deuteronomy 6:4
שֵׁמַע
- 1. report, fame. Deut. R. s. 1, end היו … שומעים שִׁמְעֲכֶם וכ׳ the nations heard of your fame and were afraid; a. e.
- 2. = מִשְׁמָע understanding, meaning. Sifré Num. 142 (ref. to Num. XXVIII, 3) כשִׁמְעוֹ וכ׳ (trad. pronunc. כִּשְׁמָעוֹ) according to its literal meaning, two each day. e.g. Numbers 28:3
שֵׁמַע ²
- , report, fame. Targ. Gen. XXIX, 13. Targ. Ps. XVIII, 45; II Sam. XXII, 45 ed. Lag. (oth. שְׁמוֹעַ, שְׁמוּעַ). Targ. Josh. VI, 27 שִׁמְעֵיה (some ed. שָׁמְ׳); a. e. e.g. 2 Samuel 22:45
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 535 distinct written forms H8085 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that stem’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 475 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H8085, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derived from this word
- השמעות hashmâʻûwth H2045 report
- משמע mishmâʻ H4926 rumor
- שמע shᵉmaʻ H8086 to hear
- שמע shêmaʻ H8088 hearing
- שמע shômaʻ H8089 report
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
- אשתמע ʼEshtᵉmôaʻ H851 Eshtemoh
- ישמעאל Yishmâʻêʼl H3458 Ishmael
- ישמעיה Yishmaʻyâh H3460 Ishmaiah
- שמואל Shᵉmûwʼêl H8050 Samuel
- שמע Shâmâʻ H8091 Shama
- שמעון Shimʻôwn H8095 Simeon
- שמעיה Shᵉmaʻyâh H8098 Shemaiah
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 13 — not the complete family. 7 of the same-root words are proper names (people or places). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 990 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 1,072 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 3:8
- Exodus 2:15
- Leviticus 5:1
- Numbers 7:89
- Deuteronomy 1:16
- Joshua 1:17
- Judges 2:2
- Ruth 1:6
- 1 Samuel 1:13
- 2 Samuel 3:28
- 1 Kings 1:11
- 2 Kings 3:21
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
