שָׁמַע

hebrewOld TestamentVerb1,159 occurrences39 books1,072 verses

Definition

a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
Traditional renderings: × 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.

In the Greek Old Testament

How the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament renders שָׁמַע:

ἀκούωakouō“to hear”76%
εἰσακούωeisakouō“to listen to”14%
ὑπακούωhupakouō“to obey”2%
ἐπακούωepakouō“to listen to”1%
ἀκοήakoē“hearing”1%

Usage patterns

LawHistoryPoetryProphetsGospelsEpistles

Old TestamentNew Testament

Occurrences

1,159 total

1 Chronicles 15:19לְהַשְׁמִֽיעַ׃ · were to sound
The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals.
1 Chronicles 15:28מַשְׁמִעִ֕ים · and the music
So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and with cymbals and the music of harps and lyres.
1 Chronicles 16:5מַשְׁמִֽיעַ׃ · sounded
Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals
1 Chronicles 16:42לְמַשְׁמִיעִ֔ים · for the music
Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate.
1 Chronicles 17:20שָׁמַ֖עְנוּ · we have heard
O LORD, there is none like You, and there is no God but You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears.
1 Chronicles 18:9וַיִּשְׁמַ֕ע · heard
When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah,
1 Chronicles 19:8וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע · On hearing this
On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men.
1 Chronicles 28:2שְׁמָע֖וּנִי · Listen to me
Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build it,
1 Chronicles 29:23וַיִּשְׁמְע֥וּ · obeyed him
So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father David. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.
2 Chronicles 5:13לְהַשְׁמִ֣יעַ
The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud
2 Chronicles 6:19לִשְׁמֹ֤עַ · so that You may hear
Yet regard the prayer and plea of Your servant, O LORD my God, so that You may hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying before You.
2 Chronicles 6:20לִשְׁמ֙וֹעַ֙ · so that You may hear
May Your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your Name, so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place.
2 Chronicles 6:21וְשָׁ֨מַעְתָּ֜ · Hear; תִּשְׁמַ֞ע · hear; וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֖ · May You hear
Hear the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. May You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place. May You hear and forgive.
2 Chronicles 6:23תִּשְׁמַ֣ע · hear
…then may You hear from heaven and act. May You judge Your servants, condemning the wicked man by bringing down on his own head what he has done, and justifying the righteous man by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
2 Chronicles 6:25תִּשְׁמַ֣ע · hear
…then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel. May You restore them to the land You gave to them and their fathers.
2 Chronicles 6:27תִּשְׁמַ֣ע · hear
…then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, so that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk. May You send rain on the land that You gave Your people as an inheritance.
2 Chronicles 6:30תִּשְׁמַ֨ע · be heard
…be heard by You from heaven, Your dwelling place. And may You forgive and repay each man according to all his ways, since You know his heart—for You alone know the hearts of men—
2 Chronicles 6:33תִּשְׁמַ֤ע · hear
…then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and they will know that this house I have built is called by Your Name.
2 Chronicles 6:35וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֙ · then may You hear
…then may You hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and may You uphold their cause.
2 Chronicles 6:39וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֨ · then may You hear
…then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and pleas, and may You uphold their cause. May You forgive Your people who sinned against You.
2 Chronicles 7:12שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ · I have heard
…the LORD appeared to him at night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
2 Chronicles 7:14אֶשְׁמַ֣ע · will hear
…and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 9:1שָֽׁמְעָה֮ · heard
Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was on her mind.
2 Chronicles 9:5שָׁמַ֖עְתִּי · I heard
She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.
2 Chronicles 9:6שָׁמָֽעְתִּי׃ · I heard
But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not half of the greatness of your wisdom was told to me. You have far exceeded the report I heard.
2 Chronicles 9:7וְשֹׁמְעִ֖ים · and hear
How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
2 Chronicles 9:23לִשְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ · to hear
All the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
2 Chronicles 10:2כִּשְׁמֹ֨עַ · heard about this
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon.
2 Chronicles 10:15שָׁמַ֥ע · listen
So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from God, in order that the LORD might fulfill the word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
2 Chronicles 10:16שָׁמַ֣ע · to listen
When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So all the Israelites went home,
2 Chronicles 11:4וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ · So they listened
…that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this is My doing.’” So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam.
2 Chronicles 13:4שְׁמָע֖וּנִי · Hear me
Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!
2 Chronicles 15:2שְׁמָע֕וּנִי · Listen to me
So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
2 Chronicles 15:8וְכִשְׁמֹ֨עַ · heard
When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD’s temple.
2 Chronicles 16:4וַיִּשְׁמַ֨ע · listened
And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.
2 Chronicles 16:5כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ · learned of this
When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned his work.
2 Chronicles 18:18שִׁמְע֣וּ · hear
Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left.
2 Chronicles 18:27שִׁמְע֖וּ · Take heed
But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”
2 Chronicles 20:9וְתִשְׁמַ֥ע · and You will hear us
‘If disaster comes upon us—whether sword or judgment, plague or famine—we will stand before this temple and before You, for Your Name is in this temple. We will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear us and save us.’
2 Chronicles 20:20שְׁמָע֗וּנִי · Hear me
Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.”
2 Chronicles 20:29בְּשָׁמְעָ֕ם · when they heard
And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
2 Chronicles 23:12וַתִּשְׁמַ֣ע · heard
When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went out to them in the house of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 24:17שָׁמַ֥ע · listened
After the death of Jehoiada, however, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them.
2 Chronicles 25:16שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ · heeded
While he was still speaking, the king asked, “Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but he said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.”
2 Chronicles 25:20שָׁמַ֣ע · listen
But Amaziah would not listen, for this had come from God in order to deliver them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom.
2 Chronicles 28:11שְׁמָע֔וּנִי · listen to me
Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives you took from your kinsmen, for the fierce anger of the LORD is upon you.”
2 Chronicles 29:5שְׁמָע֣וּנִי · Listen to me
“Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity.
2 Chronicles 30:20וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע · heard
And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.