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 Samuel 25:39וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע · On hearing
On hearing that Nabal was dead, David said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has upheld my cause against the reproach of Nabal and has restrained His servant from evil. For the LORD has brought the wickedness of Nabal down upon his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.
1 Samuel 26:19יִֽשְׁמַֽע־ · hear
Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
1 Samuel 28:18שָׁמַ֙עְתָּ֙ · obey
Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out His burning anger against Amalek, the LORD has done this to you today.
1 Samuel 28:21שָׁמְעָ֤ה · has obeyed; וָֽאֶשְׁמַע֙ · and did
When the woman came to Saul and saw how distraught he was, she said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice. I took my life in my hands and did as you told me.
1 Samuel 28:22שְׁמַֽע־ · listen
Now please listen to your servant and let me set a morsel of bread before you so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”
1 Samuel 28:23וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע · and he heeded
Saul refused, saying, “I will not eat.” But his servants joined the woman in urging him, and he heeded their voice. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed.
1 Samuel 30:24יִשְׁמַ֣ע · will listen
Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.”
1 Samuel 31:11וַיִּשְׁמְע֣וּ · heard
When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
2 Samuel 3:28וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע · heard
Afterward, David heard about this and said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.
2 Samuel 4:1וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע · heard
Now when Ish-bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was dismayed.
2 Samuel 5:17וַיִּשְׁמְע֣וּ · heard; וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע · learned [of this]
When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they all went in search of him; but David learned of this and went down to the stronghold.
2 Samuel 5:24בְּשָׁמְעֲךָ · you hear
As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.”
2 Samuel 7:22שָׁמַ֖עְנוּ · we have heard
How great You are, O Lord GOD! For there is none like You, and there is no God but You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears.
2 Samuel 8:9וַיִּשְׁמַ֕ע · heard
When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,
2 Samuel 10:7וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע · On hearing this
On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men.
2 Samuel 11:26וַתִּשְׁמַע֙ · heard
When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.
2 Samuel 12:18שָׁמַ֣ע · listen to us
On the seventh day the child died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Look, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to us. So how can we tell him the child is dead? He may even harm himself.”
2 Samuel 13:14לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ · to listen to her
But Amnon refused to listen to her, and being stronger, he violated her and lay with her.
2 Samuel 13:16לִשְׁמֹ֥עַֽ · to listen
“No,” she replied, “sending me away is worse than this great wrong you have already done to me!” But he refused to listen to her.
2 Samuel 13:21שָׁמַ֕ע · heard
When King David heard all this, he was furious.
2 Samuel 14:16יִשְׁמַ֣ע · will hear
For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’
2 Samuel 14:17לִשְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ · is able to discern
And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you.’”
2 Samuel 15:3וְשֹׁמֵ֥עַ · to hear
Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.”
2 Samuel 15:10כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶם֙ · When you hear
Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’”
2 Samuel 15:35תִּשְׁמַע֙ · you hear
Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report to them everything you hear from the king’s palace.
2 Samuel 15:36תִּשְׁמָֽעוּ׃ · you hear
Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.”
2 Samuel 16:21וְשָׁמַ֤ע · hears
Ahithophel replied, “Sleep with your father’s concubines, whom he has left to take care of the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become a stench to your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.”
2 Samuel 17:5וְנִשְׁמְעָ֥ה · and let us hear
Then Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Archite as well, and let us hear what he too has to say.”
2 Samuel 17:9וְשָׁמַ֤ע · whoever hears [of it]; הַשֹּׁמֵ֙עַ֙
Surely by now he is hiding in a cave or some other location. If some of your troops fall first, whoever hears of it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’
2 Samuel 18:5שָׁמְע֗וּ · heard
Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.
2 Samuel 19:2שָׁמַ֣ע · were told
And that day’s victory was turned into mourning for all the people, because on that day they were told, “The king is grieving over his son.”
2 Samuel 19:35אֶשְׁמַ֣ע · hear
I am now eighty years old. Can I discern what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of singing men and women? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?
2 Samuel 20:16שִׁמְע֤וּ · Listen; שִׁמְעוּ֙ · Listen
…a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.”
2 Samuel 20:17שְׁמַע֙ · Listen; שֹׁמֵ֥עַ · listening
When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered.
2 Samuel 22:7וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע · He heard
In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried out to my God. And from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears.
2 Samuel 22:45לִשְׁמ֥וֹעַ · when they hear me; יִשָּׁ֥מְעוּ · they obey
Foreigners cower before me; when they hear me, they obey me.
1 Kings 1:11שָׁמַ֔עַתְּ · heard
Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king, and our lord David does not know it?
1 Kings 1:41וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע · Now; וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע · when they heard
Now Adonijah and all his guests were finishing their feast when they heard the sound of the ram’s horn. “Why is the city in such a loud uproar?” asked Joab.
1 Kings 1:45שְׁמַעְתֶּֽם׃ · you hear
Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there with rejoicing that rings out in the city. That is the noise you hear.
1 Kings 2:42שָׁמָֽעְתִּי׃ · I will comply
…the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and warn you, ‘On the day you leave and go elsewhere, know for sure that you will die’? And you told me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will comply.’
1 Kings 3:9שֹׁמֵ֙עַ֙ · an understanding
Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”
1 Kings 3:11לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ · to administer
So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice—
1 Kings 3:28וַיִּשְׁמְע֣וּ · heard
When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.