H8088b H8088b
Report, fame, or the act of hearing; what is heard about a person, news that arrives, or the moment of perceiving by ear
Shema' occupies the space between what is said about someone and how it reaches the listener. When the Queen of Sheba heard Solomon's fame (1 Kgs 10:1), shema' denoted reputation spreading across borders — a sense confirmed by Arabic 'سُمْعَة' (reputation) and Hindi 'प्रसिद्धि' (fame). But shema' also serves as plain 'news' or 'tidings,' as when Laban heard the report about Jacob (Gen 29:13) or Pharaoh heard of Jerusalem's resistance (Jer 37:5). In its most abstract use, Job declares 'by the hearing of the ear I had heard of you' (Job 42:5), where shema' is the very act and faculty of perception.
Senses
1. fame, renown, reputation — Fame, renown, or public reputation — what is widely spoken and known about a person or nation. Numbers 14:15 warns that the nations have heard God's fame; 1 Kings 10:1 records the Queen of Sheba responding to Solomon's shema'. Deuteronomy 2:25 promises that God will spread Israel's reputation. Arabic 'سُمْعَة,' Hindi 'प्रसिद्धि,' and Spanish 'fama' all confirm the reputational sense. 7×
AR["خَبَرَ", "خَبَرَكَ", "خَبَرِي", "سَمْعَ"]·ben["আমার-শ্রুতি", "খ্যাতি", "তোমার-খবর", "তোমার-খ্যাতি", "তোমার-সংবাদ", "শ্রুতি"]·DE["[שמעך]", "dein-Bericht", "hoere", "hoerte", "report-von"]·EN["my-fame", "report-of", "the-report-of", "the-report-of-you", "your-report"]·FR["[שמע]", "[שמעי]", "report-de", "ta-renommée", "ton-report"]·heb["שֵׁמַע", "שמע", "שמעי", "שמעך"]·HI["ख्याति", "ख्याति-की", "ख्याति-मेरी", "तेरी-खबर-को", "तेरी-ख्याति", "सुनेंगे"]·ID["berita", "berita-mu", "berita-tentang-Ku", "beritamu", "kabar", "kabar-tentang-Engkau", "laporan-Mu,"]·IT["[שמע]", "[שמעך]", "notizia", "rapporto-di", "tuo-rapporto"]·jav["pawarta", "pawarta-Kawula", "pawarta-Nipun", "pawarta-panjenengan", "pawartos"]·KO["나의-소문을", "너의-소문-을", "너의-소식-을", "당신의-소문을", "소문", "소문을", "주-의-소문-을"]·PT["a-tua-fama", "fama-de", "fama-minha", "fama-tua", "tua-fama"]·RU["весть-о-Тебе", "весть-о-тебе", "слух", "слух-Мой", "слух-Твой", "слух-о-тебе"]·ES["fama-de", "mi-fama", "noticia-tuya", "tu-fama"]·SW["habari-yako", "habari-za", "habari-zako", "habari-zangu", "sifa"]·TR["haberini", "haberinin-senin", "ücretini", "ünümü", "ününü", "şöhretini", "şöhretini-senin"]·urd["تیری-خبر", "تیری-شہرت", "شہرت", "میری-شہرت"]
2. report, news, tidings — A report, piece of news, or tidings conveyed to someone — factual information about events or persons. Genesis 29:13 uses it for Laban hearing the tidings of Jacob's arrival; Exodus 23:1 forbids carrying a false report; Isaiah 23:5 describes the anguish when the report of Tyre reaches Egypt. Spanish 'noticia/informe' and German 'Kunde' (tidings) capture this informational sense. 6×
AR["خَبَرَ", "خَبَرَها", "خَبَرَهُمْ", "سَمِعَتْ"]·ben["তাদের-খবর", "তার-খবর", "শোনা", "সংবাদ"]·DE["[שמעה]", "[שמעם]", "die-Kunde", "hoerte", "report-von"]·EN["its-report", "report", "report-of", "the-report-of-them", "their-report"]·FR["[שמע]", "[שמעם]", "report-de", "sa-שמעה-elle"]·heb["שמע", "שמע ׀", "שמעה", "שמעם"]·HI["उनकी-खबर", "उसकी-खबर", "ख़बर", "समाचार", "समाचार-उनके", "सुना"]·ID["berita", "beritanya", "kabar", "kabar-mereka", "kabarnya"]·IT["its-report-sua", "notizia", "report-di", "udi"]·jav["kabar", "pawarta", "pawarta-nipun", "pawartosipun"]·KO["그들의-소식을", "그의-소문을", "소문을", "소문을-그들의", "소식을", "소식이"]·PT["notícia-de", "notícia-deles", "relato", "sua-fama", "sua-fama."]·RU["весть", "весть-о-них", "слух-о-ней", "слух-о-них", "слуха"]·ES["el-informe", "fama-de-ellos", "noticia-de", "rumor", "su-fama"]·SW["habari", "habari-yake", "habari-za", "habari-zao"]·TR["haber", "haberini", "haberlerini", "haberlerini-onların"]·urd["خبر", "خبر-اُن-کی", "چرچہ-اُس-کا"]
3. act of hearing, upon hearing — The act or faculty of hearing itself, or the moment of perceiving something by ear. In Job 42:5 — 'by the hearing of the ear I had heard of you' — shema' denotes auditory perception rather than content. Psalm 18:44 uses it with a preposition to mean 'at the hearing of,' i.e., as soon as they hear. This abstract sense appears with prepositions ke- and le- that foreground the temporal or instrumental aspect of hearing. 4×
AR["بِسَمَاعِ-", "كَسَماعِ", "كَسَمْعِ", "لِسَمْعِ"]·ben["-শোনা-দ্বারা-", "কানের-শোনায়", "শোনার-অনুসারে-", "সংবাদে"]·DE["[כשמע]", "bei-hearing-von", "zu-hoerte"]·EN["By-hearing-of-", "according-to-report", "at-hearing-of", "at-report-of"]·FR["[כשמע]", "à-entendre", "à-לשמע"]·heb["כ-שמע", "ל-שמע"]·HI["कान-से-सुनने", "ले-सुनने-के", "सुनते-ही-जैसे", "सुनने-पर"]·ID["Dengan-pendengaran-", "Saat-mendengar", "seperti-berita", "sesuai-dengan-kabar"]·IT["[כשמע]", "a-udi'", "come-udi", "per-Da-hearing-of"]·jav["Kalayan-pamireng-", "Kanggé-mireng", "kados-kang-dipun-mirengaken", "kados-pawarta"]·KO["듣기-로", "들음-에", "소식-같이", "에-들음에-같으니라"]·PT["Ao-ouvir", "Por-ouvir-de-", "ao-relato-de", "conforme-ouvir"]·RU["по-слуху", "по-слышанному", "при-вести", "слухом-"]·ES["De-oída-de-", "al-informe-de", "al-oír", "conforme-a-lo-oído"]·SW["Kwa-kusikia-kwa", "kama-habari", "kama-nilivyosikia", "kwa-kusikia"]·TR["Duyumla-", "duyarak-", "haberinde", "topluluklarına"]·urd["-سننے-پر", "جیسے-سننے", "خبر-پر", "کان-سے-سننے"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† שֵׁ֫מַע n.[m.] hearing, report (on form cf. LagBN 143);—שׁ׳ abs. Is 23:5; cstr. v 5 +; sf. שִׁמְעִי 66:19, etc.;—report, usually c. genit. obj.: acc. with שָׁמַע Gn 29:13 (J) the tidings about Jacob, Is 23:5 + (c. sf.) Nu 14:15 (JE), Dt 2:25; 1 K 10:1 = 2 Ch 9:1; Na 3:19; Hb 3:2; Je 37:5; 50:43; Is 66:19, c. ל genit. Is 23:5; לַעֲדָתָם Ho 7:12 usually according to the report (heard by) their…