BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
Shama — Hear in the Bible
Shama (שָׁמַע) is the foundational Hebrew verb for hearing, often blending perception with attention and obedience.
Meaning of the word
Shama (שָׁמַע) is the standard Hebrew verb for hearing. The provided lexicon defines it as to hear intelligently, often with the implication of attention and obedience. This means that in biblical Hebrew, hearing is rarely a passive sense event; it is treated as an active response of the mind and will.
Beyond the physical act of sound reaching the ear, shama carries a causative sense: to tell or report. So one may shama a report (hear it delivered) or, by extension, cause a report to be heard. The verb therefore covers the full arc from receiving sound to transmitting information.
At its theological core, shama fuses listening with obedience. To hear God's voice in the Hebrew Scriptures is not merely to register sound but to heed and act on what is said. This integration of ear and will shapes how the word is used throughout the Old Testament.
Usage in Scripture
In Genesis 3, shama appears at the hinge of the fall. Adam and Eve hear the voice of Jehovah God in the garden (v. 8); Adam admits he heard God's voice and was afraid (v. 10); and God charges Adam with having hearkened to the voice of his wife (v. 17). Across these verses the word carries sound, attention, and moral accountability, since Adam's 'listening' to Eve is set against his prior obligation to listen to God.
In Exodus 20:19 the Israelites ask Moses to speak to them so they may hear, while fearing direct divine speech. Here shama is paired with the request for mediated revelation, treating hearing as a covenantal privilege rather than a casual sensation. In Psalms 51:10 (create in me a clean heart) and Psalms 103:20 (angels hearkening to his word), the verb moves from human plea to angelic obedience, reinforcing that to hear God is to be shaped by his word.
The word in detail
- H8085 Shama (שָׁמַע) functions as the basic Hebrew verb for hearing. Its semantic range stretches from physical audition (hearing a voice) to obedient attention (hearkening to a command) and even the causative sense of announcing or reporting. The Genesis 3 and Exodus 20 examples show the human ear receiving divine speech; the Psalms examples extend shama into the realm of willing, obedient response — both human and angelic.
Example verses
- Genesis 3:8 Adam and Eve heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden. Here shama frames the first human encounter with the divine voice after the fall, setting the stage for hearing as both a sensory and moral event.
- Genesis 3:17 God says Adam hearkened to the voice of his wife. The same verb that describes hearing sound now describes yielding to influence, making shama a verb of covenantal accountability.
- Psalms 103:20 Angels are described as mighty in strength, fulfilling his word and hearkening to the voice of his word. Shama here portrays perfect creaturely obedience to divine speech as the model of true hearing.
Common questions
Does shama only mean physically hearing a sound?
No. While shama covers physical hearing, the lexicon explicitly notes the implication of attention and obedience, and the example verses show it extending to hearkening and obeying (e.g. Genesis 3:17; Psalms 103:20).
Can shama mean to tell or report something?
Yes. The lexicon includes a causative sense, to tell, so shama can describe either receiving a report or causing a report to be heard.
Why is shama important theologically?
Because in biblical Hebrew hearing is fused with obedience, shama shapes key moments such as Israel's response at Sinai (Exodus 20:19) and the angelic praise of God's word (Psalms 103:20), making hearing a covenantal act rather than a passive sense.