Hebrew · Strong's H8085 · Verb

שָׁמַע

sha·ma

to hear: hear

965times used

903verses

38books

How it's translated

hear95
and he heard57
listen45
i have heard33
when heard28
to listen22
and they heard21
he listened21

Definition

: hear

v

1) to hear, listen to, obey

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)

1a2) to hear of or concerning

1a3) to hear (have power to hear)

1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to

The forms it takes

Stem

Qal 91% simple action
Hiphil 5% causing someone to do it
Niphal 4% passive or reflexive
Piel <1% intensive, or bringing about a state

Form

Perfect (qatal) 26% a complete action, usually past
Imperative 19% a command
Imperfect (yiqtol) 17% incomplete: ongoing, future or possible
Wayyiqtol (“and he did”) 13% and then …: the storyteller’s past
Infinitive 13% “to …”, or for emphasis
Participle 7% one who is doing

Tap a form to see what it means in Grammar, simply.

Between Hebrew and Greek

The Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint), the Bible the first Christians often quoted, translates this word as:

ἀκούω akouō · to hear 80%
εἰσακούω eisakouō · to listen to 15%

Where it appears

Genesisacross the Old TestamentMalachi

Jeremiah127
Isaiah80
Psalms72
Deuteronomy55
1 Kings51
Genesis49
2 Chronicles45
Ezekiel45
1 Samuel43
Exodus37

…and 28 more books.

Every verse

Page 13 of 23

English previews: World English Bible. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0.