Psalms 81:8 — Word Study
WLCשְׁמַ֣ע עַ֭מִּי וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל אִם־ תִּֽשְׁמַֽע־ לִֽי׃
BSAdearthtsârâh to callqârâʼ to rescuechâlats to dwellʻânâh secrecyçêther thunderraʻam to testbâchan uponʻal Water (Gate)mayim MeribahMᵉrîybâh Selahçelâh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| שְׁמַ֣ע | listen | Verb, Qal, imperative second person masculine singular |
| עַ֭מִּי | O people my | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וְאָעִ֣ידָה | so let me warn | Conjunction, verb hiphil infinitive construct first person common singular |
| בָּ֑ךְ | you | Preposition, suffix |
| יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל | O Israel | Noun proper |
| אִם־ | if | Particle |
| תִּֽשְׁמַֽע־ | you will listen | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| לִֽי׃ | to me | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me! |
| KJV | Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; |
| ASV | Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wouldest hearken unto me! |
| YLT | Hear, O My people, and I testify to thee, O Israel, if thou dost hearken to me: |
| WEB | “Hear, my people, and I will testify to you, Israel, if you would listen to me! |
| BBE | Give ear, O my people, and I will give you my word, O Israel, if you will only do as I say! |
Where they part company is שְׁמַ֣ע — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by a vocative address and a conditional phrase, emphasizing the call to listen.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbבְּ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 81:8
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Call to Obediencegenerated
Psalm 81:8 is a call from God to His people, urging them to listen and heed His warnings. This verse emphasizes the importance of obedience and attentiveness to God's voice, reflecting on their history of deliverance and the need for faithfulness. The surrounding verses recount God's past actions and His desire for His people to remain faithful and avoid idolatry.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 50:7 | “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 32:46 | he said to them, “Take to heart all these words I testify among you today, so that you may command your children to carefully follow all the words of this law. |
| 3 | Isaiah 55:3–4 | Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant— My loving devotion promised to David. |
| 4 | John 3:11–32 | Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony. |
| 5 | Acts 20:21 | testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שְׁמַ֣ע, she.Ma'generated
The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses listening attentively and obeying. It is often used in contexts where God speaks to His people, highlighting the necessity of their response to His words.
This imperative form calls for immediate action, indicating that listening is not merely passive but requires a commitment to respond. The frequency of this word in the Scriptures underscores its significance in the relationship between God and His people.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse opens with the imperative verb שְׁמַ֣ע, listen, establishing a direct command. This is followed by a series of phrases that elaborate on the subjects and actions: the speaker (God), the audience (His people), and the warning being issued.
The structure emphasizes the urgency of the command to listen, with the subsequent clauses reinforcing the relationship between God and His people and the conditional nature of their response.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שְׁמַ֣ע as ἐν, indicating a focus on the act of listening. This choice reflects a broader understanding of the term as encompassing both hearing and the subsequent action of obedience.
The Greek rendering captures the essence of the Hebrew command but may shift the emphasis slightly, suggesting a more general call to be attentive rather than a direct imperative.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 81:8 is a call from God to His people, urging them to listen and obey His warnings. God reminds them of His past deliverance and expresses His desire for their faithfulness. The verse emphasizes the importance of attentiveness to God's voice in their lives.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To hear God means to listen attentively to His words and to respond with obedience, as emphasized throughout the Scriptures.
Obedience is crucial because it reflects a faithful response to God's guidance and warnings, which leads to a blessed relationship with Him.
This verse connects to Israel's history by reminding them of God's past deliverance and the need to remain faithful and avoid idolatry.
God's warning teaches us the importance of listening to His voice and the consequences of ignoring His guidance in our lives.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I be more attentive to God's voice in my life?
- How can I encourage others to listen and respond to God's warnings?
- What are the consequences of ignoring God's guidance?
- How does understanding Israel's history help me in my own spiritual journey?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo comments on this verse, highlighting its theme of warning and the importance of heeding God's call.
All this, from the beginning of the Psalm up to this verse, we have heard of the oil of the press. What remains is rather for grief and warning: for it belongs to the lees of the press, even to the end;Early Church Fathers on Psalms 81 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 81:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee,.... Of himself, his being, and perfections; what he was unto them, had done for them, and would do for them, as in the following verses: or "testify
Read John Gill on Psalms 81 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee - answering to Psalms 50:7.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 81 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleI will testify unto thee, concerning my will and thy duty. I will give thee statutes and judgments, in the execution of which thou mayst live and be happy for ever. This God did presently after he brought them from Meribah, even at Sinai.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 81 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 81:8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;Ver. 8. Hear, O my people, &c.] Notwithstanding thy many and mighty provocations at Meribah and elsewhere, I made a covenant with thee at Mount Sinai, and gave thee right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments, Nehemiah 9:13.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 81 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) Hear, O my people.—The Divine voice here repeats the warnings so frequently uttered during the desert-wandering.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 81 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 8. Hear, O my people] These are nearly the same words with those spoken at the giving of the law, Exodus 20:2.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 81 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8–10. Israel’s duty of allegiance to Jehovah alone; the fundamental principle of the covenant. Israel in the wilderness is primarily addressed, but Israel of every age is included.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 81 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee ... - See the notes at the similar passage in Psalms 50:7.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 81 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!
“Hear, my people, and I will testify to you, Israel, if you would listen to me!
Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!
I said, ‘Listen, my people! I will warn you! O Israel, if only you would obey me!
Tyndale line
Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wouldest hearken unto me!
Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wouldest hearken unto me!
Hear, O my people, and I will testify to thee; O Israel, if thou wilt hearken to me;
Heare, O my people, and I wil protest vnto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken vnto me,
Strictly literal
Hear, my people, and I will testify unto thee; O Israel, if thou wouldest hearken unto me!
Hear, O My people, and I testify to thee, O Israel, if thou dost hearken to me:
Hear, O My people, and I testify to you, || O Israel, if you listen to me:
(81:9) Hear, O my people, and I will give warning unto thee; O Israel, if thou wouldst but hearken unto me!
Listen, my people, for I will warn you, Israel, if you would only listen to me!
From the Latin
Arise, O God, judge thou the earth: for thou shalt inherit among all the nations.
Simplified
My people, listen to my warnings! Israel, please listen to me!
Give ear, O my people, and I will give you my word, O Israel, if you will only do as I say!
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint align closely, with all words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls, however, show some variations, with certain words restored or supplied by an editor, indicating that while the core message remains intact, there are textual differences in the preservation of the verse.
שְׁמַ֣ע עַ֭מִּי וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל אִם־ תִּֽשְׁמַֽע־ לִֽי׃
8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[בצרה] [קראת] [ואחלצ׳כה] אענ׳כה [בסתר] [רעם] [אבחנ׳כה] [על] [מי] [מריבה] סלה
1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 9 supplied entire by an editor.
[בצרה] קראת ואחלצ׳כה [אענ׳ך] [בסתר] [רעם] אבחנ׳ך על מי מריבה סלה
4 words on the leather — 3 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 81:8
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is built from a primitive root and can imply attention and understanding. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of hearing and obeying. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear
Qal 1052
subj. pers. hum.
י׳ (God) subj.
Niph. 42 be heard, of voice, sound
be heard of
be regarded, obeyed
= (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.
Pi. he caused the people to hear
Hiph. 63
of man
י׳ subj.
base
H8085 שָׁמַע hear
8085 shama` shaw-mah'
a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with
implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to
tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X
carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content,
declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make
to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)
obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish,
regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,
understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: hear.
: 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
1a5) to understand (language)
1a6) to hear (of judicial cases)
1a7) to listen, give heed
1a7a) to consent, agree
1a7b) to grant request
1a8) to listen to, yield to
1a9) to obey, be obedient
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound)
1b2) to be heard of
1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed
1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound
1d2) to sound aloud (musical term)
1d3) to make proclamation, summon
1d4) to cause to be heard
n m
2) sound
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: obey.
: obey
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)
HVqv2ms — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singularHVqv2ms
עַם (am) primarily means 'people' or 'nation,' referring to a collective group, often in the context of tribes such as those of Israel. It can also denote kinsmen or compatriots. The term appears in various contexts, including military and familial references. There is a mention of a specific individual named Ammi in Song of Solomon 6:12.
עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people
a people, nation
= smaller units
= common people
people in gen., persons
phrases
base
[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)
base
H5971a עַם, עָם people H5971b עַם kinsman (on father's side)
5971 `am am
from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a
tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or
attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation,
people.
see HEBREW for 06004
עַם (am) — people.
: people/nation
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
עַם (am) — kinsman.
kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — Ammi.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — People's (Gate).
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.
Combined with yiv.le.am (יִבְלְעָם "Ibleam" H2991)
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — Amaw.
This name means nation, people
עַם (am) — people: soldiers.
: soldiers/army
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
עַם (am) — people: creatures.
: creatures
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
HNcmsc/Sp1bs — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp1bs
עוּד (uwd) is a Hebrew verb that primarily means to return, repeat, or do again. It also encompasses the idea of bearing witness or testifying, often with a sense of solemnity or urgency. The word can imply surrounding or restoring, and its various forms indicate actions like admonishing or warning. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
[עוּד] vb. prob. return, go about, repeat, do again
Pi. surround
Pōl‛ēl, restore, relieve
Hithpōl. be restored
base
עוּד vb. denom. bear witness
Qal Impf. < Hiph.
Hiph.
testify, bear witness
cause to testify, take as witness
protest, affirm solemnly, wanr
Hoph. and protest be entered
base
H5749a עוּד prob. return, go about, repeat, do again H5749b עוּד vb. denom. bear witness .Impf. < Hiph.
. . testify, bear witness
. cause to testify, take as witness
. protest, affirm solemnly, wanr
. and protest be entered
5749 `uwd ood
a primitive root; to duplicate or repeat; by implication, to
protest, testify (as by reiteration); intensively, to
encompass, restore (as a sort of reduplication):--admonish,
charge, earnestly, lift up, protest, call (take) to record,
relieve, rob, solemnly, stand upright, testify, give warning,
(bear, call to, give, take to) witness.
עוּד (ud) — to uphold.
1) to return, repeat, go about, do again
1a) (Piel) to surround, go round and round
1b) (Pilel) to restore, relieve
1c) (Hithpalel) to be restored
עוּד (ud) — to testify.
1) to bear witness
1a) (Qal) to bear witness, say again and again
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to testify, bear witness
1b2) to cause to testify, take or call as witness, invoke
1b3) to protest, affirm solemnly, warn, exhort or enjoin solemnly, admonish, charge
1c) (Hophal) to protest, give warning
HC/Vhc1cs — Conjunction · verb hiphil infinitive construct first person common singularHC/Vhc1cs
ךָּ (ka) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine singular
HR/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp2ms
יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.
יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)
n.pr.m. second name of Jacob
n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation
base
H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob
. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation
3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'
from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical
name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:
--Israel.
see HEBREW for 08280
see HEBREW for 0410
יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;
son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);
brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);
father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently
§ Israel = "God prevails"
1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel
2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob
2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
iz'-ra-el.
See JACOB.
Israel
The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).
This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;
(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…
Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.
אִם (im) is a Hebrew conjunction primarily meaning 'if' and is used in various contexts, including conditional clauses and interrogative situations. It can also express negation, alternatives, or exceptions, and appears frequently in the Old Testament. The lexicons note its use in oaths and its ability to connect different clauses, sometimes altering their meanings.
אִם conj.
hypoth. part. if
Interrog. part.
base
כִּי אם־
each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
that if
for if
(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
limiting the prec. clause, except
the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
after an oath, surely
base
H518a אִם conj. . hypoth. part. if
. Interrog. part.
H518b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if
. for if
. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except
. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
. after an oath, surely
518 'im eem
a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!;
interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh
that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-,
doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, +
more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or,
+ save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more,
none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when,
whereas, whether, while, + yet.
אִם (im) — if.
: if/whether_or/though
1) if
1a) conditional clauses
1a1) of possible situations
1a2) of impossible situations
1b) oath contexts
1b1) no, not
1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or
1d) when, whenever
1e) since
1f) interrogative particle
1g) but rather
[כִּי] אם (ki im) — if: except.
1) except if
1a) but if
אִם (im) — if: surely no.
: surely_no
1) if
1a) conditional clauses
1a1) of possible situations
1a2) of impossible situations
1b) oath contexts
1b1) no, not
1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or
1d) when, whenever
1e) since
1f) interrogative particle
1g) but rather
אִם (im) — if: surely yes.
: surely_yes
1) if
1a) conditional clauses
1a1) of possible situations
1a2) of impossible situations
1b) oath contexts
1b1) no, not
1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or
1d) when, whenever
1e) since
1f) interrogative particle
1g) but rather
אִם (im) — if: until.
: until/except
HTc — ParticleHTc
The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is built from a primitive root and can imply attention and understanding. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of hearing and obeying. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear
Qal 1052
subj. pers. hum.
י׳ (God) subj.
Niph. 42 be heard, of voice, sound
be heard of
be regarded, obeyed
= (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.
Pi. he caused the people to hear
Hiph. 63
of man
י׳ subj.
base
H8085 שָׁמַע hear
8085 shama` shaw-mah'
a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with
implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to
tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X
carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content,
declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make
to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)
obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish,
regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,
understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: hear.
: 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
1a5) to understand (language)
1a6) to hear (of judicial cases)
1a7) to listen, give heed
1a7a) to consent, agree
1a7b) to grant request
1a8) to listen to, yield to
1a9) to obey, be obedient
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound)
1b2) to be heard of
1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed
1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound
1d2) to sound aloud (musical term)
1d3) to make proclamation, summon
1d4) to cause to be heard
n m
2) sound
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: obey.
: obey
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)
HVqi2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs