שֶׁמַע
Shema, the name of a place in Palestine and of four Israelites
Definition
Shema is a proper noun used in the Old Testament primarily as a personal name for four different individuals and as a place name. As a personal name, it identifies men within the genealogical records of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:43-44), Reuben (1 Chronicles 5:8), and Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:13). The name also appears in Nehemiah 8:4, referring to one of the leaders who stood beside Ezra during the public reading of the Law. The single reference to Shema as a place (Joshua 15:26, though this uses a variant spelling) locates it in the tribal territory of Judah, south of Hebron.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively in historical and genealogical contexts within the books of Chronicles and Nehemiah. Its five occurrences serve to identify specific individuals within Israel's tribal lineages (1 Chronicles 2:43, 2:44, 5:8, 8:13) and to name a participant in a significant national religious event (Nehemiah 8:4). There is no narrative development around the characters bearing this name; they appear solely in lists.
Etymology
Shema (שֶׁמַע) is derived from the identical root as the common noun שֵׁמַע (H8088), meaning 'a report,' 'news,' or 'hearing.' As a proper name, it is likely a shortened form of a theophoric name (a name incorporating God's name), such as Shemaiah ('Yahweh has heard'), expressing the theological idea that God hears and responds.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not theologically loaded, its etymological connection to the concept of 'hearing' is significant. It subtly points to the core biblical theme of obedient listening to God, famously encapsulated in the Shema prayer of Deuteronomy 6:4 ('Hear, O Israel...'). A bearer of this name would be a living reminder of the fundamental call for God's people to listen to and obey His word, a theme vividly illustrated in the Nehemiah 8:4 context where a man named Shema stands by as the Law is read to the listening assembly.
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often descriptive or declarative, conveying meaning about the child, a circumstance of birth, or the parents' faith. Naming a child Shema ('a hearing' or 'report') could reflect a significant event that was 'heard' or a prayer for the child to be an obedient listener. Its use in genealogies underscores the importance of lineage and identity within the covenant community.
Shemaiah (שְׁמַעְיָה, H8098) — A longer, more common theophoric name meaning 'Yahweh has heard,' of which Shema is likely a shortened form.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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