שֵׁ֫מַע
she.ma (H8088B)
report
AI Word Study
# The Hebrew Word Šēma (שֵׁמַע): "Report" The Hebrew word *šēma* appears seventeen times in the biblical text and carries the meaning of "report"—referring to information or news that is conveyed from one party to another. This noun form represents something heard or communicated rather than the act of hearing itself, making it a vessel for transmitted knowledge within ancient Israelite communication. Given its modest frequency of occurrence and specific semantic focus on "report" rather than broader concepts of hearing or listening, this word occupies a functional niche in biblical Hebrew. It designates concrete instances where information reaches someone's ears—whether accounts of events, messages delivered, or news of significance. The distinction between the seventeen occurrences and the broader semantic field of hearing-related vocabulary suggests that *šēma* was used when the *content* of what was communicated mattered enough to name it specifically as a distinct unit of information. The relative rarity of this particular form indicates it was one tool among several for discussing communication in ancient Hebrew. Where biblical authors chose *šēma* over other options, they were likely emphasizing the reportorial or informational aspect of communication—the message itself as something notable enough to warrant attention, repetition, or response. This makes the word significant not for theological weight but for understanding how ancients categorized and discussed the transmission of knowledge.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
When Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things.
“You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.
Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,
Today I will begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole sky, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.”
When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning Yahweh’s name, she came to test him with hard questions.
When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to test Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great caravan, including camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. When she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart.
Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report of Tyre.
“I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they broke up from Jerusalem.
The king of Babylon has heard the news of them, and his hands become feeble: anguish has taken hold of him, pains as of a woman in labor.
When they go, I will spread my net on them. I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.
There is no healing your wound, for your injury is fatal. All who hear the report of you clap their hands over you; for who hasn’t felt your endless cruelty?
Yahweh, I have heard of your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, Yahweh. Renew your work in the middle of the years. In the middle of the years make it known. In wrath, you remember mercy.