Lexical Summary shemuah: Report, news, rumor, tidings Original Word: שְׁמוּעָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bruit, doctrine, fame, mentioned, news, report, rumor, tidingsFeminine passive participle of shamem; something heard, i.e. An announcement -- bruit, doctrine, fame, mentioned, news, report, rumor, tidings. see HEBREW shamem NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shama Definition a report NASB Translation heard (1), message (3), news (6), report (10), rumor (4), rumors (1), tidings (1), what it means (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שְׁמוּעָה noun feminine report; — absolute ׳שׁ 1 Samuel 4:19 +, שְׁמֻעָה 1 Samuel 2:24 +; construct שְׁמֻעַת 2 Samuel 4:4; suffix שְׁמֻעָתֵ֫נוּ Isaiah 53:1; plural absolute שְׁמֻעוֺת Daniel 11:44; — 1 report, sometimes after שָׁמַע 1 Samuel 2:24; 1 Samuel 4:19 (= news), 1 Kings 10:7 2Chronicles 9:6; 2 Kings 19:7= Isaiah 37:7; Jeremiah 51:46; רָעָה ׳שׁ Jeremiah 49:23, compare Psalm 112:7, and טוֺבָח ׳שׁ Proverbs 15:30; Proverbs 25:25; tidings about Saul 2 Samuel 4:4; with בָּאָה 2 Samuel 13:30 (+ לֵאמֹר), 1 Kings 2:28; Ezekiel 21:12; Jeremiah 10:22, compare Jeremiah 51:46 + (בָּאָה omitted) Jeremiah 51:46; ׳אֶלשֿׁ ׳תָּבוֺא שׁ Ezekiel 7:28; יְבַהֲלֻהוּ ׳שׁ Daniel 11:44; שְׁמוּעָתֵנוּ Isaiah 53:1 the report that reached us compare also Isaiah 28:9,19; Jeremiah 49:14; Obadiah 1 (De Du and others specifically of prophetic message but see GieBeiträge 155 f. We NowObadiah). 2 = mention בְּפִיךְ ׳לאֹ הָֽיְתָח סְדֹם לִשׁ Ezekiel 16:56. Topical Lexicon General Concept שְׁמוּעָה most often denotes a “report,” “news,” or “rumor,” whether welcomed or dreaded. Its core idea is information that is heard, not seen; it therefore tests the hearer’s faith, discernment, and obedience. Distribution across Scripture About twenty-seven occurrences are spread through the Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, and Prophets. Narratives highlight how reports shape national events; Wisdom texts celebrate life-giving news; prophetic passages employ the word both for terrifying rumors of judgment and for the glorious proclamation of salvation. Reports in Israel’s National Story 1 Samuel 2:24 shows Eli grieved by the “bad report” about his sons’ corruption, illustrating how evil news exposes hidden sin and prompts divine discipline. In 1 Samuel 4:19 the “news that the ark of God had been captured” precipitates the death of Phinehas’ wife and names her son Ichabod, marking a national crisis. Royal courts relied on accurate reports: when Absalom murders Amnon, “the report came to David” that all the king’s sons were dead (2 Samuel 13:30), momentarily paralyzing the kingdom until clarified. In the opposite direction, the Queen of Sheba declares, “I did not believe these reports until I came and saw with my own eyes” (1 Kings 10:7), revealing how a true report can draw the nations to behold God’s wisdom in Israel. 2 Chronicles 9:5-6 repeats the scene, reinforcing the evangelistic power of trustworthy testimony. Rumor as Divine Instrument of Fear and Judgment Prophets often portray שְׁמוּעָה as an ominous rumor that saps courage before judgment falls. “Disaster upon disaster will come, and rumor will follow rumor” (Ezekiel 7:26); the anxious expectation itself is part of the punishment. “Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land—one rumor comes this year and another the next” (Jeremiah 51:46); yet the hearer is still called to steadfast trust in the LORD. Isaiah 37:7 (parallel 2 Kings 19:7) shows God turning rumors against Israel’s foes: “I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land,” demonstrating divine sovereignty over the psychological dimension of warfare. Prophetic Usage and the Promise of Salvation Isaiah 53:1 transforms the term: “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” The “report” becomes the saving message of the Suffering Servant. Habakkuk echoes this reverent hearing: “LORD, I have heard the report of You; I stand in awe of Your deeds” (Habakkuk 3:2). The same noun that once conveyed panic now carries hope when its content is the redemptive work of God. Wisdom Literature on Good News Proverbs celebrates the restorative power of a positive שְׁמוּעָה: “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones” (Proverbs 15:30). “Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land” (Proverbs 25:25). The sayings underscore that words heard can revive the whole person, a truth fulfilled supremely in the Gospel. New Covenant Resonance Paul cites Isaiah 53:1 in Romans 10:16 to explain Israel’s unbelief and immediately affirms, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The Greek ἀκοή (akoe, “report/hearing”) mirrors שְׁמוּעָה, linking the Old Testament concept to the New Testament proclamation. The move from rumor to revelation reaches its climax in the incarnate Word whose good news must be heard and believed. Pastoral and Ministry Applications 1. Guard truthfulness: Exodus 23:1 forbids spreading a false report; believers must resist gossip and verify information before repeating it. Summary שְׁמוּעָה traces a movement from fear-inducing rumor to life-giving proclamation. Whether exposing sin, warning of judgment, or announcing redemption, every “report” confronts hearers with a choice: skepticism, panic, or faith. Scripture consistently commends the third response, culminating in the Gospel, the supreme “good news” that demands to be heard, believed, and shared. Forms and Transliterations בַּשְּׁמוּעָ֖ה בשמועה הַשְּׁמֻעָ֔ה הַשְּׁמֻעָה֙ הַשְּׁמוּעָ֔ה הַשְּׁמוּעָ֖ה הַשְּׁמוּעָ֗ה השמועה השמעה וְהַשְּׁמֻעָ֣ה וְהַשְּׁמֻעָה֙ וּשְׁמֻע֣וֹת וּשְׁמֻעָ֥ה וּשְׁמוּעָ֥ה והשמעה ושמועה ושמעה ושמעות לִשְׁמֻעָתֵ֑נוּ לִשְׁמוּעָ֖ה לשמועה לשמעתנו מִשְּׁמוּעָ֣ה משמועה שְׁמֻעַת֩ שְׁמֻעָ֥ה שְׁמוּעָ֑ה שְׁמוּעָ֖ה שְׁמוּעָ֣ה שְׁמוּעָ֤ה שְׁמוּעָ֥ה שְׁמוּעָ֨ה שְׁמוּעָֽה׃ שְׁמוּעָה֙ שמועה שמועה׃ שמעה שמעת baš·šə·mū·‘āh bashshemuAh baššəmū‘āh haš·šə·mu·‘āh haš·šə·mū·‘āh hashshemuAh haššəmu‘āh haššəmū‘āh liš·mu·‘ā·ṯê·nū liš·mū·‘āh lishmuAh lishmuaTenu lišmū‘āh lišmu‘āṯênū miš·šə·mū·‘āh mishshemuAh miššəmū‘āh šə·mu·‘āh šə·mū·‘āh šə·mu·‘aṯ šəmu‘āh šəmū‘āh šəmu‘aṯ shemuAh shemuAt ū·šə·mu·‘āh ū·šə·mū·‘āh ū·šə·mu·‘ō·wṯ ūšəmu‘āh ūšəmū‘āh ūšəmu‘ōwṯ ushemuAh ushemuot vehashshemuAh wə·haš·šə·mu·‘āh wəhaššəmu‘āhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 2:24 HEB: לֽוֹא־ טוֹבָ֤ה הַשְּׁמֻעָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י NAS: my sons; for the report is not good KJV: for [it is] no good report that I hear: INT: is not good the report which I 1 Samuel 4:19 2 Samuel 4:4 2 Samuel 13:30 1 Kings 2:28 1 Kings 10:7 2 Kings 19:7 2 Chronicles 9:6 Psalm 112:7 Proverbs 15:30 Proverbs 25:25 Isaiah 28:9 Isaiah 28:19 Isaiah 37:7 Isaiah 53:1 Jeremiah 10:22 Jeremiah 49:14 Jeremiah 49:23 Jeremiah 51:46 Jeremiah 51:46 Jeremiah 51:46 Ezekiel 7:26 Ezekiel 7:26 Ezekiel 16:56 Ezekiel 21:7 27 Occurrences |
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