If you grew up in church, you probably heard the word hear used in a very passive way. As in, “Just listen,” or “God wants you to hear His voice,” which usually meant nod politely and move on.
But in Hebrew, that word does not cooperate with passivity.
The word is שָׁמַע (shah-MAH), and it’s usually translated as “hear.” That translation is doing the bare minimum.
Because shama never meant hearing without response.
What Shama Actually Means
In Hebrew thought, shama means to hear in a way that leads to action. It carries the idea of receiving, internalizing, and responding. If nothing changes after the hearing, the hearing didn’t count.
This is why the Shema (which comes from the root of Shama) in Deuteronomy 6 does not start with “Listen politely.” It starts with a command that assumes obedience is coming next.
To shama is to hear so deeply that it rearranges behavior.
That’s very different from how we usually use the word.
Why Translation Flattens This Word
English separates hearing and doing. Hebrew doesn’t bother.
In Scripture, someone can physically hear words and still be described as not having shama. That’s because information alone was never the goal. Transformation was.
This is why prophets are constantly frustrated. Like CONSTANTLY! The people are listening, technically. They just aren’t shama-ing. (Yes, I know this is not the proper use of the Hebrew but I am being extra AND exegetical right now!)
God is not looking for better auditory skills. He’s not telling you to clean the wax out of your ears. He’s looking for faithfulness that follows what was heard.
This Changes How You Read Scripture
Once you see this, a lot of familiar passages feel sharper.
When God says, “Hear, O Israel,” He is not inviting reflection. He is calling for alignment.
When Scripture speaks of people who “would not hear,” it isn’t saying they missed the message. It’s saying they refused to live it.
Shama assumes responsibility. It treats hearing as a moral act, not a sensory one.
Why This Still Matters
We live in a world overflowing with teaching, podcasts, studies, and sermons. Hearing has never been easier. Obedience, on the other hand, still costs something.
Hebrew refuses to let those two drift apart.
You don’t get credit for hearing if nothing changes. According to shama, listening without response is just noise… literally.
Final Thoughts
Shama doesn’t let faith stay theoretical. It presses for movement.
In the biblical imagination, to hear God is to answer Him with your life. Anything less is incomplete hearing.
Which explains why Scripture cares far less about how much people know and far more about what they do with what they’ve heard.
Bible Study Questions
Where does the word shama appear in key passages like Deuteronomy 6?
How does shama challenge the way we usually think about listening to God?
What happens in Scripture when people hear but do not respond?
Reflection Questions
Where have you confused exposure to teaching with actual obedience?
What is one thing you know God has spoken that still hasn’t shaped your actions?
How does redefining “hearing” change how you approach Scripture?
Action Challenges
Read Deuteronomy 6 slowly and notice what follows the command to hear.
Choose one truth you’ve already heard and intentionally live it this week.
Practice asking not “What did I learn?” but “What am I responding to?”
If this study stirred something in you, share it with a friend who might need it too.
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One of the best Hebrew words (in my opinion🙂).
And again - thank you! Yet another priceless reveal of a terribly insufficient translation!