Shema: Hear, the Prayer and Its Texts
Shema is the opening Hebrew hear command associated with Deuteronomy 6:4 and the prayer named from that opening.
Last updated October 15, 2026
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Shema is the opening Hebrew hear command associated with Deuteronomy 6:4 and the prayer named from that opening. A lexical sense and a liturgical use are related questions. The verb can involve attentive hearing; the surrounding commands show how hearing leads into allegiance, teaching and practice.
Start with Hear, Israel and continue into the command to love God. The prayer tradition also uses passages from Deuteronomy 11 and Numbers 15. Those texts concern remembrance and obedience as well as recitation. The word's dictionary entry is a lookup aid, not a complete account of how every Jewish community prays.
Shema: source entries
| Term | Entry ID | Historical entry wording | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| shama / shema, hear | 8085 | […] a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.): […] | Strong original Hebrew |
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Deuteronomy 6: hear and love
The address names Israel. The next command speaks of love with heart, soul and might. The words are then to be kept, taught and spoken of in ordinary life. Reading the opening without the following lines loses the movement from hearing to practice.
Translations of the confession in verse 4 can emphasize wording such as one or alone in wider discussion. The displayed editions give their own choices. The lexical entry for hear cannot by itself settle the full grammar of that confession.
Deuteronomy 11 and Numbers 15
Deuteronomy 11 places love and service beside warnings, teaching and remembrance. Numbers 15 speaks of fringes as a reminder to keep the commandments. These passages broaden the reading beyond a single word. Their uses in prayer belong to a continuing religious tradition.
This text reference identifies the passages without prescribing one universal ritual schedule or pronunciation. Communities differ in practice. A description of the texts should not turn a selected edition's English wording into a rule for every tradition.
A prayer name is more than a dictionary definition
Shema can name the recited prayer because of its opening word. That is different from saying the Hebrew verb always means the whole prayer. A title derived from a first word and a lexical meaning operate at different scales.
To study the prayer, keep the passage sequence and its instructions visible. To study the verb, find the particular form and sentence. Both tasks can begin here, but neither should be reduced to a claim that the word is a charm or a promise of a desired outcome.
Wording and context in three editions
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
4 Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one.
5 You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
6 These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart;
7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.
8 You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.
9 You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates.
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
4 Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah:
5 and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart;
7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.
Before (WEB Classic): 2 that you might fear Yahweh your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you […] 3 Hear therefore, Israel, and observe to do it, that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
After (WEB Classic): 10 It shall be, when Yahweh your God brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and goodly cities which you didn’t build, 11 and houses full of all good things which you didn’t fill, and cisterns dug out which you didn’t dig, vineyards and olive trees which you didn’t plant, and you shall eat and be full;
Deuteronomy 11:13-21
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
13 ¶ And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
17 And then the LORD’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.
18 ¶ Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:
21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
13 It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to my commandments which I command you today, to love Yahweh your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
14 that I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.
15 I will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.
16 Be careful, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn away to serve other gods and worship them;
17 and Yahweh’s anger be kindled against you, and he shut up the sky so that there is no rain, and the land doesn’t yield its fruit; and you perish quickly from off the good land which Yahweh gives you.
18 Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.
19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
20 You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates;
21 that your days and your children’s days may be multiplied in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth.
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love Jehovah your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
14 that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy grain, and thy new wine, and thine oil.
15 And I will give grass in thy fields for thy cattle, and thou shalt eat and be full.
16 Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
17 and the anger of Jehovah be kindled against you, and he shut up the heavens, so that there shall be no rain, and the land shall not yield its fruit; and ye perish quickly from off the good land which Jehovah giveth you.
18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul; and ye shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.
19 And ye shall teach them your children, talking of them, when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
20 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates;
21 that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which Jehovah sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth.
Before (WEB Classic): 11 but the land that you go over to possess is a land of hills and valleys which drinks water from the rain of the sky, 12 a land which Yahweh your God cares for. Yahweh your God’s eyes are always on it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year.
After (WEB Classic): 22 For if you shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you […] 23 then Yahweh will drive out all these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves.
Numbers 15:37-41
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
37 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
41 I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
37 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
38 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them that they should make themselves fringes on the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue.
39 It shall be to you for a fringe, that you may see it, and remember all Yahweh’s commandments, and do them; and that you don’t follow your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to play the prostitute;
40 so that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.
41 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am Yahweh your God.”
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
37 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of each border a cord of blue:
39 and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of Jehovah, and do them; and that ye follow not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to play the harlot;
40 that ye may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
41 I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am Jehovah your God.
Before (WEB Classic): 35 Yahweh said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp.” 36 All the congregation brought him outside of the camp, and stoned him to death with stones, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
FAQ
Does shema mean only to hear a sound?
The historical entry includes attentive hearing and can imply obedience. The context decides the force. Deuteronomy's following commands make attention and practice especially relevant in this setting.
Related meanings
Continue this study
- Bible Meanings: names, words, numbers, symbols and verses
- Tabernacle: Bible meaning and source context
- Yahweh: Bible meaning and source context
- Use concordances and lexicons in context
Verdict: Shema
Shema names a hear command and a prayer tradition through that opening. Read the linked commands about love, teaching and remembrance. A word entry helps with lookup but does not prescribe one universal liturgical practice.