וְשָׁ֨מַעְתָּ֜

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְשָׁ֨מַעְתָּ֜

   ve-sha-MA-ta

   and you will hear
2. clause🔊 וְשָׁ֨מַעְתָּ֜ אֶל־תַּחֲנוּנֵ֤י עַבְדְּךָ֙ וְעַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִֽתְפַּֽלְל֖וּ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה

   ve-sha-MA-ta el-ta-kha-nu-NE av-de-KHA ve-am-me-KHA yis-ra-EL a-SHER yit-pa-le-LU el-ha-ma-KOM ha-ZE

   and you will hear to the pleas of your servant and your people Israel who or which they will pray toward the place this
3. sentence🔊 וְשָׁ֨מַעְתָּ֜ אֶל־תַּחֲנוּנֵ֤י עַבְדְּךָ֙ וְעַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִֽתְפַּֽלְל֖וּ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְ֠אַתָּה תִּשְׁמַ֞ע מִמְּק֤וֹם שִׁבְתְּךָ֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֖ וְסָלָֽחְתָּ׃

   ve-sha-MA-ta el-ta-kha-nu-NE av-de-KHA ve-am-me-KHA yis-ra-EL a-SHER yit-pa-le-LU el-ha-ma-KOM ha-ZE ve-a-TA tish-MA mim-me-KOM shiv-te-KHA min-ha-sha-MA-yim ve-sha-MA-ta ve-sa-LAKH-ta

   and you will hear to the pleas of your servant and your people Israel who or which they will pray toward the place this and you you will hear from the place of your dwelling from the heavens and you will hear and you will forgive

Exegesis

The Hebrew text opens with the vav-consecutive verb veshamata {וְשָׁמַעְתָּ | wəšāmāʿtā} ‘and you shall hear’, establishing an authoritative appeal.

The second clause parallelism in ve-atta tishma {וְאַתָּה תִּשְׁמַע | wəʾattā tišmaʿ} and veshamata vesalachta {וְשָׁמַעְתָּ וְסָלָחְתָּ | wəšāmāʿtā wəśālāḥtā} ‘and you shall hear and forgive’ underscores the petition’s earnestness, while mimkom shivtecha min-hashamayim {מִמְּקוֹם שִׁבְתְּךָ מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם | mimməqôm šibbətəḵā min-haššāmāyîm} locates divine response in heaven. The repetition of “hear” elevates the prayer’s intensity and the shift from individual to corporate frames communal devotion.

Root and etymology

š-m-ʿ🔊 ש־מ־עshin–mem–ayin

“to hear, listen”

• 🔊 שְׁמַעšəmaʿHear!Deuteronomy 6:4