תִּשְׁמַ֞ע

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 תִּשְׁמַ֞ע

   tish-MA

   you will hear
2. clause🔊 וְ֠אַתָּה תִּשְׁמַ֞ע מִמְּק֤וֹם שִׁבְתְּךָ֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֖ וְסָלָֽחְתָּ׃

   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 you will hear from the place of your dwelling from the heavens and you will hear and you will forgive
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 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