Proverbs 23:22:1Prov.23.22.W1TAB
שְׁמַ֣ע
shema
“listen”
- Transliteration
- she-MA
- Extended
- sheh-MAH
- IPA
- /ʃəˈmaʕ/
Meaning by language
- English
- listen
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Shin | shin with right dot; sin with left dot | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Mem | m as in mother | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Ayin | deep guttural stop, voiced pharyngeal |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
she-MA
- clause
she-MA le-a-VI-kha ZE ye-la-DE-kha
- sentence
she-MA le-a-VI-kha ZE ye-la-DE-kha ve-al-ta-VUZ KI-zak-NA im-ME-kha
Exegesis
The verse opens with the imperative shema {שְׁמַ֣ע | šə-māʿ} ‘hear,’ setting a tone of direct moral instruction.
Root and etymology
ש־מ־ע
“to hear, obey”
In context — Proverbs 23:22
Listen to your father , the one who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
About this coordinate
Proverbs 23:22:1 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 1 of Proverbs 23:22, so the Hebrew word שְׁמַ֣ע (shema) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written Prov.23.22.W1, which extends further down to each syllable (Prov.23.22.W1.S1) and character.