Hebrew word · H8098

שְׁמַעְיָ֫הוּ

shema'yahu

Shemaiah

A name built from the verb shamaʿ ('to hear, listen, obey') and -yahu (short for YHWH): 'Yahweh has heard.' It was a common name; many Shemaiahs appear in Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah.

Appears 41 times in 39 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A prophet living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.12.22

§ Shemaiah = "heard by Jehovah"

1) a prophet of the Lord in the reign of king Rehoboam of Judah

2) the Nehelamite, a false prophet in the time of the prophet Jeremiah

3) father of Delaiah, one of the princes of Judah in the time of the prophet Jeremiah

4) an inhabitant of Kirjathjearim and father of Urijah, a prophet of the Lord in the time of the prophet Jeremiah

5) a Judaite, son of Shechaniah, father of Hattush, and descendant of Zerubbabel

6) a Simeonite, father of Shimri

7) a Reubenite, son of Joel and father of Gog

8) a Merarite Levite, son of Hasshub in the time of Nehemiah

9) a Levite, son of Galal and father of Obadiah

10) a Levite and head of the family of the sons of Elizaphan who were commissioned to bring the ark to Jerusalem in the time of David

11) a Levite and scribe, son of Nethaneel in the time of David

12) a Levite, 1st son of Obed-Edom in the time of David

13) a Levite, descendant of Jeduthun the singer in the time of king Hezekiah of Judah

14) a Levite, one of the messengers of Ezra to Iddo

15) a Levite in the time of king Jehoshaphat of Judah

16) a Levite, one of several in charge of distributing the free will offerings brought to God to their Levite brethren in the time of king Hezekiah of Judah

17) a Levite in the time of king Josiah of Judah

18) head of a family of exiles who returned with Ezra

19) a priest, of the sons of Harim who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

20) an Israelite of the sons of Harim who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

21) son of Delaiah, grandson of Mehetabeel, and a false prophet hired by Tobiah and Sanballat to give false guidance to Nehemiah

22) a priest who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah and participated in the dedication of the wall

23) a priest who returned from exile with Zerubbabel

24) a leader of the people at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah

25) grandfather of the priest Zechariah who participated in the dedication of the wall in the time of Nehemiah

26) another of the priests who along with 25 took part in the dedication of the wall in the time of Nehemiah

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 2 Chronicles 11:2

Range of meaning

A name built from the verb shamaʿ ('to hear, listen, obey') and -yahu (short for YHWH): 'Yahweh has heard.' It was a common name; many Shemaiahs appear in Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah.

Against the English

English readers see 'Shemaiah' as just a name. Hebrew hearers would have heard its meaning.

Used elsewhere in the period

In 1 Kings 12:22 it is spelled with the short ending (Shemaʿyah). Chronicles here has the long ending -yahu. Names ending in -yahu are well known from seals and ostraca (inscribed pieces of pottery) from the period of the kings.

From the study of Nehemiah 12:6

Range of meaning

'The LORD has heard', from shamaʿ, 'to hear, to listen and respond'. It was a very common name for priests, Levites, prophets and laymen. The supplied lemma gives the long form -yahu, while the text here has the short form -yah. Both forms are standard.

Against the English

There is nothing misleading in the English. Because the Bible has more than twenty men called Shemaiah, readers should not identify this one with the prophet Shemaiah (1 Kgs 12:22) or with Nehemiah's opponent's hireling (Neh 6:10).

Used elsewhere in the period

A priest named Shemaiah seals the covenant in Nehemiah 10:8. The family continues under Joiakim, where 'of Shemaiah, Jehonathan' appears (12:18).

Where it appears

1 Kings · 1
  1. 1 Kings 12:22 שְׁמַעְיָ֥ה Shemaiah

    But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:

1 Chronicles · 12
  1. 1 Chronicles 3:22 שְׁמַעְיָ֑ה שְׁמַעְיָ֗ה Shemaiah

    The six descendants of Shecaniah were Shemaiah and his sons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat.

  2. 1 Chronicles 4:37 שְׁמַֽעְיָֽה׃ Shemaiah

    and Ziza son of Shiphi (son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah).

  3. 1 Chronicles 5:4 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֥ה Shemaiah

    The descendants of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,

  4. 1 Chronicles 9:14 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֧ה Shemaiah

    From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a descendant of Merari;

  5. 1 Chronicles 9:16 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֔ה Shemaiah

    Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

  6. 1 Chronicles 15:8 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֥ה Shemaiah

    from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the chief and 200 of his relatives;

  7. 1 Chronicles 15:11 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֔ה Shemaiah

    David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

    Here: Name meaning 'YHWH has heard'. He is head of the Elizaphan family (v. 8), a Kohathite sub-clan. This is the short spelling of a name whose long form ends in -yahu.

  8. 1 Chronicles 24:6 שְֽׁמַֽעְיָה֩ Shemaiah

    The scribe, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officers: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar, and then one from Ithamar.

  9. 1 Chronicles 26:4 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֤ה Shemaiah

    And Obed-edom also had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth,

  10. 1 Chronicles 26:6 וְלִֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֤ה and to Shemaiah

    Also to his son Shemaiah were born sons who ruled over their families because they were strong, capable men.

  11. 1 Chronicles 26:7 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֗ה Shemaiah

    Shemaiah’s sons were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; his brothers were Elihu and Semachiah, also capable men.

    Here: 'The LORD has heard.' The firstborn son of Obed-edom (26:4), whose sons became heads of their clan because they were capable men (26:6).

2 Chronicles · 8
  1. 2 Chronicles 11:2 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֥הוּ Shemaiah

    But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God:

    Here: A personal name meaning "Yahweh has heard." He is a prophet at Rehoboam's court. Chronicles mentions him again in 12:5–8 and 12:15, and says he kept records of the reign.

  2. 2 Chronicles 12:5 וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֤ה and Shemaiah

    Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You have forsaken Me; therefore, I have forsaken you into the hand of Shishak.’”

  3. 2 Chronicles 12:7 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֧ה׀ Shemaiah

    When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but will soon grant them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.

  4. 2 Chronicles 12:15 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֧ה Shemaiah

    Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the Prophet and of Iddo the Seer concerning the genealogies? There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their days.

  5. 2 Chronicles 17:8 שְֽׁמַֽעְיָ֡הוּ Shemaiah

    accompanied by certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah—along with the priests Elishama and Jehoram.

  6. 2 Chronicles 29:14 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֖ה Shemaiah

    Jehiel and Shimei from the Hemanites; and Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthunites.

  7. 2 Chronicles 31:15 וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֜הוּ and Shemaiah

    Under his authority, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully distributed portions to their fellow priests in their cities, according to their divisions, old and young alike.

  8. 2 Chronicles 35:9 וּשְׁמַֽעְיָ֨הוּ and Shemaiah

    Additionally, Conaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, as well as Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, officers of the Levites, contributed to the Levites 5,000 Passover offerings and 500 bulls.

Ezra · 4
  1. Ezra 8:13 וּֽשְׁמַעְיָ֑ה and Shemaiah

    from the later descendants of Adonikam, these were their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;

  2. Ezra 8:16 לִֽ֠שְׁמַעְיָה for Shemaiah

    Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan.

  3. Ezra 10:21 וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֔ה and Shemaiah

    From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

  4. Ezra 10:31 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֥ה Shemaiah

    From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

Nehemiah · 10
  1. Nehemiah 3:29 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֣ה Shemaiah

    Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house, and next to him, Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard of the East Gate, made repairs.

  2. Nehemiah 6:10 שְֽׁמַֽעְיָ֧ה Shemaiah

    Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house. He said: “Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you!”

  3. Nehemiah 10:8 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֑ה Shemaiah

    Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.

  4. Nehemiah 11:15 שְׁמַעְיָ֧ה Shemaiah

    From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

  5. Nehemiah 12:6 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֥ה Shemaiah

    Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

    Here: The name of a priestly family head who came back from Babylon with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. The name is a short sentence, 'Yah (the LORD) has heard'. A family of this name is still serving a generation later (12:18).

  6. Nehemiah 12:18 לִֽשְׁמַעְיָ֖ה of Shemaiah

    of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jonathan;

  7. Nehemiah 12:34 וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֖ה and Shemaiah

    Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

  8. Nehemiah 12:35 שְׁמַֽעְיָ֗ה Shemaiah

    and some of the priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,

  9. Nehemiah 12:36 שְֽׁמַעְיָ֡ה Shemaiah

    and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.

  10. Nehemiah 12:42 וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֜ה and Shemaiah

    and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. Then the choirs sang out under the direction of Jezrahiah.

Jeremiah · 6
  1. Jeremiah 26:20 שְׁמַעְיָ֔הוּ Shemaiah

    Now there was another man prophesying in the name of the LORD, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land the same things that Jeremiah did.

  2. Jeremiah 29:24 שְׁמַעְיָ֥הוּ Shemaiah

    You are to tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite that

  3. Jeremiah 29:31 שְׁמַעְיָ֖ה שְׁמַעְיָ֗ה Shemaiah

    “Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,

    Here: A common name meaning 'Yahweh has heard'. This Shemaiah is a prophet among the exiles in Babylon who wrote to Jerusalem demanding Jeremiah be silenced (vv. 24–28).

  4. Jeremiah 29:32 שְׁמַעְיָ֣ה Shemaiah

    this is what the LORD says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people, declares the LORD, for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.’”

    Here: The name means 'YHWH has heard'. Here it belongs to an exile in Babylon who wrote letters to Jerusalem trying to have Jeremiah locked in the stocks (vv. 24–28).

  5. Jeremiah 36:12 שְׁ֠מַעְיָהוּ Shemaiah

    he went down to the scribe’s chamber in the king’s palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.