מִשְׁמָע (mish.ma)
mish.ma
hearing
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun mishma is a rare Hebrew word meaning "that which is heard" or "rumor." It appears only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 11:3, where it describes the sensory perception of the Messiah. Rather than referring to the act of listening, this term points to the content itself—the sound or report that reaches the ear.
In its single occurrence, the text says the ruler will delight in the fear of the Lord and his decisions will be guided by what he hears from God. Here, mishma suggests a divine communication or oracle that informs righteous judgment. It highlights a king who is attentive to heavenly instruction rather than earthly opinion.
This usage distinguishes the word from common terms for hearing like shama. While shama describes the action of listening and obeying, mishma focuses on the message received. The rarity of the word underscores its specific function in Isaiah: to portray a leader whose wisdom comes directly from God's spoken word.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mishma points to the very content that reaches our ears, rather than the act of listening itself. In Isaiah 11:3, it describes how the coming Messiah makes decisions based on divine communication rather than earthly opinion. This offers a quiet comfort: true wisdom comes from paying attention to God's voice above all else.
When life feels noisy and confusing, this rare term reminds us that our best guidance is found in what we hear from the Lord. It invites you to slow down and consider whether your choices are shaped by popular trends or by heavenly instruction. The promise here is that a heart attentive to God finds peace and right direction.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ [the] hearing of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/מִשְׁמַ֥ע1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 11:3
His delight will be in the fear of Yahweh. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, neither decide by the hearing of his ears;
The term mishma specifies that the Messiah's judgment relies on divine communication rather than human sight or common rumor.