Obedience in Hebrew is: shama (שָׁמַע). It means to hear, to listen, to give attention, to understand, to submit to, and to obey. There is only one word in Hebrew for obedience, and it is this word – shama. This Hebrew word is also generally translated as “hear”.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
“One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons.”Dietrich Bonhoeffer
In this Hebrew word there is a direct correlation between hearing and obeying. This is where we run into difficulty in finding a proper English word to fit the context of a verse. “Shama” is an excellent example of the difference between Hebrew, which stresses physical action, and Greek and Western culture that stresses mental activity. In terms of our relationship with God, the Hebrew translation shows the intent and meaning of “shama’s” use in Scripture.
Willingly Yoked To Him
To know God and His voice, we need to first have an intention to do what it is we hear Him say. We must have a willingness of spiritual intent, and practice to prepare the soil of our minds and hearts to directly experience this oneness as we hear and obey.
Isaiah 1:19
If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
Willingness is yoking ourselves to the will and word of God. When we do this we will obey as we hear (shama). As a result, just as in the scripture above, we will eat the good of the land; the rich produce that comes from yoking ourselves to Him. The produce is the shama what we hear from God. Unless we have harnessed our willingness to yoke ourselves with Him and His instruction, we will not shama or hear the voice of God and obey, and subsequently, will not eat the good of the land.
To Obey Is To Hear
Listening, in our culture, is a passive mental activity, and hearing just means that our ears registered sound waves. But in Hebrew, the word shema describes hearing and also its outward effects of taking heed, being obedient, and doing what is asked.
Exodus 23:22
“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
Those of us who are parents already understand this biblical truth by the way we speak to our children and give them instruction. The fact that our children simply heard our instruction is not enough; usually there is a physical, concrete action they take as a result of their hearing us. When there isn’t, we will often repeat it, even louder, until they finally hear and obey. It is only then do we consider that they in fact heard us. The same is true with this Hebrew word in Scripture. Almost every place it is used in the Bible we see it translated into the English word “obey”.
Faith Comes By Hearing
Romans 10:17
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
It is fruitless for us to read God’s word without committing ourselves to do what it requires of us. It is worse than fruitless, really, because it dulls our hearing all together, and it is disobedience and sin. How can we call ourselves a disciple, a follower, and ignore the transformative changes in our lives that He demands.
Matthew 11:15
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Yeshua says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” He is calling us to put his words into action, not just listen. He wants us to be doers of the word, and not hearers only. We as Westerners put all our stress on what is in our minds, and tend to consider action as “dead works.” However, the biblical way of thinking according to Hebrew is that we have not yet truly understood until we have put what we have heard into our hearts and allowed it to transform the way we live.
James 1:22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
When we approach God and His word, it isn’t simply about an academic study so we can recite truth. It’s about having our lives changed and transformed. If my life isn’t changing because of His words, then I haven’t learned anything, and by biblical definition, I haven’t heard. The action of obedience is our only sure measure of successful listening.
Very helpful Aaron! Thank you so much.
I’m glad you found this article to be helpful. You’re welcome.
It is truly a blessed teaching. Many Churches and Families do not have or know this Greatest Truth.
Thank you this is very informative.
Maybe you can help me. I recently read an article which I do not agree with. This idea of God’s Torah vs Moses Torah.
The following verses were quoted as proof text but I understand it this way, God spoke but the people did not shama and so they received the curses that Moses wrote in the Torah. This is the quote.
‘There are two laws that are made crystal clear in the following verses below. Daniel 9:10 is talking about God’s law and verse 11 is talking about Moses’ law:
“Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.”
“Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.” Daniel 9:10, 11
If you have a Hebrew understanding of this subject and can help I would appreciate it. Maybe I am wrong. Is the law of God and Moses two different laws?
Kind regards.
Hello Scott,
Thank you for taking the time to read this article and comment here.
To answer your question: no, I do not view the ‘Mosaic Law’ and the ‘Law of God’ as to separate things. In fact, the ‘law of Moses’ was simply Moses communicating the instructions Yahweh gave to him and the people. Furthermore, it is my view that the commandments are a reflection of Yahweh’s unchanging righteous character.
Here’s an example of that using scripture:
https://www.pathofobedience.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/gods-law-mirror.png
The issue isn’t two laws, rather, the heart of the people to keep his commands, which are the promises of the new covenant – that he gives his people a heart of flesh and places his spirit within them to do what he’s commanded (Jeremiah 31:31-37, Ezekiel 36:22-38).
As those who walk in the realities of the new covenant, our keeping his commands are simply an expression of love back to a Heavenly Father who has first loved us. It’s how we worship him. It’s how we love him.
1 John 5:2-3 (ESV)
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
2 John 6 (ESV)
6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
I hope this has helped answer your question!
I woke up this morning praying and out of my mouth came this word Shama and now i have found this website of yours.
Thank you Aaron!
Hello Ulrich, that’s really great to hear! You’re welcome.
I had a dream where they singing happy dance shama shama shama in happy skipping manner. The physical impression of trooping along in happy obedience. This dream made such impression so that I had to research the word. And for some unknown reason I knew that it was Hebrew word.
I was so amazed…as i was praising God, this word i kept on uttering. In which i didn’t know what it means. So out of curiosity i goggle it. And then i found your article….so thankful and greatful! Now i know what God wants me to do.
I just finished reading Ezekiel and looked up the Hebrew words for THE LORD IS THERE. I ended up at your website reading about Shama and obedience. This has blessed my heart and helped me understand so much! Thank you. God has called me to go to Israel twice and hoping to go again next year. I love reading about the Hebrew language. I will enjoy reading more of your posts. God bless you and thanks again!
Wonderful teaching!
Good day. I just love your teachings
Sandy
Cape Town
South Africa
Thanks for your wisdom expounding the word obey ( Shama), it is profitable for me.. Godbless
This is fantastic Aaron! We individualistic Americans hate to “obey” anyone or thing. Thank you for reframing the semantics of obey!
God bless you Aaron for answering the call from the Father. I appreciate the love you put into this teaching.
May God bless you and your family.
Oh how this blessed me and gave me a more complete understanding of obedience. I’ve been praying for responsive hearts in our church then began reading in Ezekiel 36 and praying that out. I suddenly needed to find the Hebrew word for ‘obey’ and was led to your site. May God continue to bless you in full measure for bringing His heart to light.