Shema
She'ma (Heb. in three forms, Shema', שׁמָע, Jos 15:26; Shema', שֵׁמִע;, elsewhere, except "in pause, " She'ma, שָׁמִע, 1Ch 2:43 all meaning rumor; Sept. Σαμά, v.r. Σαμαά, Σαλμάα, Σαμαϊvας, etc.), the name of four men and of one place.
1. Last named of the four sons of Hebron, and father of Raham, descendants of Caleb, great-grandson of Judah (1Ch 2:43-44). B.C. ante 1658.
2. A Benjamite, son of Elpaal, and one of the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove out the inhabitants of Gath (1Ch 8:13). B.C. post 1618. He is probably the same as Shimhi (ver. 21).
3. Son of Joel and father of Azaz, among the Reubenite chiefs (1Ch 5:8). B.C. ante 1090. Perhaps the same with Shemaiah (q.v.) of ver. 4. SEE JOEL 2.
4. One of those (apparently laymen) who stood at Ezra's right hand while lie read the law to the people (Ne 8:4). B.C. 458.
⇒See also the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
5. A town in the south of Judah, named between Amam and Moladah (Jos 15:26). The place seems to have no connection with No. 1 above (see Keil, ad loc. Chronicles). In the parallel list of towns set off from Judah to Simeon (Jos 19:2), the name appears as Sheba (q.v.), which is perhaps the more correct, as Shema never, elsewhere appears as the appellation of a town. Knobel (in the Kurzgef. exeg. Handb. ad loc.) suggests that it may be the present ruins Sameh, between Milh and Beer- sheba (Van de Velde, Syria, 2, 148).
