Shema

[ shuh-mah, shmah ]

nounJudaism.
  1. a liturgical prayer, prominent in Jewish history and tradition, that is recited daily at the morning and evening services and expresses the Jewish people's ardent faith in and love of God.

Origin of Shema

1
From the Hebrew word shəmaʿ listen!

Words Nearby Shema

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Shema in a sentence

  • In this palace a seal was found bearing a lion and the inscription belonging to Shema, the servant of Jeroboam.

    Archology and the Bible | George A. Barton
  • Oesterley (in loco) adds that “the very parchment on which the Shema is written is efficacious in keeping demons at a distance.”

British Dictionary definitions for Shema

Shema

/ (ʃəˈmɑː) /


noun
  1. the central statement of Jewish belief, the sentence "Hear, O Israel: the Lord is your God; the Lord is One" (Deuteronomy 6:4)

  2. the section of the liturgy consisting of this and related biblical passages, Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and 11:13–21 and Numbers 15:37–41, recited in the morning and evening prayers and on retiring at night

Origin of Shema

1
Hebrew, literally: hear

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