Bible Lexicons

שֵׁם constr. שֵׁם, sometimes followed by Makk. שֶׁם־, with suff. שְׁמִי, שִׁמְךָ, שִׁמְכֶם, pl. שֵׁמוֹת, constr. שְׁמוֹת m. (once f. Song of Solomon 1:3, see רוּק Hophal).

(1) name. (Arab. إِسْمُ, more rarely سِمُ, Eth. ስም፡ but Ch. שֻׁם id. I regard this word as primitive, and prop. as denoting σῆμα, signum, although kindred to it is the root وسم to mark with a sign, to designate, سِمَةُ sign, stigma, mark with which any one is marked. From the noun are derived سمى Conj. II., ܫܰܡܗܰ, ܫܰܡܺܝ to name. Some regard שֵׁם as shortened from שֵׁמַע, by casting away ע, comparing the LXX. translator, who not unfrequently renders שֵׁמַע, ὄνομα.) בְּשֵׁם פ׳ in any one’s name, i.e. authority, Exodus 5:23; Esther 3:12 בְּשֵׁם יְיָ in the name of Jehovah, by his authority, Jeremiah 11:21, 26:9 בְּשֵׁם by name (ben Namen), Exodus 33:12 בְּשֵׁמוֹת by name, 1 Chronicles 12:31; Ezra 10:16. As to the phrases קָרָא שֵׁם, נִקְרָא בְשֵׁם etc. see קָרָא No. 2, -fh, No. 3, and Niphal No. 1, 2. Specially it is

(a) a celebrated name, fame (like ὄνομα and nomen). עָשָׂה לוֹ שֵׁם Genesis 11:4; Jeremiah 32:20 and שׂוּם לוֹ שֵׁם 2 Samuel 7:23, to make for oneself a name, i.e. to acquire fame for oneself; אַנְשֵׁי שֵׁם famous men, Genesis 6:4 also nobles, Numbers 16:2 אַנְשֵׁי שֵׁמוֹת id. 1 Chronicles 5:24 and on the other hand, בְּנֵי בְלִי שֵׁם sons of an ignoble (father), i.e. ignoble themselves, and sprung from an ignoble race, Job 30:8. Hence glory, Genesis 9:27, בְּאָהֳלֵי שֵׁם “in glorious tents;” [Is not שֵׁם here pr.n.] Zephaniah 3:19, שַׂמְתִּים לִתְהִלָּה וּלְשֵׁם “I will make them praised and famous;” verse 20 Zephaniah 3:20 Deuteron. 26:19.

(b) a good name, good reputation, Ecclesiastes 7:1; Proverbs 22:1. When used in a bad sense there is added רַע Deuteronomy 22:14, 19 Deuteronomy 22:19; Nehemiah 6:13.

(c) fame after death, memory. So in the phrases, to destroy, to blot out the name of any person or thing, i.e. so to blot out (a people, a city), that even the name and memory may perish from posterity, Deuteronomy 9:14; 1 Samuel 24:22; 2 Kings 14:27; Psalms 9:6; Zechariah 13:2 also Ecclesiastes 6:4, “its name is covered with darkness” (of an abortion). Hence

(d) a monument, by which any one’s memory is preserved, 2 Samuel 8:13; Isaiah 55:13. [This meaning appears to be very doubtful in both the cited passages.]

(2) שֵׁם יְהֹוָה is

(a) the celebrated name of God, the estimation of men concerning God; in the phrase לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ for his name’s sake, as his name would lead one to expect; see page 495, B hence the glory of God; לְמַעַן שְׁמִי for my name’s sake, lest the glory of the divine name should suffer. Isai. 48:9 1 Kings 8:41; Psalms 79:9, 106:8 Ezekiel 20:44. Psalms 138:2, עַל כָּל שִׁמְךָ “above all thy name,” above all that can be predicated of thee.

(b) Jehovah, as being called on and praised by men, as קָרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהֹוָה to call on the name of Jehovah, compare under the verb קָרָא No. 1, h. Psalms 5:12, אֹהֲבֵי שְׁמֶךָ “those who love thy name,” i.e. those who delight in thy praise. Psalms 9:11.

(c) the Deity as being present with mortals, i.q. פְּנֵי יְהֹוָה. Exodus 23:21, כִּי שְׁמִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ “for my name is in him” (the angel). 1 Kings 8:29, יִהְיֶה שְׁמִי שָׁם “my name shall be there” (in the temple). 2 Kings 23:27. 1 Kings 3:2, “no house had been built to the name of the Lord.” 1 Kings 8:17, 20 1 Kings 8:20. שִׁכֵּז שְׁמוֹ, שׂוּם to put his name (in any place), i.e. there to fix his abode, see under the verb שׂוּם and שָׁכַז. It is often applied to the aid which God as present vouchsafes to men. Psalms 54:3, “O God! בְּשִׁמְךָ הוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ save us by thy name.” Psalms 44:6, 124:8 89:25 20:2 Isai. 30:27. Also שֵׁם, הַשֵּׁם are used absol. of the name of God, Leviticus 24:11, 16 Leviticus 24:16; Deuteronomy 28:58.

(3) pr.n. Shem, the eldest [second] son of Noah, from whom, -Gen. 10:2230, the Shemitic nations, i.e. the western nations of Asia, the Persians, Assyrians, Aramean s, and part of the Arabs have sprung. Compare Gesch. der Hebr. Spr. u. Schr. p. 5, 6.

Compound pr.n. are שְׁמוּאֵל, שְׁמִידָע, שְׁמִירָמוֹת.

וְשֵׁם־ וּלְשֵׁ֥ם ולשם ושם־ ם שֵׁ֑ם שֵׁ֔ם שֵׁ֖ם שֵׁ֗ם שֵׁ֚ם שֵׁ֥ם ׀ שֵׁ֨ם שם m šêm shem ū·lə·šêm ūləšêm ulShem veshem wə·šêm- wəšêm-