Dictionaries :: Hear, Hearing

Hear, Hearing:

the usual word denoting "to hear," is used

(a) intransitively, e.g., Mat 11:15; Mark 4:23;

(b) transitively when the object is expressed, sometimes in the accusative case, sometimes in the genitive. Thus in Act 9:7, "hearing the voice," the noun "voice" is in the partitive genitive case [i.e., hearing (something) of], whereas in Act 22:9, "they heard not the voice," the construction is with the accusative. This removes the idea of any contradiction. The former indicates a "hearing" of the sound, the latter indicates the meaning or message of the voice (this they did not hear). "The former denotes the sensational perception, the latter (the accusative case) the thing perceived" (Cremer). In Jhn 5:25, 28, the genitive case is used, indicating a "sensational perception" that the Lord's voice is sounding; in Jhn 3:8, of "hearing" the wind, the accusative is used, stressing "the thing perceived."

That God "hears" prayer signifies that He answers prayer, e.g., Jhn 9:31; 1Jo 5:14, 15. Sometimes the verb is used with para ("from beside"), e.g., Jhn 1:40, "one of the two which heard John speak," lit., "heard from beside John," suggesting that he stood beside him; in Jhn 8:26, 40, indicating the intimate fellowship of the Son with the Father; the same construction is used in Act 10:22; 2Ti 2:2, in the latter case, of the intimacy between Paul and Timothy.
See HEARKEN.

Hear, Hearing:

"to listen to" (eis, to, and No. 1), has two meanings,

(a) "to hear and obey," 1Cr 14:21, "they will not hear;"

(b) "to hear so as to answer," of God's answer to prayer, Mat 6:7; Luk 1:13; Act 10:31; Hbr 5:7.

Hear, Hearing:

"to hear through, hear fully" (dia, "through," and No. 1), is used technically, of "hearing" judicially, in Act 23:35, of Felix in regard to the charges against Paul. In the Sept., Deu 1:16; Job 9:33.

Hear, Hearing:

"to listen to, hear with favor, at or upon an occasion" (epi, "upon," and No. 1), is used in 2Cr 6:2 (RV, "hearken").

Hear, Hearing:

"to listen attentively to" (epi, used intensively, and a verb akin to No. 1), is used in Act 16:25, "(the prisoners) were listening to (them)," RV, expressive of rapt attention.

Hear, Hearing:

signifies "to hear before" (pro), Col 1:5, where Lightfoot suggests that the preposition contrasts what they heard before, the true Gospel, with the false gospel of their recent teachers.

Hear, Hearing:

primarily signifies "to overhear, hear amiss or imperfectly" (para, "beside, amiss," and No. 1); then (in the NT) "to hear without taking heed, to neglect to hear," Mat 18:17 (twice); in Mar 5:36 the best mss. have this verb, which the RV renders "not heeding" (marg., "overhearing"); some mss. have No. 1, AV, "hearing." It seems obvious that the Lord paid no attention to those from the ruler's house and their message that his daughter was dead. Cp. the noun parakoe, "disobedience."

Hear, Hearing:

akin to A, No. 1, denotes

(a) "the sense of hearing," 1Cr 12:17; 2Pe 2:8; a combination of verb and noun is used in phrases which have been termed Hebraic as they express somewhat literally an OT phraseology, e.g., "By hearing ye shall hear," Mat 13:14; Act 28:26, RV, a mode of expression conveying emphasis;

(b) "the organ of hearing," Mar 7:35, "ears;" Luk 7:1, RV, "ears," for AV, "audience;" Act 17:20; 2Ti 4:3, 4; Hbr 5:11, "dull of hearing," lit., "dull as to ears;"

(c) "a thing heard, a message or teaching," Jhn 12:38, "report;" Rom 10:16; 1Th 2:13, "the word of the message," lit. "the word of hearing" (AV, "which ye heard"); Hbr 4:2, "the word of hearing," RV, for AV, "the word preached;" in a somewhat similar sense, "a rumor, report," Mat 4:24; 14:1; Mar 1:28, AV, "fame," RV, "report;" Mat 24:6; Mar 13:7, "rumors (of wars);"

(d) "the receiving of a message," Rom 10:17, something more than the mere sense of "hearing" [see (a)]; so with the phrase "the hearing of faith," Gal 3:2, 5, which it seems better to understand so than under (c).
See EAR, FAME, PREACH, REPORT, RUMOR.

Notes:

(1) For diagnosis (investigation, followed by decision), rendered "hearing" in Act 25:21, AV, see DECISION.

(2) For the phrase to be dull of hearing, lit., "to hear heavily," Mat 13:15; Act 28:27, see DULL.

(3) For akroaterion, "a place of hearing," Act 25:23, see PLACE.