The submitting to authority, the doing of what is commanded, the complying with what is required, or the abstaining from what is forbidden.
In the Hebrew Scriptures the thought of obedience is expressed by sha·ma`´, meaning, basically, “hear or listen.” Thus, at times sha·ma`´ refers to simple hearing, becoming aware of something through the auditory senses. (Ge 3:10; 21:26; 34:5) But when what is spoken expresses will, desire, instruction, or command, then the sense of the Hebrew term is that of paying heed to or obeying the one speaking. Adam “listened” to his wife’s voice, that is, acceded to her desire that he join her in eating the forbidden fruit. (Ge 3:17; compare 21:12.) Joseph refused to “listen” to the importunities of Potiphar’s wife. (Ge 39:10) King Saul feared the people and “so obeyed [listened to] their voice,” overstepping God’s order in doing so. (1Sa 15:24) Jehovah’s promise to Abraham concerning a seed was granted because Abraham “listened to,” or obeyed, Jehovah’s voice, keeping his commands.—Ge 22:18; 26:4, 5; compare Heb 11:8; see EAR.
The same Hebrew term is used with reference to God in ‘hearing’ or ‘listening’ to men. Here the English term “obedience” is not suitable, since humans cannot command God but can only petition or supplicate him. Hence, when God told Abraham that “as regards Ishmael I have heard you,” he was telling Abraham that he had given regard to his request, would act upon it. (Ge 17:20) In a similar way God ‘heard’ or responded to the appeal of persons in times of difficulty or affliction, answering their pleas where he saw fit to show mercy.
Regarding man’s great need to hear God, in the sense of giving close attention and obedience to his words as the Bible directs, rather than to see God as some demand, R. C. Dentan remarks: “In the Bible, the key word for man’s response to God is ‘hearing’ rather than ‘seeing’ . . . For the mystery religions the highest religious experience was that of ‘seeing’ the god; but for the Bible, where the basic religious attitude is obedience to the divine word, the emphasis is on ‘hearing’ his voice. The most important formula of Israel’s religion begins characteristically: ‘Hear, O Israel.’ ‘He who is of God’ is not the mystic who has seen a vision, but one who ‘hears the words of God’