fām ( שׁם , shēm , שׁמע , shēma‛ ; ἀκοή , akoḗ , φήμη , phḗmē ): "Fame" has the twofold meaning, (1) of report or rumor, (2) of renown or reputation (in the Old Testament it is not always easy to distinguish the two senses). "Fame," shēma‛ , "fame," "rumor," "reports" (Numbers 14:15; Job 28:22 , the Revised Version (British and American) "rumor") probably means "report"; but in 1 Kings 10:1; 2 Chronicles 9:1; Isaiah 66:19 , it is most probably "renown," or "reputation"; shemū‛āh (1 Kings 10:7; 2 Chronicles 9:6 ) may have either meaning; shōma‛ (Joshua 6:27; Joshua 9:9; Esther 9:4 ) seems to mean "fame" in the sense of reputation; but in Jeremiah 6:24 (as the American Standard Revised Version) "report"; shēm , "name," has the sense of reputation (1 Kings 4:31; 1 Chronicles 14:17; 1 Chronicles 22:5; Zephaniah 3:19 , the Revised Version (British and American) "name"); ḳōl , "voice," is report (Genesis 45:16 , the American Standard Revised Version "report"). In the New Testament akoē , "hearing," is "report," so the Revised Version (British and American) (Matthew 4:24; Matthew 14:1; Mark 1:28 ); phēmē , "word," "rumor," is report, fame in this sense (Matthew 9:26; Luke 4:14 ); ḗchos , "a sound," "noise" (Luke 4:37 , the Revised Version (British and American) "rumor"), and lógos , "word" (Luke 5:15 , the Revised Version (British and American) "report") have the same meaning; diaphēmı́zō , "to say throughout," "to report publicly" (Matthew 9:31 , "they ... spread abroad his fame"), seems to imply fame in the sense of reputation.
In 1 Macc 3:26, we have "fame" in the sense of reputation, "His fame (ónoma , the Revised Version (British and American) "name") came near even to the king"; so 3:41, "heard the fame of them."
ERV has "fame" for "report" (shēma‛̇ ), Jeremiah 50:43 .
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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