Mishma

Mishma (meaning hearing) is the name of two men in the Old Testament. The first was one of the twelve sons of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar (Gen. 25:14; 1 Chr. 1:30), and thus the founder of an Arab tribe bearing his name. The second Mishma was a Simeonite, the son of Mibsam and the father of Hammuel (1 Chr. 4:25–26). The Simeonite line of Mishma may represent a tribal family that had absorbed the earlier Ishmaelite clan name, reflecting the intermingling of Semitic peoples in the Negev region. The name itself recalls the importance of hearing and obedience as virtues in Hebrew culture, though neither biblical figure is remembered for any specific deed beyond the genealogical record.