Shemuel

Shemuel (meaning: heard of God or name of God) is a Hebrew form of the name Samuel, borne by three distinct individuals in the Old Testament. The first was the son of Ammihud and the representative of the tribe of Simeon appointed to assist in the division of the land of Canaan among the tribes (Numbers 34:20). The second was the son of Tola and a chief of the tribe of Issachar, listed in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 7:2.

The third Shemuel was a grandson of Samuel the prophet through his son Joel, listed in 1 Chronicles 6:33 as an ancestor of Heman the musician who served before the tabernacle in David's time. This genealogical connection links the great prophet Samuel to the Levitical musical tradition of the Davidic era. The name's meaning — affirming that God has heard — reflects the circumstances of the birth of Samuel the prophet, whose mother Hannah cried out to God in her barrenness and whose son's name memorialized the divine answer to her prayer.