SHAMMUA shá mu ə (שַׁמּ֣וּעַ, rumor). KJV SHAMMUAH (2 Sam 5:14). 1. A son of David (2 Sam 5:14), called Shimea in 1 Chronicles 3:5. It is not known if his mother was a wife or concubine of David. David’s harem apparently was enlarged considerably when he moved his capital from Hebron to Jerusalem. David and other kings of Israel followed the Oriental custom of multiplying wives as a symbol of prestige.

2. A son of Bilgah, and a contemporary of Joiakim the high priest (1 Chron 24:14; Neh 12:18; Neh 10:8 has Bilgai, but Bilgah is preferable). Bilgah returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel and he and his son Shammua officiated under Joiakim.

3. A Levite and son of Galal (Neh 11:17), called Shemaiah in 1 Chronicles 9:16, where it is said he was the father of Abda who is called “Obadiah the son of Shemaiah.”

4. A son of Zaccur, a Reubenite (Num 13:4). He represented his tribe as one of the twelve sent to spy out the land of Canaan from the wilderness of Paran by Moses.