Meaning
Fame fam (shem, shema`; akoe, pheme): "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," shema`, "fame," "rumor," "reports" (Num 14:15, Job 28:22, the Revised Version (British and American) "rumor") probably means "report"; but in 1Ki 10:1, 2Ch 9:1, Isa 66:19, it is most probably "renown," or "reputation"; shemu`ah (1Ki 10:7, 2Ch 9:6) may have either meaning; shoma` (Jos 6:27, Jos 9:9, Est 9:4) seems to mean "fame" in the sense of reputation; but in Jer 6:24 (as the American Standard Revised Version) "report"; shem, "name," has the sense of reputation (1Ki 4:31, 1Ch 14:17, 1Ch 22:5, Zec 3:19, the Revised Version (British and American) "name"); qol, "voice," is report (Ge 45:16, the American Standard Revised Version "report"). In the New Testament akoe, "hearing," is "report," so the Revised Version (British and American) (Mat 4:24, Mat 14:1, Mar 1:28); pheme, "word," "rumor," is report, fame in this sense (Mat 9:26, Luk 4:14); echos, "a sound," "noise" (Lu 4:37, the Revised Version (British and American) "rumor"), and logos, "word" (Lu 5:15, the Revised Version (British and American) "report") have the same meaning; diaphemizo, "to say throughout," "to report publicly" (Mt 9:31, "they .... spread abroad his fame"), seems to imply fame in the sense of reputation.
In Macc 3:26, we have "fame" in the sense of reputation, "His fame (onoma, 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" (shema`), Jer 50:43.
W. L. Walker
