The Bible

 

Revelation 13:16

Study

       

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

Commentary

 

Hear

  
Self-Portrait as a Deaf Man, by Joshua Reynolds

“Hearing” in the Bible means more than just the collection of atmospheric vibrations: It represents receiving and understanding new ideas, particularly those from the Lord. On a deeper level it represents obedience, because we must understand to obey. This also is reflected in natural language, in which we often use “hear” to mean “obey.” There are many shades of meaning beyond that, depending on context -- who is hearing whom, and what the subject at hand is.