In the Greek listen is the word akouó which means to hear, to comprehend by hearing, to understand, to take heed. It is the same root for the English word, acoustics. In Hebrew it is the word sama which means to listen, to obey and to yield to.

Attentiveness is the word, Ekkremamai in Greek which means to hang upon the lips of a speaker. It is an attitude of concentration or readiness.

James 1:19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

Everyone includes leaders, husbands, fathers, children and wives. All family members must be good listeners. In the Bible and also in our local cultures there positive correlation between listening and good behaviour. For example, in Shona, my home language, the term Musikanzwa (non-listening) is the word for naughty. The naughty child is the “non-listening” child. If we want to raise up a righteous generation we must train our children to listen to and obey the voice of their parents.