Qashab (קָשַׁב) means to give close attention, to listen intently, to pay heed. The underlying image appears to be "pricking up the ears" — the posture of attentive listening. It appears about 46 times in the OT, frequently in commands to hear God's word, prayers for God to hear human cries, and prophetic calls for covenant fidelity.
The cognate noun qeshev means "attentiveness." The word implies active, intentional engagement — not passive hearing but disciplined, focused listening that is willing to obey.
Qashab is a covenant word. Israel was repeatedly commanded to qashab — "Listen intently to the LORD your God." Failure to qashab — selective hearing, half-hearted attention to the word — is precisely the sin the prophets indicted. "They did not give heed [qashab] or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts" (Jer. 7:24).
The Shema (Deut. 6:4, "Hear, O Israel") uses the more common verb shama (H8085), but qashab adds the dimension of earnest, disciplined attention. Proverbs 4 is a masterclass in qashab: the father pleads with the son to incline his ear, to guard his heart, to keep focused on wisdom. The New Testament echo is "Let anyone with ears hear" (Matt. 11:15) — the same call to stop, attend, and obey.