STRONGS NUMBER H8104


Word Summary
shamar: to keep, watch, preserve
Original Word: שָׁמַר
Transliteration: shamar
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-mar')
Part of Speech: Verb
Short Definition: to keep, watch, preserve
Meaning: to hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to
Strong's Concordance
beward, be circumspect, take heed to self, keeper, self, mark, look narrowly, observe,

A primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. Guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc. -- beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

H8104. shamar

I. שָׁמַר465 verb keep, watch, preserve (Late Hebrew id.; Phoenician שמר‎ in proper name and (Punic) = watchman; Tel Amarna šimiru is perhaps overseer (Canaanism), WklNo. 80, i. 23; Mandean סמיראpreservedM 46; compare Arabic converse by night, stay awake (see LagBN 105); BaNB 175 f.; ES 43 infers from eyelid (compare [שְׁמֻרָה‎] below), and Arabic support, aid, protect (l = r), that two √ √ are combined in Hebrew; but proof insufficient); —

Qal425 Perfect3masculine singular ׳שׁGenesis 37:11 +, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יִשְׁמֹר1 Samuel 2:9 +, יִשְׁמָרֿJeremiah 5:24 +, suffix 3 masculine singular יִשְׁמְרֶנּוּExodus 21:29, 36; 3feminine singular suffix תִּשְׁמוּרֵ֑םProverbs 14:3 (read תִּשְׁמְרוּם‎, see Ges§ 47g Toy), etc.; Imperative masculine singular שְׁמֹרJob 2:6 +, שָׁמְרָה1 Chronicles 29:18 +; masculine plural שִׁמְרוּJoshua 6:18 +, etc.; Infinitive absolute שָׁמוֺרDeuteronomy 5:12 +; construct שְׁמֹרGenesis 3:24 +, suffix שָׁמְרָהּ2:15, etc.; Participle active שֹׁמֵר1 Samuel 1:12 +, etc.; passive שָׁמוּרEcclesiastes 5:12 (1 Samuel 9:24 see below), etc.; — [Synon. I. נָטַר נָצַר,‎, q. v.]:

1. a. keep, have charge of, garden Genesis 2:15 (J), ark 1 Samuel 7:1, property in trust Exodus 22:6; 22:9 (E), compare 1 Samuel 25:31; tend flock Genesis 30:31 (E), compare Zechariah 3:7; Numbers 3:8 (P); so perhaps (object omitted) Hosea 12:13 (where ׳שׁ‎ chosen for parallelism Now Marti and others); Participle אָנֹ֑כִי אָחִי הֲשֹׁמֵרGenesis 4:9 (J), ׳שׁ‎ of sheep 1 Samuel 17:20, ׳שׁ הַכֵּלִים17:22, ׳שׁ הַכְּגָדִים2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chronicles 34:22, ׳שׁ הַנָּשִׁיםEsther 2:3, 8, 15, compare 2:14, etc.

b. keep, guard, captives Joshua 10:18 (J), 1 Kings 20:39, דֶּרֶךְGenesis 3:24 (J); keep watch and ward, אֶל‎ person for whom 1 Samuel 26:15 (Psalm 59:10 see

3 end), עַל‎ person Psalm 59:16; Proverbs 6:22; בַּנַּעַר2 Samuel 18:12 have a care of (read לִי‎ for ᵐ5 מִי‎ and modern); in hostile sense, הָעִיר אֶל‎ (in siege) 11:16, עַל חַטָאתִיJob 14:16 (but read תַּעֲבֹר‎ with ᵐ5‎ Ew Di Du and others [not Hi Bu]); absolute with מֵעַלEcclesiastes 5:7 watcheth above, etc.; keep one's mouth, be prudent of speech Proverbs 21:33, compare Micah 7:5; keep = protect, save, one's life, נֶפֶשׁProverbs 13:3; 16:17; 19:16; 22:5, another's Job 2:6; in Proverbs, accusative of person, subject wisdom, 4:6 she shall preserve thee, compare (+ מִן‎ of evil) 6:24; 7:5; especially Participle watch, watchman, of city Isaiah 21:11 (twice in verse); 21:12; 62:5 (figurative), Song of Solomon 3:3; 5:7 (twice in verse); Psalm 127:1; ׳שׁ הַמֶּלֶף‎ (in temple) Jeremiah 35:4 + (see סַף‎), ׳הַמּ הַמֶּלֶךְ מֶּית1 Kings 14:27 2 Chronicles 12:10, ׳שׁ הַשְּׁעָרִיםNehemiah 13:22, הַבַּיִת שֹׁמְרֵי‎ (figurative) Ecclesiastes 12:3; ךֵהת הַבַּיִתךֵסעוֺה ׳שׁ'>הַכֵּלִים class=\"hebrew2\">שֹׁמֵר ךֵהת הַבַּיִתךֵסעוֺה ׳שׁ1 Samuel 17:22, ׳שׁ הַבְּגָדִים2 Kings 22:14, ׳שׁ חַמַּרְדֵּסNehemiah 2:8, ׳שׁ הַנָּשִׁיםEsther 2:3, 14, 15, שֹׁמְרִים‎ absolute Judges 7:19; Jeremiah 51:12.

c. hence watch for, wait for, accusative of person 1 Samuel 19:11 (to kill him), compare Psalm 59:1 (title; accusative הַבַּיִת‎); with יֲקֵכַי56:7 = dog my steps, 71:10; Jeremiah 20:10; = watch (suspiciously) Job 10:14; 13:27; 33:11; absolute הַשֹּׁעמרִיםJudges 1:24; wait for, נֶשֶׁףJob 24:15, לַבֹּקֶרPsalm 130:6 (twice in verse).

d. watch, observe, accusative of thing 1 Samuel 1:12; Ecclesiastes 11:4; Job 39:1; Jeremiah 8:7 (of birds), with intelligence Isaiah 42:20; Psalm 107:43; accusative of person 37:37 ("" ראה‎), Zechariah 11:11; accusative of sin Psalm 31:7; 130:3; accusative of thing, for the purpose of avoiding, 17:4.

2. a. keep, retain, of storing up (food) Genesis 41:35 (E); absolute Ecclesiastes 3:6 (opposed to הִשְׁלִיךְ‎); treasure up (in memory) Genesis 37:11 (E), compare Malachi 2:7; 1 Chronicles 29:18; Proverbs 4:21 (לְבָבֶ֑ךְ בְּתוֺךְ‎), 22:18 (כְּבִטֱנ֑ךָ‎); retain wrath Amos 1:11 (read לָנֶצַח שָׁמֶר‎ We Now GASm Marti; see also נָטַר1) + (anger omitted) Jeremiah 3:5 ("" נטר‎).

b. keep within bounds, restrain, object שׁוֺרExodus 21:29, 36 (E); with accusative hand, מִן‎ of evil Isaiah 56:2; figurative keep thy foot, with temporal clause Ecclesiastes 4:17; מַחְסוֺם׳אֶשׁ לְֿפִיPsalm 39:2 (ᵐ5‎ Du and others אָשִׁימָה‎); apparently reflexive (= Niph`al), Joshua 6:18 (+ מִןהַֿחֵרֶס‎), possibly sc. גַפְשְׁכֶם‎ Di.

3. a. observe, celebrate, accusative of festival, etc., Exodus 23:15 (E), 34:18 (J), 12:17; of day 12:17 (P), of month Deuteronomy 16:1.

b. keep Sabbath Deuteronomy 5:12; Leviticus 19:3, 30; 26:2 (all H), Exodus 31:13-14, 16 (P), Isaiah 56:4, also (+ מֵחַלְּלוֺ‎) 56:2; 56:6.

c. of other obligations: keep convenant Ezekiel 17:14, especially convenant of ׳יDeuteronomy 29:8; 1 Kings 11:11 5t., י ׳שְׁבֻעַת2:43, perform vow Deuteronomy 23:24; keep commands Jeremiah 35:18; Ezekiel 20:18; especially יֲבֹדָה תֻקִּים, מִצָוֺת,‎, etc., of ׳י‎ (sometimes "" נצר‎), Exodus 20:6 = Deuteronomy 5:10; Amos 2:4; 1 Kings 2:3; Psalm 119:8; 119:17; 119:34 + very often (c. 120 t.); ׳שׁ י ׳דֶּרֶחGenesis 18:19 (J) + 4 t., י ׳דַּרְכֵי2 Samuel 22:22 = Psalm 18:22, ׳ד ׳י‎ omitted Judges 2:22 b; ׳שׁ צַדַּיקִים אָרְחוֺתProverbs 2:20 ("" טוֺבֹים בְּדֶרֶח תְּלֵח תֵּלֵח‎), דְּרָכַי ׳שׁ‎ (ways of wisdom) 8:32 (Psalm 17:4 see

1d); keep discharge an office, כְּהֻנָּהNumbers 3:10; 18:7 (both P), absolute 2 Chronicles 5:11; a function or duty, especially ׳שׁ מִשְׁמֶרֶתLeviticus 8:35; Numbers 1:53 + approximately 32 t. (see ׳מ‎ below); accusative of obligation often omitted, especially D (and RD) keep and do Deuteronomy 4:6; 7:12 8t.; to do 5:1, 29 16t. D + 3 t., etc.

d. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom) Hosea 12:7 (וּמִשְׁמָּט חֶסֶד‎), Isaiah 56:1; Proverbs 4:4; 5:2; 7:1-2, bad sense, observe vanities Psalm 31:7. — Doubtful are: לִשְׁמֹר‎ absolute Hosea 4:10, very strange (conjectures in We Now Marti); שָׁמוּר1 Samuel 9:24, HPS אֵחַרְנוּ‎, compare Now BuComm.; Psalm 59:10 read אֲזַמֵּ֑רָה אֵלֶיךָ עֻוִּי‎ (as Psalm 59:18, ᵑ6‎ Che Bae).

4 sometimes ׳י‎ subject:

a. keep, preserve, protect, accusative of person, + ב‎ of way, etc., Genesis 28:15, 20 (J), Exodus 23:20 (E; of מַלְאָח‎), Psalm 91:11 (׳מ‎), Joshua 24:17 (E); accusative of person (or נפשׁ‎) only: 1 Samuel 30:23; Jeremiah 31:9; Numbers 6:24 (P), Job 29:2; Psalm 16:1 10t. Psalms; + מִן121:7 2t.; accusative רַהְּלַי1 Samuel 2:9, compare Proverbs 3:26 (מִן‎); Participle שֹׁמְרֶ֑ךָPsalm 121:3; 121:5, compare 121:4, etc.; accusative of city 127:1.

b. with accusative ל בְּרִית,‎ person Deuteronomy 7:12, + חֶסֶד7:7 5t., ׳הַשּׁ לְעוֺלָם אֱמֶתPsalm 146:6; הַשְּׁבֻעָהDeuteronomy 7:8, etc.; passive of covenant (׳י‎ agent) וּשְׁמֻרָה בַכֹּל עֲרוּכָה2 Samuel 23:5 (legal terminology, Dr).

5 keep, reserve, weeks of harvest Jeremiah 5:24 (ל‎ person).

Niph`al36 Perfect3masculine singular נִשְׁמַד2 Samuel 20:10, etc.; Imperfect3feminine singular תִּשָּׁמֵדJudges 13:13; 2masculine plural תִּשָּׁמַ֑רוּExodus 23:13; Imperative masculine singular תִּשָּׁמֵדIsaiah 7:4 (לְךָׅ הִדָמשּׁ֫מֶרGenesis 24:6 +; feminine singular הִשָּֽׁמְרִיJudges 13:4, etc.; —

1 be on one's guard, with בַּחֶרֶב2 Samuel 20:10 by reason of the sword, i.e. against it; with ב‎ temporal 1 Samuel 19:2, שָׁם2 Kings 6:10; take heed Exodus 23:13 (E) Deuteronomy 2:4; with מִן‎ person Exodus 23:21 (E), Jeremiah 9:3; מִן‎ of thing Judges 13:13; Deuteronomy 23:10; מִן‎ infinitive take care not to, etc. Genesis 31:29 (E), 2 Kings 6:9; infinitive without מִןExodus 19:12 (J), but read probably מֵעֲלוֺת‎; followed by מֶּןlest Genesis 24:6 (J) + 11 t. (especially Deuteronomy); with (וְ)אַל‎ jussive Exodus 10:23 (J), Judges 13:4; Job 36:21, with Imperative coordinate Isaiah 7:4. — Very often Imperative (24 t.), especially in phrase הִשָּׁמֶרלְֿךָ‎ (12 t.), לָכֶם הִשָּֽׁטְרוּ‎ (3 t.); + לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶםDeuteronomy 4:15; Joshua 23:11 (RD; + infinitive); + ׳בְּנַפJeremiah 17:21 apparently ב‎ pret. on peril of your life (compare ב

III. 3 a), so perhaps also בְּרוּחֲכֶםMalachi 2:15-16, (We Now).

2 keep oneself, refrain, abstain, מֵאִשָּׁה1 Samuel 21:5.

3 be kept, guarded, Hosea 12:14 (compare ׳שׁ‎ of Jacob 12:13); be preserved (by ׳י‎) Psalm 37:28 (לִיוֺלָם‎), but read probably נִשְׁמָ֑דוּ (לְעוֺלָם) עַוָּלִים‎ Hup-Ri (Now) Che Bae Du Dr.

Pi`el Participle plural הַבְלֵישָֿׁוְא מְשַׁמְּרִיםJonah 2:9 those paying regard to false vanities (compare Qal Psalm 31:7).

Hithpa`el Imperfect1singular מֵעֲוֺנַי וָאֶשְׁתַּסֵּרPsalm 18:24 I kept myself from, etc. = 2 Samuel 22:24 (verb cohortative); 3 masculine singular עָמְרִי חֻקּוֺת וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּרMicah 6:16, but read וְתִשְׁמֹרthou keepest, observest, We Now GASm.