שָׁמַר
Transliteration
šāmar
Pronunciation
shaw-mar'
Part of Speech
verb
Root Word (Etymology)
A primitive root
Dictionary Aids

TWOT Reference: 2414

Strong’s Definitions

שָׁמַר shâmar, shaw-mar'; 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).

KJV Translation Count — Total: 468x

The KJV translates Strong's H8104 in the following manner: keep (283x), observe (46x), heed (35x), keeper (28x), preserve (21x), beware (9x), mark (8x), watchman (8x), wait (7x), watch (7x), regard (5x), save (2x), miscellaneous (9x).

KJV Translation Count — Total: 468x
The KJV translates Strong's H8104 in the following manner: keep (283x), observe (46x), heed (35x), keeper (28x), preserve (21x), beware (9x), mark (8x), watchman (8x), wait (7x), watch (7x), regard (5x), save (2x), miscellaneous (9x).

  1. to keep, guard, observe, give heed

    1. (Qal)

      1. to keep, have charge of

      2. to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life

        1. watch, watchman (participle)

      3. to watch for, wait for

      4. to watch, observe

      5. to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory)

      6. to keep (within bounds), restrain

      7. to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)

      8. to keep, preserve, protect

      9. to keep, reserve

    2. (Niphal)

      1. to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware

      2. to keep oneself, refrain, abstain

      3. to be kept, be guarded

    3. (Piel) to keep, pay heed

    4. (Hithpael) to keep oneself from

Strong’s Definitions [?](Strong’s Definitions Legend)
שָׁמַר shâmar, shaw-mar'; 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).
STRONGS H8104: Abbreviations
I. שָׁמַר 465 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 סמירא preserved NöM 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 Perfect 3rd person masculine singular שׁ׳ Genesis 37:11 +, etc.; Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular יִשְׁמֹר 1 Samuel 2:9 +, יִשְׁמָרֿ Jeremiah 5:24 +, suffix 3rd person masculine singular יִשְׁמְרֶנּוּ Exodus 21:29, 36; 3rd person feminine singular suffix תִּשְׁמוּרֵ֑ם Proverbs 14:3 (read תִּשְׁמְרוּם, see Ges§ 47 g Toy), etc.; Imperative masculine singular שְׁמֹר Job 2:6 +, שָׁמְרָה 1 Chronicles 29:18 +; masculine plural שִׁמְרוּ Joshua 6:18 +, etc.; Infinitive absolute שָׁמוֺר Deuteronomy 5:12 +; construct שְׁמֹר Genesis 3:24 +, suffix שָׁמְרָהּ Genesis 2:15, etc.; Participle active שֹׁמֵר 1 Samuel 1:12 +, etc.; passive שָׁמוּר Ecclesiastes 5:12 (1 Samuel 9:24 see below), etc.; — [Synon. I. נָצַר, נָטַר, which see]:
1.
a. keep, have charge of, garden Genesis 2:15 (J), ark 1 Samuel 7:1, property in trust Exodus 22:6; Exodus 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 הֲשֹׁמֵר אָחִי אָנֹ֑כִי Genesis 4:9 (J), שׁ׳ of sheep 1 Samuel 17:20, הַכֵּלִים שׁ׳ 1 Samuel 17:22, הַכְּגָדִים שׁ׳ 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chronicles 34:22, הַנָּשִׁים שׁ׳ Esther 2:3, 8, 15, compare Esther 2:14, etc.
b. keep, guard, captives Joshua 10:18 (J), 1 Kings 20:39, דֶּרֶךְ Genesis 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; בַּנַּעַר 2 Samuel 18:12 have a care of (read לִי for מִי and modern); in hostile sense, אֶל הָעִיר (in siege) 2 Samuel 11:16, חַטָאתִי עַל Job 14:16 (but read תַּעֲבֹר with Ew Di Du and others [not Hi Bu]); absolute with מֵעַל Ecclesiastes 5:7 watcheth above, etc.; keep one's mouth, be prudent of speech † Proverbs 21:33 [Proverbs 21:23 ?], compare Micah 7:5; keep = protect, save, one's life, נֶפֶשׁ Proverbs 13:3; Proverbs 16:17; Proverbs 19:16; Proverbs 22:5, another's Job 2:6; in Proverbs, accusative of person, subject wisdom, Job 4:6 she shall preserve thee, compare (+ מִן of evil) Job 6:24; Job 7:5; especially participle watch, watchman, of city Isaiah 21:11 (twice in verse); Isaiah 21:12; Isaiah 62:5 (figurative), Songs 3:3; Songs 5:7 (twice in verse); Psalm 127:1; הַמֶּלֶף שׁ׳ (in temple) Jeremiah 35:4 + (see סַף), הַמֶּלֶךְ בֵּית פֶּתַח הַשּׁ׳ 1 Kings 14:27 2 Chronicles 12:10, הַשְּׁעָרִים שׁ׳ Nehemiah 13:22, שֹׁמְרֵי הַבַּיִת (figurative) Ecclesiastes 12:3; שׁ׳ הַבַּיִת keep the house (of David's concubines) † 2 Samuel 15:16; 2 Samuel 16:21; 2 Samuel 20:3; שֹׁמֵר הַכֵּלִים 1 Samuel 17:22, הַבְּגָדִים שׁ׳ 2 Kings 22:14, הַפַּרְדֵּם שׁ׳ Nehemiah 2:8, הַנָּשִׁים שׁ׳ Esther 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 יֲקֵכַי Psalm 56:7 = dog my steps, Psalm 71:10; Jeremiah 20:10; = watch (suspiciously) Job 10:14; Job 13:27; Job 33:11; absolute הַשֹּׁעמרִים Judges 1:24; wait for, נֶשֶׁף Job 24:15, לַבֹּקֶר Psalm 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 Psalm 37:37 (|| ראה), Zechariah 11:11; accusative of sin Psalm 31:7; Psalm 130:3; accusative of thing, for the purpose of avoiding, Psalm 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 (בְּתוֺךְ לְבָבֶ֑ךְ), Proverbs 22:18 (כְּבִטֱנ֑ךָ); retain wrath Amos 1:11 (read שָׁמֶר לָנֶצַח We Now GASm Marti; see also נָטַר 1) + (anger omitted) Jeremiah 3:5 (|| נטר).
b. keep within bounds, restrain, object שׁוֺר Exodus 21:29, 36 (E); with accusative hand, מִן of evil Isaiah 56:2; figurative keep thy foot, with temporal clause Ecclesiastes 4:17; לְֿפִי מַחְסוֺם אֶשׁ׳ Psalm 39:2 ( Du and others אָשִׁימָה); apparently reflexive (= Niph.), † Joshua 6:18 (+ מִןהַֿחֵרֶס), possibly sc. גַפְשְׁכֶם Di.
3.
a. observe, celebrate, accusative of festival, etc., Exodus 23:15 (E), Exodus 34:18 (J), Exodus 12:17; of day Exodus 12:17 (P), of month Deuteronomy 16:1.
b. keep Sabbath † Deuteronomy 5:12; Leviticus 19:3, 30; Leviticus 26:2 (all H), Exodus 31:13, 14, 16 (P), Isaiah 56:4, also (+ מֵחַלְּלוֺ) Isaiah 56:2; Isaiah 56:6.
c. of other obligations: keep convenant Ezekiel 17:14, especially convenant of י׳ Deuteronomy 29:8; 1 Kings 11:11 + 5 times, שְׁבֻעַת י׳ 1 Kings 2:43, perform vow Deuteronomy 23:24; keep commands Jeremiah 35:18; Ezekiel 20:18; especially מִצָוֺת, תֻקִּים, יֲבֹדָה, etc., of י׳ (sometimes || נצר), Exodus 20:6 = Deuteronomy 5:10; Amos 2:4; 1 Kings 2:3; Psalm 119:8; Psalm 119:17; Psalm 119:34 + very often (about + 120 times); דֶּרֶח י׳ שׁ׳ Genesis 18:19 (J) + 4 times, דַּרְכֵי י׳ 2 Samuel 22:22 = Psalm 18:22, י׳ ד׳ omitted Judges 2:22b; אָרְחוֺת צַדַּיקִים שׁ׳ Proverbs 2:20 (|| תֵּלֵח תְּלֵח בְּדֶרֶח טוֺבֹים), שׁ׳ דְּרָכַי (ways of wisdom) Proverbs 8:32 (Psalm 17:4 see 1d); keep discharge an office, כְּהֻנָּה Numbers 3:10; Numbers 18:7 (both P), absolute 2 Chronicles 5:11; a function or duty, especially מִשְׁמֶרֶת שׁ׳ Leviticus 8:35; Numbers 1:53 + approximately + 32 times (see מ׳ below); accusative of obligation often omitted, especially D (and RD) keep and do Deuteronomy 4:6; Deuteronomy 7:12 + 8 times; to do Deuteronomy 5:1, 29 + 16 times D + 3 times, etc.
d. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom) Hosea 12:7 (וּמִשְׁפָּט חֶסֶד), Isaiah 56:1; Proverbs 4:4; Proverbs 5:2; Proverbs 7:1, 2; bad sense, observe vanities Psalm 31:7. — Doubtful are: לִשְׁמֹר absolute Hosea 4:10, very strange (conjectures in We Now Marti); שָׁמוּר 1 Samuel 9:24, HPS אֵחַרְנוּ, compare Now BuComm.; Psalm 59:10 read עֻוִּי אֵלֶיךָ אֲזַמֵּ֑רָה (as Psalm 59:18, 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 + 10 times Psalms; + מִן Psalm 121:7 + 2 times; accusative רַהְּלַי 1 Samuel 2:9, compare Proverbs 3:26 (מִן); Participle שֹׁמְרֶ֑ךָ Psalm 121:3; Psalm 121:5, compare Psalm 121:4, etc.; accusative of city Psalm 127:1.
b. with accusative בְּרִית, ל person Deuteronomy 7:12, + חֶסֶד Deuteronomy 7:7 + 5 times, אֱמֶת לְעוֺלָם הַשּׁ׳ Psalm 146:6; הַשְּׁבֻעָה Deuteronomy 7:8, etc.; passive of covenant (י׳ agent) עֲרוּכָה בַכֹּל וּשְׁמֻרָה 2 Samuel 23:5 (legal terminology, Dr).
5. keep, reserve, weeks of harvest Jeremiah 5:24 (ל person).
Niph.36 Perfect 3rd person masculine singular נִשְׁמַד 2 Samuel 20:10, etc.; Imperfect 3rd person feminine singular תִּשָּׁמֵד Judges 13:13; 2nd person masculine plural תִּשָּׁמַ֑רוּ Exodus 23:13; Imperative masculine singular תִּשָּׁמֵד Isaiah 7:4 (לְךָ) הִשָּׁ֫מֶר Genesis 24:6 +; feminine singular הִשָּֽׁמְרִי Judges 13:4, etc.; —
1. be on one's guard, with בַּחֶרֶב 2 Samuel 20:10 by reason of the sword, i.e. against it; with ב temporal 1 Samuel 19:2, שָׁם 2 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 מִן Exodus 19:12 (J), but read probably מֵעֲלוֺת; followed by פֶּן lest Genesis 24:6 (J) + 11 times (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 times), especially in phrase הִשָּׁמֶרלְֿךָ (12 times), הִשָּֽׁטְרוּ לָכֶם (3 times); + לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם Deuteronomy 4:15; Joshua 23:11 (RD; + infinitive); + בְּנַפ׳ Jeremiah 17:21 apparently ב pret. on peril of your life (compare ב III. 3 a), so perhaps also בְּרוּחֲכֶם Malachi 2:15, 16 (We Now).
†2. keep oneself, refrain, abstain, מֵאִשָּׁה 1 Samuel 21:5.
†3. be kept, guarded, Hosea 12:14 (compare שׁ׳ of Jacob Hosea 12:13); be preserved (by י׳) Psalm 37:28 (לִיוֺלָם), but read probably עַוָּלִים (לְעוֺלָם) נִשְׁמָ֑דוּ Hup-Ri (Now) Che Bae Du Dr.
† Pi. Participle plural מְשַׁמְּרִים הַבְלֵישָֿׁוְא Jonah 2:9 those paying regard to false vanities (compare Qal Psalm 31:7).
† Hithp. Imperfect 1st person singular וָאֶשְׁתַּסֵּר מֵעֲוֺנַי Psalm 18:24 I kept myself from, etc. = 2 Samuel 22:24 (verb cohortative); 3rd person masculine singular וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּר חֻקּוֺת עָמְרִי Micah 6:16, but read וְתִשְׁמֹר thou keepest, observest, We Now GASm.
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BLB Scripture Index of Brown-Driver-Briggs

Genesis

2:15; 2:15; 3:24; 3:24; 4:9; 18:19; 24:6; 24:6; 28:15; 28:20; 30:31; 31:29; 37:11; 37:11; 41:35

Exodus

10:23; 12:17; 12:17; 19:12; 20:6; 21:29; 21:29; 21:36; 21:36; 22:6; 22:9; 23:13; 23:13; 23:15; 23:20; 23:21; 31:13; 31:14; 31:16; 34:18

Leviticus

8:35; 19:3; 19:30; 26:2

Numbers

1:53; 3:8; 3:10; 6:24; 18:7

Deuteronomy

2:4; 4:6; 4:15; 5:1; 5:10; 5:12; 5:12; 5:29; 7:7; 7:8; 7:12; 7:12; 16:1; 23:10; 23:24; 29:8

Joshua

6:18; 6:18; 10:18; 23:11; 24:17

Judges

1:24; 2:22; 7:19; 13:4; 13:4; 13:13; 13:13

1 Samuel

1:12; 1:12; 2:9; 2:9; 7:1; 9:24; 9:24; 17:20; 17:22; 17:22; 19:2; 19:11; 21:5; 25:31; 26:15; 30:23

2 Samuel

11:16; 15:16; 16:21; 18:12; 20:3; 20:10; 20:10; 22:22; 22:24; 23:5

1 Kings

2:3; 2:43; 11:11; 14:27; 20:39

2 Kings

6:9; 6:10; 22:14; 22:14

1 Chronicles

29:18; 29:18

2 Chronicles

5:11; 12:10; 34:22

Nehemiah

2:8; 13:22

Esther

2:3; 2:3; 2:8; 2:14; 2:14; 2:15; 2:15

Job

2:6; 2:6; 4:6; 6:24; 7:5; 10:14; 13:27; 14:16; 24:15; 29:2; 33:11; 36:21; 39:1

Psalms

16:1; 17:4; 17:4; 18:22; 18:24; 31:7; 31:7; 31:7; 37:28; 37:37; 39:2; 56:7; 59:1; 59:10; 59:10; 59:16; 71:10; 91:11; 107:43; 119:8; 119:17; 119:34; 121:3; 121:4; 121:5; 121:7; 127:1; 127:1; 130:3; 130:6; 146:6

Proverbs

2:20; 3:26; 4:4; 4:21; 5:2; 6:22; 7:1; 7:2; 8:32; 13:3; 14:3; 16:17; 19:16; 21:23; 22:5; 22:18

Ecclesiastes

3:6; 5:7; 5:12; 11:4; 12:3

Song of Songs

3:3; 5:7

Isaiah

7:4; 7:4; 21:11; 21:12; 42:20; 56:1; 56:2; 56:2; 56:4; 56:6; 62:5

Jeremiah

3:5; 5:24; 5:24; 8:7; 9:3; 17:21; 20:10; 31:9; 35:4; 35:18; 51:12

Ezekiel

17:14; 20:18

Hosea

4:10; 12:7; 12:13; 12:13; 12:14

Amos

1:11; 2:4

Jonah

2:9

Micah

6:16; 7:5

Zechariah

3:7; 11:11

Malachi

2:7; 2:15; 2:16