נָצַר
nâtsar · H5341 · Hebrew · 63 occurrences
Meanings
-
to observe, to watch, to pay attention
Action by which humans or deities carefully observe an object or event for a longer period of time
ExamplesJob 7:20 “Have I sinned? What have I done to You, Watcher of mankind? Why have You made me Your target, So that I am a burden to myself?
Job 27:18 “He has built his house like the spider’s web, Or a hut which the watchman has made.
Isaiah 1:8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a city under watch.
-
to obey, to follow, to keep
Action by which humans or deities act in accordance with a certain (usually) prescribed pattern of behavior, such as a law, covenant, etc
ExamplesDeuteronomy 33:9 Who said of his father and his mother, ‘I did not consider them’; And he did not acknowledge his brothers, Nor did he regard his own sons, For they kept Your word, And complied with Your covenant.
Proverbs 3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching, But have your heart comply with my commandments;
Proverbs 6:20 My son, comply with the commandment of your father, And do not ignore the teaching of your mother;
-
watchtower
Literally: tower of watchers; hence: elevated construction from where one can observe the surrounding land and give timely warnings in case of danger
Examples2 Kings 17:9 And the sons of Israel did things secretly against the LORD their God which were not right. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city.
2 Kings 18:8 He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.
-
Action by which humans persist in a certain activity (to keep, to stick to (an event))
ExamplesExodus 34:7 who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”
Proverbs 3:21 My son, see that they do not escape from your sight; Comply with sound wisdom and discretion,
Proverbs 5:2 So that you may maintain discretion And your lips may comply with knowledge.
-
Causative action by which humans keep part of their body from engaging in a certain activity (to keep (from))
ExamplesPsalm 34:13 Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit.
-
to be hidden
Literally: looked for or guarded; hence: state in which certain information is not generally known and difficult to access
ExamplesIsaiah 48:6 “You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you new things from this time, Hidden things which you have not known.
Isaiah 65:4 Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places; Who eat pig’s flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is in their pots.
-
of hidden intent
Literally: hidden of heart; hence: state in which one's intentions are unknown to others
ExamplesProverbs 7:10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him, Dressed as a prostitute and cunning of heart.
-
to watch over, to guard, to be in charge of, to take care of, to protect, to tend, to keep
Causative action by which humans or deities make sure that an object is safe from harm; by observing the object and the surrounding area carefully and intervening when necessary
ExamplesDeuteronomy 32:10 “He found him in a desert land, And in the howling wasteland of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the apple of His eye.
Proverbs 2:8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He watches over the way of His godly ones.
Proverbs 2:11 Discretion will watch over you, Understanding will guard you,
-
Literally: to watch over the door of (someone's) lips; hence: causative action by which deities help humans make sure that they will not say things that they should not say (to watch over the door of (someone's) lips)
ExamplesPsalm 141:3 Set a guard, LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
How it’s used In 11 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
48 occurrences in 19 groups
- Not stated: you (one person) 12
- Not stated: I 10
- Not stated (participle) 5
- Not stated: they 4
- Other words · 15 groups that occur once or twice (20) 20
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
47 occurrences in 28 groups
- נִיme 5
- מִצְוָהcommandment, command 4
- ךָּyou 4
- פִּקּוּדcommandments 3
- תּוֹרָהlaw, instruction 3
- וֹhim 3
- Other words · 21 groups that occur once or twice (23) 23
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
11 occurrences in 10 groups
- Other words · 10 groups that occur once or twice (11) 11
With adverbsAdverbs
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- תָּמִידalways 1
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
6 occurrences in 6 groups
- עֵדוּתtestimony, decree 2
- אָדָםhuman, humankind, human being(s) 1
- בְּרִיתcovenant, treaty 1
- יִשְׂרָאֵלIsrael 1
- לֵבheart, mind 1
- הָher 1
What it doesIt is the subject
6 occurrences in 6 groups
- אָכַלto eat, to devour 1
- מוּתto die 1
- עָשָׂהto do, to make 1
- קָרָאto call, to cry out 1
- שָׁמַרto keep, to guard, to observe 1
- בּוֹאto come, to go in, to bring 1
What is done to itIt is the object
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- שׁוּבto return, to turn back 1
What it is said to bePredicate
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- בֵּןson 1
- אֶשֶׁרhappy 1
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- אֲנִיI 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- בin/on/with 2
- לto/for 1
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
2 occurrences in 1 groups
- מִגְדָּלtower 2
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
In the other Testament 1 word
- τηρέω tēréō · G5083 · to cause to continue, to retain, to keep
- Hebrew נָצַר (nâtsar, H5341) emphasizes careful preservation and watching over something with protective intent, while Greek τηρέω (tēréō, G5083) focuses on guarding by keeping watch and maintaining vigilance to prevent loss, both sharing the core semantic domain of protective custody and observant keeping.
Semantic domains 8 entries
- See002004001005
- The word describes watchful attention, as watchmen keep guard from watchtower to fortified city (2 Kings 17:9, 18:8), tying the word to vigilant observation.
- Happen002002003003
- The word can describe faithfulness or a promise being maintained and carried through, as the LORD keeps faithfulness for thousands (Exodus 34:7), tying the word to the sustained fulfillment of a commitment.
- Buildings001003002001
- This entry carries no independent “Buildings” sense of its own; every tagged occurrence is the verb “keep” or “guard”, or the related noun “watchman”, as in “Who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin” (Exodus 34:7). The “Buildings” domain is bundle-shared with the related lexeme נָצִיר (nâtsîyr, H5336) rather than independently attested here.
- Endure002002003001
- The word describes something kept or preserved over time without lapsing, as the LORD guards and cares for Israel continually (Deuteronomy 32:10), tying the word to sustained, enduring care.
- Non-Engage002003003012
- This entry carries no independent "Non-Engage" sense of its own; every genuine tagged occurrence of נָצַר (e.g. Exodus 34:7, Psalm 31:24, 34:14) concerns keeping, guarding, or observing, not disengagement. The domain is bundle-shared with the lexeme's own broader sense range, illustrated at Exodus 34:7 ("who keeps faithfulness for thousands") and Psalm 34:14 ("seek peace and pursue it").
- Non-Know002004002008
- This entry carries no independent “Non-Know” sense of its own; every tagged occurrence is the verb “keep” or “guard”, as in “Who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin” (Exodus 34:7). The “Non-Know” domain is bundle-shared with the related lexeme נָצִיר (nâtsîyr, H5336) rather than independently attested here.
- Safe002003003019
- The word describes guarding someone or something so as to keep it safe from harm, as the LORD guards Jacob as the apple of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:10), tying the word to protective preservation.
- Non-Speak002004001009004
- The word describes keeping a word or covenant faithfully, as those who observe and comply with the LORD's word and covenant are commended (Deuteronomy 33:9), tying the word to fidelity in upholding what was spoken.
Word family 3 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H5341. natsar I. [נָצַר] verb watch, guard, keep (Late Hebrew id., observe; Assyrian…
I. [נָצַר] verb watch, guard, keep (Late Hebrew id., observe; Assyrian naƒâru, watch over, protect; Old Aramaic נצר protect Lzb325 Cook83; Palmyrene in proper name Vog150, 4 Cook124; Aramaic נְמַר, (compare Wetzst in DeJob (2) on Job 27:18); Arabic look at, consider, examine (, overseer is Aramaic loan-word Frä138); Sabean להנצרהמו to aid them HalRev. Sém. iv (1896), 71; Ethiopic spectare, intueri, etc., Di701; — compare also נטר); —
Qal Perfect3masculine singular suffix נְצָרָ֫תַם Psa 119:129; Psa 119:1singular נָצָ֑רְתִּי Psa 119:22; Psa 119:56; Psa 119:100; Psa 119:3masculine plural נָָֽצְרוּ Pro 22:12; Imperfect יִצִּר Pro 3:1; suffix יִצְּרֶ֫נְהוּ Ges§ 58, 4 R.) Deu 32:10; feminine suffix תִּנְצְרֶ֑כָּה Pro 2:11 (Ges§ 58, 4 R.); 1 singular אֶצֹּר Psa 119:69; אֶצְּרָה Psa 119:34; Psa 119:115; אֶצֹּ֑רָה Psa 119:145; suffix אֶצָּרְךָ Isa 42:6; Isa 49:8 (Ges Bö Ew and others from יצר); אֶצֳּרֶ֑נָּה Isa 27:3; Isa 27:3masculine plural יִצְּרוּ Pro 20:28; יִנְצֹ֑רוּ Deu 33:9 (on forms see Ges§ 66, 2, R. I) + 15 t. Imperfect; Imperative נְצֹר Psa 34:14 Psa 34:3t.; נִצְּרָה Psa 141:3 (dagesh forte dirimens Ges§ 20, 2 b); suffix נִצְּרֶ֑ה Pro 4:13; Infinitive absolute נָצוֺר Nah 2:2; construct נְצֹר Pro 2:8; Participle נוֺצֵר Pro 28:7; נֹצֵר Exo 34:7 Exo 34:7t.; suffix נֹצְרָהּ Isa 27:3; plural נוֺצְרִים 2Ki 17:9; 2Ki 18:8, etc.; passive נָצוּר Eze 6:12; plural נְצוּרִים Isa 65:4 (ᵐ5 ἐν τοις σπηλαίοις, בַּמְּערוֺת); construct נְצוּרֵי (Kt נְצִירֵי only here) Isa 49:6; feminine נְצוּרָה Isa 1:8 (Di reads נְצוֺרָה Niph`al Participle √ צוּר); construct נְצֻרַת Pro 7:10; plural נְצֻרוֺת Isa 48:6 (Che reads בְּצֻרוֺת).
1 Watch, guard, keep, a vineyard Job 27:18 (compare Wetzst in DeJob (2) on the passage), Isa 27:3 (twice in verse), fig-tree Pro 27:18, fortification Nah 2:2; נֹצְרִים watchmen Jer 31:6; נ ׳מִגְדַּל tower of watchmen 2Ki 17:9; 2Ki 18:8; in ethical sense of men, guarding the mouth Pro 13:3, the way Pro 16:17 לֵב Pro 4:23; the tongue מֵרַע Psa 34:14; with על, over the door of the lips Psa 141:3; of God הָאָדָם נֹצֵר Job 7:20 (thou) watcher of men (iron.).
2 Guard from dangers, preserve, with accusative, subject God or his attributes Deu 32:10; Psa 25:21; Psa 31:24; Psa 40:12; Psa 61:8; Isa 26:3; Isa 42:6; Isa 49:8; Pro 2:8; Pro 20:28; Pro 22:12; נֶפֶשׁ נֹצֵר Pro 24:12; with accusative and מן from which Psa 12:8; Psa 32:7; Psa 64:2; Psa 140:2; Psa 140:5. In Wisdom Literature subject is abstract: חבמה Pro 4:6; תבונה Pro 2:11; צדקה Pro 13:6; ישׂראל נְצוּרֵי Isa 49:6 preserved of Israel.
3 Guard with fidelity, keep, observe: of לאלפים חֶסֶד נֹצֵר ׳י, Exo 34:7 (J); elsewhere of man observing the covenant Deu 33:9 (poem) Psa 25:10, the divine law Psa 78:7; Psa 105:45; Psa 119:2; Psa 119:22; Psa 119:33; Psa 119:34; Psa 119:56; Psa 119:69; Psa 119:100; Psa 119:115; Psa 119:129; Psa 119:145; commands of parents Psalm 60:20; Psa 28:7; and discipline of Wisdom Pro 3:1, Pro 3:21; Pro 4:13; Pro 5:2.
4 Guard, keep secret, dubious: נְצֻרוֺת secret things Isa 48:6; נְצוּרִים secret places Isa 65:4 (see forms above); לֵב נְצֻרַת secret, wily minded Pro 7:10 (of harlot, so RVm close, i.e. secretive).
5 Kept close, blockaded, dubious: הַנָּצוּר the blockaded (so Ew Hi Co Toy; but Ke Bth Kau preserved; Hi Co Bth Toy strike out והנשׁאר) Eze 6:12; נְצוּרָה עִיר blockaded city Isa 1:8 (see form above); נֹצְרִים blockaders Jer 4:16 (but ᵐ5 συστροφαι = צררים i.e. foes).
נְצוּרִים see I נצר
Qal Passive participle
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.