שָׁמַר

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 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 Perfect3masculine singular ׳שׁ Gen 37:11 +, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יִשְׁמֹר 1Sa 2:9 +, יִשְׁמָרֿ Jer 5:24 +, suffix 3 masculine singular יִשְׁמְרֶנּוּ Exo 21:29, Exo 21:36; Exo 21:3feminine singular suffix תִּשְׁמוּרֵ֑ם Pro 14:3 (read תִּשְׁמְרוּם, see Ges§ 47g Toy), etc.; Imperative masculine singular שְׁמֹר Job 2:6 +, שָׁמְרָה 1Ch 29:18 +; masculine plural שִׁמְרוּ Jos 6:18 +, etc.; Infinitive absolute שָׁמוֺר Deu 5:12 +; construct שְׁמֹר Gen 3:24 +, suffix שָׁמְרָהּ Gen 2:15, etc.; Participle active שֹׁמֵר 1Sa 1:12 +, etc.; passive שָׁמוּר Ecc 5:12 (1Sa 9:24 see below), etc.; — [Synon. I. נָטַר נָצַר,, q. v.]:
1. a. keep, have charge of, garden Gen 2:15 (J), ark 1Sa 7:1, property in trust Exo 22:6; Exo 22:9 (E), compare 1Sa 25:31; tend flock Gen 30:31 (E), compare Zec 3:7; Num 3:8 (P); so perhaps (object omitted) Hos 12:13 (where ׳שׁ chosen for parallelism Now Marti and others); Participle אָנֹ֑כִי אָחִי הֲשֹׁמֵר Gen 4:9 (J), ׳שׁ of sheep 1Sa 17:20, ׳שׁ הַכֵּלִים 1Sa 17:22, ׳שׁ הַכְּגָדִים 2Ki 22:14; 2Ch 34:22, ׳שׁ הַנָּשִׁים Est 2:3, Est 2:8, Est 2:15, compare Est 2:14, etc.
b. keep, guard, captives Jos 10:18 (J), 1Ki 20:39, דֶּרֶךְ Gen 3:24 (J); keep watch and ward, אֶל person for whom 1Sa 26:15 (Psa 59:10 see
3 end), עַל person Psa 59:16; Pro 6:22; בַּנַּעַר 2Sa 18:12 have a care of (read לִי for ᵐ5 מִי and modern); in hostile sense, הָעִיר אֶל (in siege) 2Sa 11:16, עַל חַטָאתִי Job 14:16 (but read תַּעֲבֹר with ᵐ5 Ew Di Du and others [not Hi Bu]); absolute with מֵעַל Ecc 5:7 watcheth above, etc.; keep one's mouth, be prudent of speech Proverbs 21:33, compare Mic 7:5; keep = protect, save, one's life, נֶפֶשׁ Pro 13:3; Pro 16:17; Pro 19:16; Pro 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 Isa 21:11 (twice in verse); Isa 21:12; Isa 62:5 (figurative), Son 3:3; Son 5:7 (twice in verse); Psa 127:1; ׳שׁ הַמֶּלֶף (in temple) Jer 35:4 + (see סַף), ׳הַמּ הַמֶּלֶךְ מֶּית 1Ki 14:27 2Ch 12:10, ׳שׁ הַשְּׁעָרִים Neh 13:22, הַבַּיִת שֹׁמְרֵי (figurative) Ecc 12:3; הַכֵּלִים class="hebrew2">שֹׁמֵר ךֵהת הַבַּיִתךֵסעוֺה ׳שׁ 1Sa 17:22, ׳שׁ הַבְּגָדִים 2Ki 22:14, ׳שׁ חַמַּרְדֵּס Neh 2:8, ׳שׁ הַנָּשִׁים Est 2:3, Est 2:14, Est 2:15, שֹׁמְרִים absolute Jdg 7:19; Jer 51:12.
c. hence watch for, wait for, accusative of person 1Sa 19:11 (to kill him), compare Psa 59:1 (title; accusative הַבַּיִת); with יֲקֵכַי Psa 56:7 = dog my steps, Psa 71:10; Jer 20:10; = watch (suspiciously) Job 10:14; Job 13:27; Job 33:11; absolute הַשֹּׁעמרִים Jdg 1:24; wait for, נֶשֶׁף Job 24:15, לַבֹּקֶר Psa 130:6 (twice in verse).
d. watch, observe, accusative of thing 1Sa 1:12; Ecc 11:4; Job 39:1; Jer 8:7 (of birds), with intelligence Isa 42:20; Psa 107:43; accusative of person Psa 37:37 (|| ראה), Zec 11:11; accusative of sin Psa 31:7; Psa 130:3; accusative of thing, for the purpose of avoiding, Psa 17:4.
2. a. keep, retain, of storing up (food) Gen 41:35 (E); absolute Ecc 3:6 (opposed to הִשְׁלִיךְ); treasure up (in memory) Gen 37:11 (E), compare Mal 2:7; 1Ch 29:18; Pro 4:21 (לְבָבֶ֑ךְ בְּתוֺךְ), Pro 22:18 (כְּבִטֱנ֑ךָ); retain wrath Amo 1:11 (read לָנֶצַח שָׁמֶר We Now GASm Marti; see also נָטַר 1) + (anger omitted) Jer 3:5 (|| נטר).
b. keep within bounds, restrain, object שׁוֺר Exo 21:29, Exo 21:36 (E); with accusative hand, מִן of evil Isa 56:2; figurative keep thy foot, with temporal clause Ecclesiastes 4:17; מַחְסוֺם׳אֶשׁ לְֿפִי Psa 39:2 (ᵐ5 Du and others אָשִׁימָה); apparently reflexive (= Niph`al), Jos 6:18 (+ מִןהַֿחֵרֶס), possibly sc. גַפְשְׁכֶם Di.
3. a. observe, celebrate, accusative of festival, etc., Exo 23:15 (E), Exo 34:18 (J), Exo 12:17; of day Exo 12:17 (P), of month Deu 16:1.
b. keep Sabbath Deu 5:12; Lev 19:3, Lev 19:30; Lev 26:2 (all H), Exo 31:13-14, Exo 31:16 (P), Isa 56:4, also (+ מֵחַלְּלוֺ) Isa 56:2; Isa 56:6.
c. of other obligations: keep convenant Eze 17:14, especially convenant of ׳י Deu 29:8; 1Ki 11:11 1Ki 11:5t., י ׳שְׁבֻעַת 1Ki 2:43, perform vow Deu 23:24; keep commands Jer 35:18; Eze 20:18; especially יֲבֹדָה תֻקִּים, מִצָוֺת,, etc., of ׳י (sometimes || נצר), Exo 20:6 = Deu 5:10; Amo 2:4; 1Ki 2:3; Psa 119:8; Psa 119:17; Psa 119:34 + very often (c. 120 t.); ׳שׁ י ׳דֶּרֶח Gen 18:19 (J) + 4 t., י ׳דַּרְכֵי 2Sa 22:22 = Psa 18:22, ׳ד ׳י omitted Jdg 2:22 b; ׳שׁ צַדַּיקִים אָרְחוֺת Pro 2:20 (|| טוֺבֹים בְּדֶרֶח תְּלֵח תֵּלֵח), דְּרָכַי ׳שׁ (ways of wisdom) Pro 8:32 (Psa 17:4 see
1d); keep discharge an office, כְּהֻנָּה Num 3:10; Num 18:7 (both P), absolute 2Ch 5:11; a function or duty, especially ׳שׁ מִשְׁמֶרֶת Lev 8:35; Num 1:53 + approximately 32 t. (see ׳מ below); accusative of obligation often omitted, especially D (and RD) keep and do Deu 4:6; Deu 7:12 Deu 7:8t.; to do Deu 5:1, Deu 5:29 Deu 5:16t. D + 3 t., etc.
d. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom) Hos 12:7 (וּמִשְׁמָּט חֶסֶד), Isa 56:1; Pro 4:4; Pro 5:2; Pro 7:1-2, bad sense, observe vanities Psa 31:7. — Doubtful are: לִשְׁמֹר absolute Hos 4:10, very strange (conjectures in We Now Marti); שָׁמוּר 1Sa 9:24, HPS אֵחַרְנוּ, compare Now BuComm.; Psa 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., Gen 28:15, Gen 28:20 (J), Exo 23:20 (E; of מַלְאָח), Psa 91:11 (׳מ), Jos 24:17 (E); accusative of person (or נפשׁ) only: 1Sa 30:23; Jer 31:9; Num 6:24 (P), Job 29:2; Psa 16:1 Psa 16:10t. Psalms; + מִן Psa 121:7 Psa 121:2t.; accusative רַהְּלַי 1Sa 2:9, compare Pro 3:26 (מִן); Participle שֹׁמְרֶ֑ךָ Psa 121:3; Psa 121:5, compare Psa 121:4, etc.; accusative of city Psa 127:1.
b. with accusative ל בְּרִית, person Deu 7:12, + חֶסֶד Deu 7:7 Deu 7:5t., ׳הַשּׁ לְעוֺלָם אֱמֶת Psa 146:6; הַשְּׁבֻעָה Deu 7:8, etc.; passive of covenant (׳י agent) וּשְׁמֻרָה בַכֹּל עֲרוּכָה 2Sa 23:5 (legal terminology, Dr).
5 keep, reserve, weeks of harvest Jer 5:24 (ל person).
Niph`al36 Perfect3masculine singular נִשְׁמַד 2Sa 20:10, etc.; Imperfect3feminine singular תִּשָּׁמֵד Jdg 13:13; Jdg 13:2masculine plural תִּשָּׁמַ֑רוּ Exo 23:13; Imperative masculine singular תִּשָּׁמֵד Isa 7:4 (לְךָׅ הִדָמשּׁ֫מֶר Gen 24:6 +; feminine singular הִשָּֽׁמְרִי Jdg 13:4, etc.; —
1 be on one's guard, with בַּחֶרֶב 2Sa 20:10 by reason of the sword, i.e. against it; with ב temporal 1Sa 19:2, שָׁם 2Ki 6:10; take heed Exo 23:13 (E) Deu 2:4; with מִן person Exo 23:21 (E), Jer 9:3; מִן of thing Jdg 13:13; Deu 23:10; מִן infinitive take care not to, etc. Gen 31:29 (E), 2Ki 6:9; infinitive without מִן Exo 19:12 (J), but read probably מֵעֲלוֺת; followed by מֶּן lest Gen 24:6 (J) + 11 t. (especially Deuteronomy); with (וְ)אַל jussive Exo 10:23 (J), Jdg 13:4; Job 36:21, with Imperative coordinate Isa 7:4. — Very often Imperative (24 t.), especially in phrase הִשָּׁמֶרלְֿךָ (12 t.), לָכֶם הִשָּֽׁטְרוּ (3 t.); + לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם Deu 4:15; Jos 23:11 (RD; + infinitive); + ׳בְּנַפ Jer 17:21 apparently ב pret. on peril of your life (compare ב
III. 3 a), so perhaps also בְּרוּחֲכֶם Mal 2:15-16, (We Now).
2 keep oneself, refrain, abstain, מֵאִשָּׁה 1Sa 21:5.
3 be kept, guarded, Hos 12:14 (compare ׳שׁ of Jacob Hos 12:13); be preserved (by ׳י) Psa 37:28 (לִיוֺלָם), but read probably נִשְׁמָ֑דוּ (לְעוֺלָם) עַוָּלִים Hup-Ri (Now) Che Bae Du Dr.
Pi`el Participle plural הַבְלֵישָֿׁוְא מְשַׁמְּרִים Jon 2:9 those paying regard to false vanities (compare Qal Psa 31:7).
Hithpa`el Imperfect1singular מֵעֲוֺנַי וָאֶשְׁתַּסֵּר Psa 18:24 I kept myself from, etc. = 2Sa 22:24 (verb cohortative); 3 masculine singular עָמְרִי חֻקּוֺת וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּר Mic 6:16, but read וְתִשְׁמֹר thou keepest, observest, We Now GASm.