H4929 H4929
A guard, watch, or watch-post; a place of confinement or custody; an assigned post or duty of service.
Mishmar derives from the root shamar ('to keep, guard') and names the activity, location, and institution of guarding. In Nehemiah 4:9-23 it denotes the physical watch that defended Jerusalem's walls during rebuilding. In the Joseph narrative (Gen 40-42), it designates the prison or custody where Pharaoh's officers and later Joseph's brothers are held. The word also extends to assigned service duties, as in Nehemiah 7:3 and 13:14, where Levitical guard posts and temple obligations are in view. Assyrian massartu and the broader Semitic root confirm this constellation of watching, confining, and duty-keeping.
Senses
1. guard, watch — The act of guarding or keeping watch, or the group of guards performing that duty. Nehemiah 4:9 and 4:22-23 describe the round-the-clock watch maintained during Jerusalem's rebuilding. Jeremiah 51:12 calls for strengthening the watch against Babylon. Spanish 'guardia' and French 'garde' render this protective vigilance consistently across translations. 11×
AR["الْحَرَسِ", "الْحِرَاسَةَ", "حارِسًا", "حَرَسًا", "حِراسَةً", "حِراسَةٍ", "حِرَاسَةٌ", "حِرَاسَةٍ", "حِفْظٍ", "يَحرُسونَ"]·ben["পালা", "পালার", "পাহারা", "পাহারার"]·DE["[המשמר]", "[משמר]", "von-bewahrte"]·EN["guard", "guarding", "the-guard", "watch"]·FR["[המשמר]", "der-garde", "garde", "משמר"]·heb["ה-משמר", "משמר"]·HI["जिम्मेदारी", "जिम्मेदारी-के", "दल", "दल-के-साथ", "पहरा", "पहरे-के", "पहरेदार", "पहरेदारी"]·ID["jaga", "penjaga", "penjagaan", "tugas-jaga"]·IT["[המשמר]", "guard", "guardia", "guarding", "il-guardia"]·jav["jaga-jaga", "jagi", "panjagi", "penjagaan", "penjagi", "penjagian"]·KO["감시를", "경비", "그-파수의", "반차가", "반차를", "반차에", "보초를", "보호-로", "파수꾼을", "파수를"]·PT["a-guarda", "guarda", "vigília"]·RU["стража", "страже", "стражей", "стражи", "стражу", "хранения"]·ES["cosa-guardada", "guardia", "guardia?", "la-guardia", "turno"]·SW["ulinzi", "walinzi", "zamu"]·TR["dikkatle", "muhafızın", "nöbet", "nöbeti", "nöbetin", "nöbetçi"]·urd["-پہرہ", "محافظت-سے", "نگہبانی", "پہرا", "پہرہ", "پہرے-کے"]
2. custody, confinement — A place of confinement, custody, or imprisonment. In Genesis 40:3-7 and 41:10 it refers to the house of the captain of the guard where Joseph interprets dreams, and in Genesis 42:17 Joseph places his brothers in custody for three days. Leviticus 24:12 and Numbers 15:34 use it for temporary detention in the camp pending divine verdict. German 'Gewahrsam' precisely captures this custodial sense. 8×
AR["حِرَاسَةٍ", "حِرَاسَتِكُمْ", "فِي-الْ-حِرَاسَةِ", "فِي-الْحَبْسِ", "فِي-حِرَاسَةِ"]·ben["-তে-হেফাজত", "কারাগারে", "তোমাদের-কারাগারের", "পাহারায়"]·DE["Gewahrsam", "eures-Gewahrsams", "in-Gewahrsam", "in-der-custody"]·EN["custody", "in-custody", "in-custody-of", "in-the-custody", "your-custody"]·FR["custody", "dans-custody", "dans-custody-de", "dans-le-custody", "ton-custody"]·heb["ב-ה-במשמר", "ב-משמר", "משמר", "משמרכם-כם"]·HI["तुम्हारे-पहरे-के", "पहरा", "पहरे-में", "में-कारागार"]·ID["dalam-tahanan", "tahanan", "tahanan-kamu"]·IT["custody", "in-custody", "in-custody-di", "in-il-custody", "tuo-custody"]·jav["ing-tahanan", "tahanan", "tahanan-sampéyan", "wonten-kunjaran"]·KO["감시", "감시-안에", "감시-에", "그-감금-에", "너희의-감시의", "에-감옥"]·PT["custódia", "custódia-vossa", "em-a-guarda", "em-custódia", "em-guarda", "na-prisão"]·RU["под-стражей", "под-стражу", "стражи-вашей", "стражу"]·ES["custodia", "custodia-vuestra", "en-custodia", "en-custodia-de", "en-la-custodia", "en-la-prisión"]·SW["gerezani", "katika-ulinzi", "kifungoni", "kizuizini", "kuzuia", "mtaka-kuzuia", "nyumba", "nyumbani"]·TR["-da-gözetim", "-de-gözetim", "-gözetimde", "-gözetiminde", "gözetim-altına", "gözetim-altının"]·urd["حراست", "حراست-تمہاری-کے", "حراست-میں", "قید-میں"]
3. post, assigned duty — An assigned guard post, watch station, or prescribed service obligation. Nehemiah 7:3 assigns each person to stand guard at his post, and Nehemiah 13:14 records Levitical duties for the temple. Ezekiel 38:7 uses it of military readiness as a reserve or guard force. This sense emphasizes the institutional assignment rather than the act of watching or the place of confinement. 3×
AR["حَارِسًا", "فِي-حِراسَتِهِ", "وَفِي-حِرَاسَتِهِ"]·ben["আর-তার-পাহারাদলে", "তার-পাহারায়", "প্রহরীর-জন্য।"]·DE["[במשמרו]", "[ובמשמריו]", "[למשמר]"]·EN["and-in-its-watches", "as-guard", "at-his-post"]·FR["et-garde", "garde"]·heb["ב-משמר-ו", "ו-ב-משמר-ו", "ל-משמר"]·HI["अपने-पहरे-पर", "और-उसकी-सेवाओं-के-लिए", "रक्षक"]·ID["dan-untuk-tugas-tugas-jaganya", "di-tempat-jaganya", "menjadi-penjaga"]·IT["[למשמר]", "e-guardia", "guardia"]·jav["ing-penjagianipun", "kanggé-jagi", "lan-ing-pangladosanipun"]·KO["그리고-에-직무들에", "그의-파수-에서", "호위로"]·PT["e-em-suas-guardas", "em-sua-guarda", "guarda"]·RU["и-для-страж-его", "на-страже-его", "стражей"]·ES["en-su-guardia", "por-guardia.", "y-en-servicios-de-él"]·SW["katika-walinzi-wake", "mlinzi", "na-katika-utumishi-wake"]·TR["koruyucu-olarak", "nöbetinde", "ve-nöbetlerinde"]·urd["اور-اُس-کی-خدمت-میں", "اپنے-پہرے-پر", "محافظ-کے-طور-پر"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H1129 1. Qal: build, construct (316×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H2691a 1. court, courtyard, enclosure (142×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)G4864 1. synagogue, place of Jewish assembly (56×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מִשְׁמָר n.[m.] place of confinement, gaol, prison; late, guard, watch, observance;—abs. מ׳ Gn 42:17 +; cstr. מִשְׁמַר 40:3 +; sf. מִשְׁמָרוֹ Ne 7:3, etc.; pl. sf. -רָיו 13:14;— 1. gaol, prison, מ׳ בֵּית שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים Gn 40:3, cf. v 4 (abs.), v 7; 41:10; 42:17 (abs.), + v 30 (𝔊), בֵּית מִשְׁמַרְכֶם v 19 (all E); guard-house in camp Lv 24:12 (P), Nu 15:34 (P). 2. guard, Je 51:12; Ne 4:3,…