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.
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"]
1 Chr 26:16, 1 Chr 26:16, Neh 4:9, Neh 4:22, Neh 4:23, Neh 12:24, Neh 12:24, Neh 12:25, Job 7:12, Prov 4:23, Jer 51:12
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
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"]
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,…