H8245 H8245
To watch, keep vigil, be wakeful; of God watching over his word or his people; also to watch with hostile intent
A verb of intense, purposeful wakefulness that spans the spectrum from divine faithfulness to predatory menace. Its most famous occurrence is Jeremiah 1:12, where God declares 'I am watching over my word to perform it' -- a passage enriched by the wordplay with shaqed (almond tree), the 'watcher' that blooms first in spring. The same root describes sleepless vigil in Psalm 102:7, where the psalmist lies awake 'like a lonely bird on a rooftop.' Spanish 'velar/veló' (to keep vigil) captures the sustained attentiveness across all uses, while German 'wachen' (to watch/wake) preserves the root connection between watching and wakefulness. At its darkest, the word describes a leopard 'watching' against cities to seize prey (Jer 5:6).
Senses
1. watch over, keep vigil — To keep watch, be vigilant, or guard attentively over something or someone. Often used of God's watchful oversight: Jeremiah 1:12 declares God 'watching over' his word to fulfill it, and Jeremiah 31:28 promises that as God watched to uproot, so he will watch to build. Proverbs 8:34 blesses the one who watches daily at Wisdom's gates. Spanish 'velar/velad' (keep vigil/keep watch!) and French 'veiller' (to watch) consistently render this purposeful, sustained attentiveness. Ezra 8:29 extends it to human guardianship of sacred vessels. 8×
AR["أَسْهَرُ", "اِسْهَرُوا", "سَاهِرٌ", "سَهِرْتُ", "لِيَسْهَرَ", "وَ-سَهِرَ", "يَسْهَرُ"]·ben["এবং-জেগে-ছিলেন", "জাগ্রত", "জাগ্রত-থাকো", "জেগে-আছি", "প্রহরা-করতে", "সতর্ক-ছিলাম-আমি", "সতর্ক-থাকব-আমি", "সে-পাহারা-দেবে"]·DE["[וישקד]", "[ישקוד]", "[לשקד]", "[שקדו]", "wachen"]·EN["I-watched", "I-will-watch", "and-watched", "he-keeps-watch", "watch", "watching"]·FR["[שקדו]", "et-veiller", "veiller", "à-veiller"]·heb["אשקוד", "ו-ישקוד", "ישקוד", "ל-שקוד", "שוקד", "שקדו", "שקדתי"]·HI["और-जागता-रहा", "जागता", "जागता-रहा-मैं", "जागता-हूँ", "जागते-हुए", "जागूँगा-मैं", "निगरानी रखो", "वह-पहरा-देता-है"]·ID["Aku-akan-berjaga-jaga", "Aku-berjaga-jaga", "Berjagalah", "Maka-TUHAN-berjaga", "berjaga", "ia-berjaga", "untuk-berjaga"]·IT["[וישקד]", "[שקדו]", "egli-keeps-watch", "per-watching", "vegliare"]·jav["Kawula-jagi", "Kawula-njagi", "jaganen", "kanggé-njaga", "lan-Yéhuwah-waspada", "piyambakipun-jagi", "tansah-waspadha"]·KO["그리고-지키셨으니", "깨어-있으라", "지켜보고-있다", "지켜보리라", "지켜보았다", "지켜본다-내가", "지키는", "지키리라"]·PT["E-vigiou", "para-velar", "vigiai", "vigiando", "vigiarei", "vigiará", "vigiei", "vigilante"]·RU["Бдите", "бдительно", "бодрствовал-Я", "бодрствую", "бодрствующий", "будет-сторожить", "буду-бодрствовать", "и-бодрствовал"]·ES["Y-veló", "para-velar", "velad", "velará.", "velaré", "velé", "vigilante", "vigilo"]·SW["ataangalia", "kukesha", "lindeni", "na-Yahwe-alikuwa-macho", "nilivyokesha", "ninaangalia", "ninawaangalia", "nitakesha"]·TR["Bekleyin", "beklemek-için", "bekçiyim", "gözeteceğim", "gözettim", "nöbet-tutar", "uyanık", "ve-uyandı"]·urd["اور-جاگتا-رہا", "جاگتا", "نگرانی-کروں-گا", "نگرانی-کی-میں-نے", "پہرہ دیتا ہے", "پہرہ-دینے-کو", "چوکس-رہو", "چوکس-ہوں"]
2. be wakeful, lie awake — To be wakeful, lie awake, remain sleepless -- describing a state of wakefulness without necessarily implying purposeful vigilance. Psalm 102:7 paints a haunting picture: 'I lie awake; I am like a lonely bird on a housetop.' Psalm 127:1 warns that unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman 'stays awake' in vain. German 'ich-lagern-aufwachen' (I lie awake) and Spanish 'velo' (I keep vigil) preserve the nocturnal, insomniac quality of this sense. 2×
AR["سَهِرتُ", "يَسهَرُ"]·ben["আমি-জেগে-থাকি", "জেগে-থাকে"]·DE["ich-lagern-aufwachen", "wacht"]·EN["I-lie-awake", "watches"]·FR["veiller"]·heb["שקד", "שקדתי"]·HI["जागता-है", "मैंने-जागा"]·ID["aku-terjaga", "berjaga"]·IT["veglio'"]·jav["Kula-mejeng", "jaga"]·KO["깨어-있었도다", "깨어-있었도다-내-가"]·PT["Vigio", "vigia"]·RU["Бодрствовал", "бодрствует"]·ES["Velo", "vela"]·SW["anakesha", "nimeangalia"]·TR["gözler", "uyanık-kaldım"]·urd["جاگتا-ہے", "میں-جاگتا-رہا"]
3. watch for evil, lie in wait — To watch with hostile intent, lurking or lying in wait to do harm. Isaiah 29:20 denounces 'those who watch for iniquity,' and Jeremiah 5:6 depicts a leopard 'watching against their cities' to seize anyone who ventures out. Spanish 'acecha' (stalks/lurks) and 'los que velan para' (those who watch for) capture the predatory, menacing quality that inverts the protective watching of sense 1. 2×
AR["السَّاهِرِينَ-عَلَى", "رَاصِدٌ"]·ben["দেখাকারীদের", "প্রহরী"]·DE["wachen"]·EN["those-watching-for", "watching"]·FR["veiller"]·heb["שוקד", "שוקדי"]·HI["घात-लगाए-हुए", "ताकने-वाले"]·ID["mengintai", "yang-berjaga"]·IT["vegliare"]·jav["njagi", "tiyang-ingkang-nggegoleki-"]·KO["악을-힘쓰는-자들이", "지켜보고-있다"]·PT["espreita", "vigilantes-de"]·RU["стерегущие-", "стерегущий"]·ES["acecha", "los-que-velan-para"]·SW["anavizia", "wanaotafuta"]·TR["gozleyenleri", "pusuya-yatan"]·urd["گھات-لگائے-ہوئے", "گھات-لگانے-والے"]
Related Senses
H7965 1. peace, absence of conflict (198×)H3467 1. save, deliver, rescue (Hifil active) (156×)H5127 1. flee, run away (Qal) (144×)G1515 1. peace, well-being, harmony (93×)H8002 1. peace offering(s) (87×)G4982 1. save spiritually, grant salvation (79×)H3444 1. salvation, deliverance (67×)H4422 1. Nifal: escape, flee (63×)H1272 1. flee, run away (Qal) (58×)H6869b 1. distress, trouble (57×)G4991 1. of salvation (46×)G2347 1. tribulation, affliction, distress (45×)H0983 1. security, safety, confidence (42×)H6031b 1. Piel: afflict, oppress (42×)H6040 1. affliction, misery, suffering (36×)H3468 1. salvation, deliverance (33×)G5343 1. flee, run away (28×)H3467 2. savior, deliverer (Hifil participle substantive) (28×)H8668 1. salvation, deliverance (27×)H8252 1. be quiet, be at rest (26×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† שָׁקַד vb. watch, wake (Ph. שקד be circumspect; NH שָׁקַד be insistent; 𝔗 שְׁקֵד = BH);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. שׁ׳ ψ 127:1, שָׁקַ֫דְתִּי Je 31:28 ψ 102:8; Impf. 3 ms. יִשְׁק֑וֹד Jb 21:32 (Me Bu יִשְׁקֹ֑דוּ), וַיִּשְׁקֹד Dn 9:14, 1 s. אֶשְׁקֹד Je 31:28; Imv. mpl. שִׁקְדוּ Ezr 8:29; Inf. cstr. לִשְׁקֹד Pr 8:34; Pt. act. שֹׁקֵד Je 1:12 +; pl. cstr. שֹׁקְדֵי Is 29:20;— 1. keep watch of, be wakeful over,…