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נָצַר

𐤍𐤑𐤓

nâtsar

H5341 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To watch over, guard, or keep something with care, maintaining its safety or integrity; in some contexts, to protect or preserve against harm or loss. In other contexts, to observe (regard) or retain (in memory or deed). Occasionally, in negative or ambiguous contexts, to keep secret or conceal. The term can refer to tangible protection (e.g., safeguarding a city, vineyard, or covenant), to personal conduct (keeping commandments or precepts), or to mental/spiritual attentiveness (preserving loyalty or purity).

Semantic Range

to guard or protect (cities, people, possessions), to keep or observe (commandments, promises), to preserve (memory, reputation, purity), to conceal or keep secret, to maintain or retain, to be careful or watchful

Root / Etymology

Root נצר (n-ṣ-r), commonly bearing the core meaning of guarding or keeping. נָצַר directly derives from this root, typically carrying the nuance of deliberate and careful observation or safeguarding. The root overlaps with others like שמר (to keep, watch) but has a tendency toward notions of inner protection or fidelity. Cognates in related Semitic languages, such as Aramaic and Arabic (nṣr, "to protect, help"), support the nuance of intentional guarding or preservation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

נָצַר is primarily used in the Hebrew Bible for the active process of guarding or keeping—whether commandments, trust, or physical entities. It appears notably in contexts describing the observance of divine regulations (e.g., Proverbs 4:13; "keep my instruction"), faithfulness to personal or communal commitments, and tangible protection (e.g., guarding a vineyard, Isaiah 27:3). Unlike שָׁמַר, which often implies watching or custodianship, נָצַר emphasizes care, commitment, and sometimes secrecy. In exilic and post-exilic texts, it can emphasize preservation of identity or tradition under pressure. While some translations use "observe" or "keep," these may not always capture the nuanced sense of devoted protection or internalizing. Later usage and translation traditions sometimes apply the term to spiritual, moral, or doctrinal guardianship, especially in Psalms and Prophets.

Translation Consistency

primary "guard" 41 occurrences

“Guard” best covers the primary, most common sense of נָצַר — to watch over, protect, or keep safe — and aligns with the majority of occurrences (guard/guarded/guarding). It also naturally extends to keeping commandments, preserving reputation/memory, and concealing/holding something back (e.g., guarding a secret), while sounding natural in English and allowing consistent inflection across all word forms.

Alternatives (9 occurrences):
"keep" (2x) "besieged" (1x) "besieged one" (1x) "guardians of" (1x) "might keep" (1x) "guarders of" (1x) "keep watch" (1x) "watch over" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.); besieged, hidden thing, keep(-er, -ing), monument, observe, preserve(-r), subtil, watcher(-man).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

נצר (nâtsîyr) — to guard, to keep, to watch, to preserve

Root נצר to guard, keep, protect, observe, preserve
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5336 נָצִיר and preserved ones of
H5342 נֵצֶר like a fresh shoot

Word Forms

39 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5341-14 נֹצֵ֥ר notser HVqrmsa he who guards guarding one guarding one 8
H5341-10 נְצֹ֥ר netsor HVqv2ms keep Guard! Guard! 4
H5341-17 נוֹצְרִ֖ים notserim HVqrmpa of watchmen guarding ones guarding ones 4
H5341-35 יִנְצֹֽרוּ yinetsoru HVqi3mp keep they will guard they will guard 4
H5341-06 נָצָֽרְתִּי natsareti HVqp1cs I have kept I have guarded I have guarded 3
H5341-22 תִּצֹּ֖ר titsor HVqi2ms guard you will guard you will guard 3
H5341-19 תִּנְצְרֵֽ/נִי tinetsereni HVqi2ms/Sp1cs preserve me you shall guard me you shall guard me 2
H5341-28 וְ/אֶצָּרְ/ךָ֗ veetsarekha HC/Vqi1cs/Sp2ms and-I-will-keep-you and I will guard you and I will guard you 2
H5341-29 וְ/אֶצְּרָ֥ה veetserah HC/Vqh1cs and I will keep and let me guard and let me guard 2
H5341-38 יִצְּר֑וּ/נִי yitseruni HVqi3mp/Sp1cs let-them-encompass-me they guard me they guard me 2

Occurrences in Scripture

63 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5341-14 Exodus 34:7 נֹצֵ֥ר notser HVqrmsa keeping guarding one guarding one
H5341-36 Deuteronomy 32:10 יִצְּרֶ֖/נְהוּ yitserenehu HVqi3ms/Sp3ms he guarded him he guards him he guarded him
H5341-35 Deuteronomy 33:9 יִנְצֹֽרוּ yinetsoru HVqi3mp they keep they will guard they will guard
H5341-17 2 Kings 17:9 נוֹצְרִ֖ים notserim HVqrmpa of watchmen guarding ones guarding ones
H5341-17 2 Kings 18:8 נוֹצְרִ֖ים notserim HVqrmpa of watchmen guarding ones guarding ones
H5341-11 Isaiah 1:8 נְצוּרָֽה netsurah HVqsfsa besieged guarded one besieged
H5341-22 Isaiah 26:3 תִּצֹּ֖ר titsor HVqi2ms you-will-keep you will guard you will guard
H5341-15 Isaiah 27:3 נֹֽצְרָ֔/הּ notserah HVqrmsc/Sp3fs keep it guarding her guarding her
H5341-03 Isaiah 27:3 אֶצֳּרֶֽ/נָּה etsorenah HVqi1cs/Sp3fs I will keep it I will guard her I will guard her
H5341-28 Isaiah 42:6 וְ/אֶצָּרְ/ךָ֗ veetsarekha HC/Vqi1cs/Sp2ms and will keep you and I will guard you and I will guard you
H5341-26 Isaiah 48:6 וּ/נְצֻר֖וֹת unetsurot HC/Vqsfpa hidden and guarded ones and guarded ones
H5341-25 Isaiah 49:6 וּ/נְצוּרֵ֥י unetsurey HC/Vqsmpc and the guarded guarded ones of and guarded ones of
H5341-28 Isaiah 49:8 וְ/אֶצָּרְ/ךָ֗ veetsarekha HC/Vqi1cs/Sp2ms and-I-will-keep-you and I will guard you and I will guard you
H5341-27 Isaiah 65:4 וּ/בַ/נְּצוּרִ֖ים uvanetsurim HC/Rd/Ncmpa and in secret places and in the guarded ones and in the guarded places
H5341-17 Jeremiah 4:16 נֹצְרִ֥ים notserim HVqrmpa watchers guarding ones guarding ones
H5341-17 Jeremiah 31:6 נֹצְרִ֖ים notserim HVqrmpa watchmen guarding ones guarding ones
H5341-31 Ezekiel 6:12 וְ/הַ/נָּצ֔וּר vehanatsur HC/Td/Vqsmsa and the besieged one and the guarded one and the besieged one
H5341-08 Nahum 2:2 נָצ֣וֹר natsor HVqa guard guarding carefully guarding carefully
H5341-21 Psalms 12:8 תִּצְּרֶ֓/נּוּ titserenu HVqi2ms/Sp3ms will guard him you will guard him you will guard him
H5341-04 Psalms 25:10 לְ/נֹצְרֵ֥י lenotserey HR/Vqrmpc to keepers of to the guardians of to the guardians of
H5341-38 Psalms 25:21 יִצְּר֑וּ/נִי yitseruni HVqi3mp/Sp1cs preserve me they guard me they guard me
H5341-14 Psalms 31:24 נֹצֵ֣ר notser HVqrmsa preserves guarding one guarding one
H5341-20 Psalms 32:7 תִּ֫צְּרֵ֥/נִי titsereni HVqi2ms/Sp1cs you preserve me you guard me you guard me
H5341-10 Psalms 34:14 נְצֹ֣ר netsor HVqv2ms Guard Guard! Guard!
H5341-38 Psalms 40:12 יִצְּרֽוּ/נִי yitseruni HVqi3mp/Sp1cs let-them-encompass-me they guard me they guard me
H5341-34 Psalms 61:8 יִנְצְרֻֽ/הוּ yinetseruhu HVqi3mp/Sp3ms to guard him they will guard him to guard him
H5341-22 Psalms 64:2 תִּצֹּ֥ר titsor HVqi2ms guard you will guard you will guard
H5341-35 Psalms 78:7 יִנְצֹֽרוּ yinetsoru HVqi3mp keep they will guard they will guard
H5341-35 Psalms 105:45 יִנְצֹ֗רוּ yinetsoru HVqi3mp observe they will guard they might keep
H5341-16 Psalms 119:2 נֹצְרֵ֥י notserey HVqrmpc those who keep guarders of guarders of
H5341-06 Psalms 119:22 נָצָֽרְתִּי natsareti HVqp1cs I observe I have guarded I have guarded
H5341-30 Psalms 119:33 וְ/אֶצְּרֶ֥/נָּה veetserenah HC/Vqi1cs/Sp3fs and I will keep it and I will guard her and I will keep it
H5341-29 Psalms 119:34 וְ/אֶצְּרָ֥ה veetserah HC/Vqh1cs and I will keep and let me guard and let me guard
H5341-06 Psalms 119:56 נָצָֽרְתִּי natsareti HVqp1cs I have kept I have guarded I have guarded
H5341-01 Psalms 119:69 אֱצֹּ֬ר etsor HVqi1cs will keep I will guard I will guard
H5341-06 Psalms 119:100 נָצָֽרְתִּי natsareti HVqp1cs I have kept I have guarded I have guarded
H5341-29 Psalms 119:115 וְ֝/אֶצְּרָ֗ה veetserah HC/Vqh1cs that I may keep and let me guard and let me guard
H5341-09 Psalms 119:129 נְצָרָ֥תַ/ם netsaratam HVqp3fs/Sp3mp I have kept them she guarded them I have guarded them
H5341-02 Psalms 119:145 אֶצֹּֽרָה etsorah HVqh1cs I will keep let me guard I will keep
H5341-19 Psalms 140:2 תִּנְצְרֵֽ/נִי tinetsereni HVqi2ms/Sp1cs preserve me you shall guard me you shall guard me
H5341-19 Psalms 140:5 תִּנְצְרֵ֑/נִי tinetsereni HVqi2ms/Sp1cs preserve me you shall guard me you shall guard me
H5341-12 Psalms 141:3 נִ֝צְּרָ֗/ה nitserah HVqv2ms/Sh Keep watch Guard carefully! Keep watch
H5341-05 Proverbs 2:8 לִ֭/נְצֹר linetsor HR/Vqc to guard to guard carefully to guard carefully
H5341-18 Proverbs 2:11 תִנְצְרֶֽ/כָּה tinetserekah HVqi3fs/Sp2ms will watch over you she will guard you she will guard you
H5341-39 Proverbs 3:1 יִצֹּ֥ר yitsor HVqj3ms let keep may he guard may it guard
H5341-10 Proverbs 3:21 נְצֹ֥ר netsor HVqv2ms keep Guard! Guard!
H5341-33 Proverbs 4:6 וְ/תִצְּרֶֽ/ךָּ vetitserekha HC/Vqi3fs/Sp2ms and she will watch over you and she will guard you and she will watch over you
H5341-13 Proverbs 4:13 נִ֝צְּרֶ֗/הָ nitsereha HVqv2ms/Sp3fs Guard her Guard her Guard her
H5341-10 Proverbs 4:23 נְצֹ֣ר netsor HVqv2ms guard Guard! Guard!
H5341-35 Proverbs 5:2 יִנְצֹֽרוּ yinetsoru HVqi3mp may guard they will guard they will guard
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