מִשְׁמֶרֶת (H4931) — Hebrew Lexicon

מִשְׁמֶרֶת

𐤌𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤕

mishmereth

H4931 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A responsibility or duty assigned for guarding, overseeing, or maintaining something or someone; the state of being in charge or responsible for something; can also refer to a period of watch, a group assigned to a watch, or an ordinance, especially a religious charge or obligation given by divine instruction. The term encompasses both concrete (guard duty, appointed group on rotation) and abstract (responsibility, observance of commands) senses, often used for Levitical roles, ceremonial duties, and the keeping of commands or sacred trusts.

Semantic Range

duty, charge, guard duty, assigned office or post, period of watch or turn of service, responsibility of safeguarding, observance (especially religious command), ordinance or statute, prescribed function (civil or cultic)

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁמר meaning 'to keep, guard, watch, preserve'. מִשְׁמֶרֶת is a feminine noun formation typically denoting a state, activity, or the result of the root action; here, it denotes the act or office of guarding or that which is kept/observed.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, מִשְׁמֶרֶת is frequently used with reference to priestly or Levitical duties related to the sanctuary (e.g., Numbers 3:7, 8), including watches, roles, divisions, and the charge of sacred objects. Also used for guarding royal or city gates, and, more abstractly, for the obligation to observe commandments (e.g., 'keeping' the law). In post-exilic and later literature, it refers to shifts or courses of service (the divisions of priests/Levites in rotation). English translations such as 'ward,' 'charge,' 'duty,' or 'office' capture aspects of the term but may not reflect its full nuance — especially its application to religious observance as a divinely mandated responsibility. Distinct from מִשְׁמָר (mishmar), which more often refers to the physical act of guarding or a guard post.

Translation Consistency

primary "duty" 12 occurrences

“Duty” is the natural, simple word that best captures the primary sense of מִשְׁמֶרֶת as an assigned responsibility, guard/watch, office or turn of service. It covers both concrete guard/rotation meanings and the abstract sense of obligation or charge (including cultic observance) more cleanly than a hyphenated form like “guard-duty” and with fewer ambiguous connotations than “charge.” Using “duty” ensures clear, consistent rendering across all forms.

Alternatives (16 occurrences):

"guard-duties" (8x) "guarding-duty" (5x) "charge" (1x) "guard-duties of" (1x) "guarding-duties" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of מִשְׁמָר; watch, i.e. the act (custody), or (concretely) the sentry, the post; objectively preservation, or (concretely) safe; figuratively observance, i.e. (abstractly) duty or (objectively) a usage or party; charge, keep, or to be kept, office, ordinace, safeguard, ward, watch.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

שׁמר (Shamur) — to guard, to keep, to observe, to watch

Root שׁמר to keep, guard, preserve, observe

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H4929	מִשְׁמָר	in the guard-post
H8053	שָׁמוּר	I will guard
H8069	שָׁמִיר	in Shamir
H8111	שֹׁמְרוֹן	in Watch-place
H8113	שִׁמְרִי	Shimri
H8115	שׇׁמְרַיִן	in Guard-City Shomrayin
H8116	שִׁמְרִית	Guarded One
H8117	שִׁמְרֹנִי	the Shimronite clansman
H8119	שִׁמְרָת	Guarding-One
H821	אַשְׁמֻרָה	night guard-watches

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H4931-11`	מִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת	mishemeret	`HNcfsa`	charge	guard-duty of	duty of	39
`H4931-08`	מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֛/י	mishemareti	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	my charge	my guarding-duty	my guarding-duty	9
`H4931-06`	לְ/מִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת	lemishemeret	`HR/Ncfsa`	for keeping	for guard-duty	for guard-duty	7
`H4931-15`	וּ/מִשְׁמֶ֕רֶת	umishemeret	`HC/Ncfsc`	and the charge	and the guarding-duty of	and the duty of	4
`H4931-09`	מִשְׁמַרְתּ֗/וֹ	mishemareto	`HNcfsc/Sp3ms`	his charge	his guarding-duty	his charge	3
`H4931-13`	מִשְׁמְרוֹתָ֣/ם	mishemerotam	`HNcfpc/Sp3mp`	their watches	their guard-duties	their guard-duties	3
`H4931-02`	בְּ/מִשְׁמְרוֹתָ֖/ם	bemishemerotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	in their duties	in their guarding-duties	in their guarding-duties	2
`H4931-05`	לְ/מִשְׁמָרֽוֹת	lemishemarot	`HR/Ncfpa`	as guards	for guard-duties	for guard-duties	2
`H4931-10`	מִשְׁמָר֖וֹת	mishemarot	`HNcfpa`	duties	guard-duties	guard-duties	2
`H4931-14`	וּ/מִשְׁמַרְתָּ֗/ם	umishemaretam	`HC/Ncfsc/Sp3mp`	and their charge	their guarding-duty	and their guarding-duty	2
`H4931-01`	בְּ/מִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת	bemishemeret	`HR/Ncfsa`	in charge	in a guarding-duty	in the oversight	1
`H4931-03`	בְּ/מִשְׁמְרוֹתֵי/הֶ֖ם	bemishemeroteyhem	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	in their watches	in their guard-duties	in their guard-duties	1
`H4931-04`	לְ/מִשְׁמָֽרֶת	lemishemaret	`HR/Ncfsa`	for-keeping	for a guarding-duty	for guarding-duty	1
`H4931-07`	מִֽשְׁמַרְתְּ/ךָ֔	mishemaretekha	`HNcfsc/Sp2ms`	over your charge	your guarding-duty	your charge	1
`H4931-12`	מִשְׁמְרוֹת֙	mishemerot	`HNcfpc`	watches of	guard-duties of	guard-duties of	1

Occurrences in Scripture

78 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H4931-08`	Ezekiel 44:8	מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֛/י	mishemareti	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	my charge	my guarding-duty	my guarding-duty
`H4931-11`	Ezekiel 44:14	מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת	mishemeret	`HNcfsc`	the charge	guard-duty of	duty of
`H4931-11`	Ezekiel 44:15	מִשְׁמֶ֤רֶת	mishemeret	`HNcfsc`	charge	guard-duty of	duty of
`H4931-08`	Ezekiel 44:16	מִשְׁמַרְתִּֽ/י	mishemareti	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	my charge	my guarding-duty	my guarding-duty
`H4931-08`	Ezekiel 48:11	מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֑/י	mishemareti	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	my charge	my guarding-duty	my guarding-duty
`H4931-08`	Habakkuk 2:1	מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣/י	mishemareti	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	my guard post	my guarding-duty	my guarding-duty
`H4931-08`	Zechariah 3:7	מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣/י	mishemareti	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	my charge	my guarding-duty	my guarding-duty
`H4931-09`	Malachi 3:14	מִשְׁמַרְתּ֔/וֹ	mishemareto	`HNcfsc/Sp3ms`	His charge	his guarding-duty	his charge
`H4931-12`	Nehemiah 7:3	מִשְׁמְרוֹת֙	mishemerot	`HNcfpc`	watches of	guard-duties of	guard-duties of
`H4931-05`	Nehemiah 12:9	לְ/מִשְׁמָרֽוֹת	lemishemarot	`HR/Ncfpa`	in the services	for guard-duties	for guard-duties
`H4931-11`	Nehemiah 12:45	מִשְׁמֶ֤רֶת	mishemeret	`HNcfsc`	the charge	guard-duty of	duty of
`H4931-15`	Nehemiah 12:45	וּ/מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת	umishemeret	`HC/Ncfsc`	and the charge	and the guarding-duty of	and the duty of
`H4931-10`	Nehemiah 13:30	מִשְׁמָר֛וֹת	mishemarot	`HNcfpa`	watches/duties	guard-duties	guard-duties
`H4931-05`	1 Chronicles 9:23	לְ/מִשְׁמָרֽוֹת	lemishemarot	`HR/Ncfpa`	as guards	for guard-duties	for guard-duties
`H4931-11`	1 Chronicles 9:27	מִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת	mishemeret	`HNcfsa`	the guard duty	guard-duty of	duty of
`H4931-11`	1 Chronicles 12:30	מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת	mishemeret	`HNcfsc`	guard	guard-duty of	duty of
`H4931-11`	1 Chronicles 23:32	מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת	mishemeret	`HNcfsc`	charge	guard-duty of	duty of
`H4931-11`	1 Chronicles 23:32	מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת	mishemeret-2	`HNcfsc`	charge	guard-duty of	duty of
`H4931-15`	1 Chronicles 23:32	וּ/מִשְׁמֶ֕רֶת	umishemeret	`HC/Ncfsc`	and charge	and the guarding-duty of	and the duty of
`H4931-11`	1 Chronicles 25:8	מִשְׁמֶ֗רֶת	mishemeret	`HNcfsa`	for their duties	guard-duty of	duty of
`H4931-10`	1 Chronicles 26:12	מִשְׁמָר֖וֹת	mishemarot	`HNcfpa`	duties	guard-duties	guard-duties
`H4931-13`	2 Chronicles 7:6	מִשְׁמְרוֹתָ֣/ם	mishemerotam	`HNcfpc/Sp3mp`	their watches	their guard-duties	their guard-duties
`H4931-13`	2 Chronicles 8:14	מִ֠שְׁמְרוֹתָ/ם	mishemerotam	`HNcfpc/Sp3mp`	their watches	their guard-duties	their guard-duties
`H4931-11`	2 Chronicles 13:11	מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת	mishemeret	`HNcfsc`	charge	guard-duty of	duty of
`H4931-11`	2 Chronicles 23:6	מִשְׁמֶ֥רֶת	mishemeret	`HNcfsc`	the watch	guard-duty of	duty of
`H4931-02`	2 Chronicles 31:16	בְּ/מִשְׁמְרוֹתָ֖/ם	bemishemerotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	in their watches	in their guarding-duties	in their guarding-duties
`H4931-03`	2 Chronicles 31:17	בְּ/מִשְׁמְרוֹתֵי/הֶ֖ם	bemishemeroteyhem	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	in their watches	in their guard-duties	in their guard-duties
`H4931-13`	2 Chronicles 35:2	מִשְׁמְרוֹתָ֑/ם	mishemerotam	`HNcfpc/Sp3mp`	their divisions	their guard-duties	their guard-duties

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