שָׁמַר

𐤔𐤌𐤓

shâmar

H8104 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To keep, guard, watch over, or observe; to exercise attentive care or protective oversight; to be heedful or conscientious concerning something. In different contexts, שָׁמַר can refer to guarding property or people, observing commandments or rules, paying careful attention, or maintaining a condition or state. The term implies vigilance and responsibility, encompassing both practical guardianship and conscientious observance.

Semantic Range

to keep (as in to obey commandments or obligations), to guard (as in protect from danger), to observe (as in observe festivals or ritual laws), to watch over (persons, property, or duties), to be careful or diligent with something, to heed or pay attention, to preserve (from harm), to restrain or hold in custody

Root / Etymology

Root: שׁ־מ־ר (שמר). The root fundamentally carries the sense of guarding, protecting, or keeping. The verb שָׁמַר develops from this root and predominantly means 'to guard' or 'to keep,' both in the sense of protecting from danger and of carefully maintaining or observing something.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, שָׁמַר is used both in practical, physical senses (e.g. to guard a city, Genesis 2:15; to watch over a flock, Genesis 30:31) and in more abstract senses (e.g. to observe commandments, Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 6:17). The word is frequently found in legal and covenantal contexts to express fidelity and conscientious observance (e.g. 'to keep My commandments'). Translations such as 'keep,' 'guard,' or 'observe' often reflect the range of applications from physical watchfulness to faithful observance of stipulations. In post-exilic usage, the term can bear more weight in connection with covenant loyalty and religious observance, compared to earlier purely practical usages. The word may overlap with related roots such as נצר (to guard or watch), but שָׁמַר often emphasizes attentive or deliberate oversight and is commonly used in ritual, legal, and moral exhortations.

Translation Consistency

primary "keep" 43 occurrences

“Keep” is the most natural, flexible English verb that covers the full semantic range of שָׁמַר — to keep/observe commandments, to keep watch, to keep/guard or preserve something, and to be careful or heedful. It handles both ritual/legal senses (keep the law, keep the Sabbath) and protective senses (keep watch, keep safe) better than a narrower choice like “guard,” so it supports consistent, idiomatic renderings across all forms.

Alternatives (7 occurrences):
"guard" (2x) "guarding-one" (1x) "guard yourselves" (1x) "keepers of" (1x) "guarded" (1x) "careful" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.; beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

שמר (Yishemeray) — to keep, guard, watch

Root שמר to guard, to keep, to observe, to watch
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3461 יִשְׁמְרַי He-preserves
H7763 שׁוֹמֵר the guarding one
H8068 שָׁמִיר like a hard-thorn
H8105 שֶׁמֶר his lees
H8106 שֶׁמֶר Shemer

Word Forms

102 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H8104-43 שֹׁמֵ֤ר shomer HVqrmsa keeper the guarding one the one who keeps 45
H8104-18 לִ/שְׁמוֹר֙ lishemor HR/Vqc to keep to guard to keep 40
H8104-63 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּ֛ם ushemaretem HC/Vqq2mp and you shall keep and you guarded and you shall keep 25
H8104-55 תִּשְׁמ֗וֹר tishemor HVqi2ms you keep you guard you will keep 21
H8104-46 שֹׁמְרֵ֥י shomerey HVqrmpc keepers guarding-ones of keeping-ones of 19
H8104-10 הִשָּֽׁמֶר hishamer HVNv2ms Take heed Guard yourself Keep yourself 18
H8104-40 שְׁ֠מֹר shemor HVqv2ms keep to guard to keep 14
H8104-85 וְ/שָׁמְר֞וּ veshameru HC/Vqq3cp and they shall keep and they guarded and they kept 14
H8104-83 וְ/שָׁמַרְתָּ֞ veshamareta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall keep and you will guard and you will keep 12
H8104-100 יִשְׁמְר֨וּ yishemeru HVqi3mp they keep they guard they will keep 12

Occurrences in Scripture

469 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H8104-58 Genesis 2:15 וּ/לְ/שָׁמְרָֽ/הּ uleshamerah HC/R/Vqc/Sp3fs and to keep it and to guard her and to guard her
H8104-18 Genesis 3:24 לִ/שְׁמֹ֕ר lishemor HR/Vqc to guard to guard to keep
H8104-07 Genesis 4:9 הֲ/שֹׁמֵ֥ר hashomer HTi/Vqrmsa keeper the guarding-one the guarding-one
H8104-55 Genesis 17:9 תִשְׁמֹ֑ר tishemor HVqi2ms you shall keep you guard you will keep
H8104-53 Genesis 17:10 תִּשְׁמְר֗וּ tishemeru HVqi2mp you shall keep you (plural, masculine) guard you (plural, masculine) will keep
H8104-85 Genesis 18:19 וְ/שָֽׁמְרוּ֙ veshameru HC/Vqq3cp that they may keep and they guarded and they will keep
H8104-10 Genesis 24:6 הִשָּׁ֣מֶר hishamer HVNv2ms See to it / Beware Guard yourself Keep yourself
H8104-75 Genesis 26:5 וַ/יִּשְׁמֹר֙ vayishemor HC/Vqw3ms and kept and he guarded and he kept
H8104-64 Genesis 28:15 וּ/שְׁמַרְתִּ֨י/ךָ֙ ushemaretikha HC/Vqq1cs/Sp2ms and will keep you and I will guard you and I will guard you
H8104-61 Genesis 28:20 וּ/שְׁמָרַ֨/נִי֙ ushemarani HC/Vqq3ms/Sp1cs and will keep me and he guarded me and will keep me
H8104-05 Genesis 30:31 אֶשְׁמֹֽר eshemor HVqi1cs I will keep I will guard I will keep
H8104-10 Genesis 31:24 הִשָּׁ֧מֶר hishamer HVNv2ms Take heed Guard yourself Keep yourself
H8104-10 Genesis 31:29 הִשָּׁ֧מֶר hishamer HVNv2ms be careful Guard yourself Keep yourself
H8104-26 Genesis 37:11 שָׁמַ֥ר shamar HVqp3ms kept he guarded he kept
H8104-84 Genesis 41:35 וְ/שָׁמָֽרוּ veshamaru HC/Vqq3cp and let them keep and they guarded and let them keep
H8104-10 Exodus 10:28 הִשָּׁ֣מֶר hishamer HVNv2ms take heed Guard yourself Keep yourself
H8104-63 Exodus 12:17 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּם֮ ushemaretem HC/Vqq2mp and-you-shall-keep and you guarded and you shall keep
H8104-63 Exodus 12:17 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּ֞ם ushemaretem-2 HC/Vqq2mp and-you(pl)-shall-keep and you guarded and you shall keep
H8104-63 Exodus 12:24 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם ushemaretem HC/Vqq2mp And you shall observe and you guarded and you shall keep
H8104-63 Exodus 12:25 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם ushemaretem HC/Vqq2mp and you shall keep and you guarded and you shall keep
H8104-83 Exodus 13:10 וְ/שָׁמַרְתָּ֛ veshamareta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall keep and you will guard and you will keep
H8104-83 Exodus 15:26 וְ/שָׁמַרְתָּ֖ veshamareta HC/Vqq2ms and you keep and you will guard and you will keep
H8104-18 Exodus 16:28 לִ/שְׁמֹ֥ר lishemor HR/Vqc to keep to guard to keep
H8104-63 Exodus 19:5 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם ushemaretem HC/Vqq2mp and you shall keep and you guarded and you shall keep
H8104-12 Exodus 19:12 הִשָּׁמְר֥וּ hishameru HVNv2mp take heed Guard yourselves Guard yourselves
H8104-59 Exodus 20:6 וּ/לְ/שֹׁמְרֵ֥י uleshomerey HC/R/Vqrmpc and to the keepers of and to guardians of and to keepers of
H8104-99 Exodus 21:29 יִשְׁמְרֶ֔/נּוּ yishemerenu HVqi3ms/Sp3ms keep it he will guard him he will keep him
H8104-99 Exodus 21:36 יִשְׁמְרֶ֖/נּוּ yishemerenu HVqi3ms/Sp3ms guard-him he will guard him he has guarded it
H8104-18 Exodus 22:6 לִ/שְׁמֹ֔ר lishemor HR/Vqc to keep to guard to keep
H8104-18 Exodus 22:9 לִ/שְׁמֹ֑ר lishemor HR/Vqc to keep to guard to keep
H8104-49 Exodus 23:13 תִּשָּׁמֵ֑רוּ tishameru HVNi2mp you shall be careful you will be guarded you shall be careful
H8104-55 Exodus 23:15 תִּשְׁמֹר֒ tishemor HVqi2ms You shall keep you guard you will keep
H8104-17 Exodus 23:20 לִ/שְׁמָרְ/ךָ֖ lishemarekha HR/Vqc/Sp2ms to guard you to guard you to keep you
H8104-10 Exodus 23:21 הִשָּׁ֧מֶר hishamer HVNv2ms Beware Guard yourself Keep yourself
H8104-56 Exodus 31:13 תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ tishemoru HVqi2mp you shall keep you will guard you will keep
H8104-63 Exodus 31:14 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ ushemaretem HC/Vqq2mp you shall keep and you guarded and you shall keep
H8104-85 Exodus 31:16 וְ/שָׁמְר֥וּ veshameru HC/Vqq3cp shall keep and they guarded and they kept
H8104-37 Exodus 34:11 שְׁמָ֨ר shemar HVqv2ms Observe Guard! Keep!
H8104-10 Exodus 34:12 הִשָּׁ֣מֶר hishamer HVNv2ms take heed Guard yourself Keep yourself
H8104-55 Exodus 34:18 תִּשְׁמֹר֒ tishemor HVqi2ms you shall keep you guard you will keep
H8104-63 Leviticus 8:35 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּ֛ם ushemaretem HC/Vqq2mp and you shall keep and you guarded and you shall keep
H8104-53 Leviticus 18:4 תִּשְׁמְר֖וּ tishemeru HVqi2mp you shall keep you (plural, masculine) guard you (plural, masculine) will keep
H8104-63 Leviticus 18:5 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם ushemaretem HC/Vqq2mp you shall keep and you guarded and you shall keep
H8104-63 Leviticus 18:26 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם ushemaretem HC/Vqq2mp and you shall keep and you guarded and you shall keep
H8104-63 Leviticus 18:30 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם ushemaretem HC/Vqq2mp and you shall keep and you guarded and you shall keep
H8104-56 Leviticus 19:3 תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ tishemoru HVqi2mp you shall keep you will guard you will keep
H8104-56 Leviticus 19:19 תִּשְׁמֹרוּ֒ tishemoru HVqi2mp you shall keep you will guard you will keep
H8104-56 Leviticus 19:30 תִּשְׁמֹ֔רוּ tishemoru HVqi2mp you shall keep you will guard you will keep
H8104-63 Leviticus 19:37 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם ushemaretem HC/Vqq2mp you shall observe and you guarded and you shall keep
H8104-63 Leviticus 20:8 וּ/שְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ ushemaretem HC/Vqq2mp And you shall keep and you guarded and you shall keep