שִׁמֻּר
𐤔𐤌𐤓
shimmur
H8107 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An act of guarding, keeping, or observing; custodianship, observance, or safeguarding. Denotes the action or state of careful attention, particularly in fulfilling instructions or ordinances. Used in legal and ritual contexts to refer to the maintenance or observation of prescribed practices, commands, or regulations.
Semantic Range
act of observation, act of guarding or keeping, custodianship, ritual observance, careful maintenance, fulfillment of instruction
Root / Etymology
From the root שׁמר (sh-m-r), meaning 'to keep, guard, observe.' The noun שִׁמֻּר (shimmur) is a denominative formation indicating the result or state of the action, i.e., the act or condition of being kept, guarded, or observed.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שִׁמֻּר appears primarily in priestly legal language (notably in Exodus 12:6) to describe the act of ritual safeguarding or attentive maintenance, especially in relation to ordinances such as the keeping of the Passover lamb. The term is related to but distinct from שְׁמִירָה (shemirah, 'guarding, vigilance'), with שִׁמֻּר emphasizing the completed or ongoing state of observance rather than active guarding. In later biblical and post-biblical materials, cognate forms expand to denote rules, commemorations, or official duties that require constant oversight. Common English renderings like 'observance' partially capture the sense; however, the notion includes both legal-ritual keeping and general safeguarding. The underlying root שׁמר is multifaceted, and its derivatives can refer both to physical guarding (as of a place or person) and intangible acts (as laws, covenants, or rituals). In biblical Hebrew, precise distinctions between these senses are generally clear from context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁמַר; an observance; [idiom] be (much) observed.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שמר (sh-m-r) — to keep, to guard, to observe, to watch
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3461 | יִשְׁמְרַי | He-preserves |
| H4929 | מִשְׁמָר | the guard-duty |
| H7763 | שׁוֹמֵר | the guarding one |
| H8068 | שָׁמִיר | like a hard-thorn |
| H8104 | שָׁמַר | in their guarding |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8107-01 |
שִׁמֻּרִ֥ים | shimurim | HNcmpa |
of vigils | acts of guarding | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8107-01 |
Exodus 12:42 | שִׁמֻּרִ֥ים | shimurim | HNcmpa |
of vigils | acts of guarding |
H8107-01 |
Exodus 12:42 | שִׁמֻּרִ֛ים | shimurim-2 | HNcmpa |
vigils | acts of guarding |