Lexical Summary
mishmereth: Guard, charge, duty, watch, obligation, service
Original Word:מִשְׁמֶרֶת
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:mishmereth
Pronunciation:mish-meh'-reth
Phonetic Spelling:(mish-mer'-reth)
KJV: charge, keep, or to be kept, office, ordinace, safeguard, ward, watch
NASB:charge, duties, kept, obligation, obligations, watch, duty
Word Origin:[fem. ofH4929 (מִשׁמָר - guard)]
1. a watch, i.e. the act of custody
2. (concretely) the sentry, the post
3. (objectively) preservation, or (concretely) safe
4. (figuratively) observance
5. (figuratively, abstractly) duty
6. (figuratively, objectively) a usage or party
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
charge, keep, or to be kept, office, ordinance, safeguard, ward, watch
Fem. Ofmishmar; watch, i.e. The act (custody), or (concr.) The sentry, the post; obj. Preservation, or (concr.) Safe; fig. Observance, i.e. (abstr.) Duty or (obj.) A usage or party -- charge, keep, or to be kept, office, ordinace, safeguard, ward, watch.
see HEBREWmishmar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfem. of
mishmarDefinitiona guard, watch, charge, function
NASB Translationallegiance (1), charge (27), duties (15), duty (2), guard post (2), guard* (1), guards (2), keep (1), keep* (1), kept (5), obligation (4), obligations (4), offices (1), posts (1), safe (1), service (2), service divisions (1), watch (4), worship (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
78 , also ; — absolute
2 Samuel 20:3 +, construct
2 Kings 11:5 +; absolute
Exodus 16:34; suffix
Genesis 26:5 +, etc.; plural
1 Chronicles 9:23 +; construct
Nehemiah 7:3; suffix -2Chronicles 7:6 +, -2Chronicles 31:17; —
guard, watch:2 Samuel 20:3 =house of detention, confinement;1 Samuel 22:23 i.e. protected, secure; withkeep the watch2 Kings 11:5,6,7;1 Chronicles 12:30 (van d. H. v.1 Chronicles 12:29); =post of watch (figurative)Isaiah 21:3 ("" ),Habakkuk 2:1 ("" ); plural =guardsNehemiah 7:3;1 Chronicles 9:23.
keeping, preserving,Exodus 12:6 i.e. ye shall keep it;Exodus 16:23; compareExodus 16:32;Exodus 16:33;Exodus 16:34;Numbers 19:9 (all P).
charge, injunction of , with , in GeneralDeuteronomy 11:1 ( + , , ), compareGenesis 26:5;1 Kings 2:3, and ( )Joshua 22:3 (all RD),Malachi 3:14; of specific injunctionsLeviticus 18:30;Numbers 9:19,23.
office orfunction (AV RV usuallycharge) of priest or Levite (P [especially Numbers],Ezekiel 40;Ezekiel 44;Ezekiel 48; Chronicles, Zechariah), mostly with :Numbers 1:53,Numbers 31:30,47,Ezekiel 44:15;Numbers 3:38,Numbers 18:4 compareNumbers 18:3,1 Chronicles 23:32,Numbers 3:28,32;Numbers 18:5;1 Chronicles 23:32, (of Israel in General)Ezekiel 44:8,Numbers 18:5;Ezekiel 40:46,Numbers 18:8,Ezekiel 40:45;Ezekiel 44:14,Nehemiah 12:45; with Genitive (suffix) =perform the service imposed by, due to,Leviticus 8:35;Leviticus 22:9;Ezekiel 44:8,16;Ezekiel 48:11;Zechariah 3:7,Nehemiah 12:45 (of Judah in General);Numbers 3:7 a,Numbers 3:8,38,Numbers 3:25; compareNumbers 3:7a.,Numbers 3:31,36;Numbers 4:27,28,31,32;Numbers 18:3;1 Chronicles 23:32; also, in secular sense,1 Chronicles 12:30;Numbers 4:31,Numbers 4:32 (Numbers 4:27 read with Di Gr Gray, etc. for , and perhaps after , compareNumbers 4:32);1 Chronicles 9:27 i.e. the duty rested upon them; —1 Chronicles 25:8;1 Chronicles 26:12 see I.
(p. 769 above); 2Chronicles 7:6 were standingaccording to (orin)their offices, appointto their offices2Chronicles 8:14; 35:2.
divisions for serviceNehemiah 12:9.
II. (√ of following; compare Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew, also verb denominative; ; meaning of √ and relation (if any) o I. obscure; compare possibly Arabic
be tawny, dark, in colour, Lane1425a).
Topical Lexicon
Definition and ScopeThe Hebrew noun מִשְׁמֶרֶת (mishmeret, Strong 4931) denotes a trust that has been placed under someone’s care. It can describe a sacred charge, a personal or corporate duty, an assigned watch, or the custody of persons or objects. Although the contexts vary, the underlying idea is always that of stewardship under divine authority.
Overview of Occurrences
Approximately seventy-eight times the word is found across the Old Testament. Nearly half appear in the Pentateuch, especially in Leviticus and Numbers, where priestly service and ritual observance dominate. The Chronicler employs the term in describing orderly temple ministries, and Ezekiel uses it to portray both the failure and restoration of priestly responsibility. Narrative passages (for example in Jeremiah) expand the sense to include physical custody or confinement.
Divine Charge within the Covenant
From the outset mishmeret links obedience to covenant blessing.Genesis 26:5 records that Abraham “kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws,” highlighting the concept of whole-life fidelity. Later, when the wilderness generation paused beneath the cloud, “the Israelites would keep the LORD’s charge and would not set out” (Numbers 9:19).Leviticus 8:35 solemnly warns Aaron and his sons to “keep the LORD’s charge so that you will not die,” thus binding priestly longevity to careful observance. Covenant life is therefore safeguarded by accepting God-given responsibilities as sacred trusts.
Priestly and Levitical Oversight
Mishmeret becomes a technical term for tabernacle and temple service:
•Numbers 3:7-8 describes the Levites who “shall perform the duties” of the tabernacle.
•Numbers 18:5 insists, “You yourselves are to perform the duties of the sanctuary,” lest wrath fall upon Israel.
•1 Chronicles 23:32 summarizes David’s arrangements: “So they were responsible to minister before the dwelling place of the LORD … and to fulfill their duties according to all the statutes prescribed for them.”
•Nehemiah 12:45 notes that post-exilic priests and Levites “performed the service of their God and the service of purification,” consciously recovering the ancient mishmeret.
These occurrences underscore that worship is not casual but regulated stewardship, guarding both doctrine and practice.
Custody of Sacred Objects
The same term covers the guarding of holy furnishings and treasuries:
•Numbers 1:53 commands the Levites to “camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there will be no wrath on the congregation.”
•1 Chronicles 26:20-28 narrates how certain Levites managed treasuries and dedicated gifts.
•2 Chronicles 23:6 restricts all others from entering the house of the LORD, “but the priests and ministering Levites may enter; they are holy, and all the people are to keep the charge of the LORD.”
Protecting what belongs to God is itself a form of worship.
Guarding Life and Liberty
Mishmeret can also refer to a guardroom or holding place:
•Jeremiah 37:21 records that King Zedekiah “put him in the courtyard of the guard,” a location literally called a mishmeret.
•Jeremiah 33:5 speaks of houses “filled with the bodies of the men whom I will slay in My anger,” after they had been set as a mishmeret in warfare.
In these passages the word bears a more secular sense, yet even here stewardship and accountability remain central.
Military and Civic Watches
While mishmar (Strong 4929) is the usual word for time-bound watches, mishmeret occasionally overlaps by describing organized guarding forces (for example2 Chronicles 23:19). The semantic proximity reminds readers that whether a priest in the sanctuary or a sentinel on the wall, each stands under orders.
Prophetic Usage
Ezekiel, writing during exile, exposes Israel’s failure to maintain the holy charge yet promises renewal:
•Ezekiel 44:14: unfaithful Levites are demoted but still “appointed to keep charge of the temple—every kind of work that is to be done in it.”
•Ezekiel 40:45-46 and 48:11 show the sons of Zadok rewarded for having “kept charge” of the sanctuary when others went astray.
Thus mishmeret becomes a lens through which both judgment and hope are viewed.
Spiritual Application for the Church
Although the term is Hebrew and cultic, its principle is timeless. Paul writes, “Guard what has been entrusted to you” (1 Timothy 6:20), echoing the Old Testament call to faithful custody. Pastors, elders, parents, and every believer are stewards of revealed truth, spiritual gifts, and gospel witness. Mishmeret therefore invites modern servants to vigilance, purity, and perseverance.
Christ as the Fulfillment of the Holy Charge
Jesus embodies perfect stewardship. He testifies, “I have kept them in Your name” (John 17:12), mirroring the Old Testament vocabulary of keeping charge. As Great High Priest He fulfills every mishmeret, and through His indwelling Spirit enables the church to do likewise (Hebrews 3:6).
Key References
Genesis 26:5;Exodus 12:17;Leviticus 8:35;Numbers 1:53;Numbers 3:7-8;Numbers 9:19-23;Numbers 18:5;Deuteronomy 11:1;1 Chronicles 9:23;1 Chronicles 23:32;2 Chronicles 23:6;Nehemiah 12:45;Jeremiah 37:21;Ezekiel 40:45-46;Ezekiel 44:14.
Theological Insights
• Mishmeret stresses that divine privilege is inseparable from divine responsibility.
• Sacred trust is communal: Israel as a nation, priests as a class, and believers today all stand under charge.
• Failure to guard what God entrusts invites discipline, yet faithfulness invites multiplication of service (Matthew 25:21).
• The flow of redemptive history moves from the shadow of Levitical duty to the substance of Christ’s finished work, yet the call to vigilant stewardship abides.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמִשְׁמְרֹתָֽם׃ בְּמִשְׁמְרוֹתֵיהֶ֖ם בְּמִשְׁמְרוֹתָ֖ם בְּמִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת במשמרותיהם במשמרותם במשמרת במשמרתם׃ וּמִ֨שְׁמַרְתָּ֔ם וּמִשְׁמֶ֕רֶת וּמִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת וּמִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת וּמִשְׁמֶ֤רֶת וּמִשְׁמַרְתָּ֗ם ומשמרת ומשמרתם לְמִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת לְמִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת לְמִשְׁמֶ֛רֶת לְמִשְׁמֶ֥רֶת לְמִשְׁמָֽרֶת׃ לְמִשְׁמָרֽוֹת׃ למשמרות׃ למשמרת למשמרת׃ מִ֠שְׁמְרוֹתָם מִ֨שְׁמַרְתִּ֔י מִֽשְׁמַרְתְּךָ֔ מִשְׁמְרוֹת֙ מִשְׁמְרוֹתָ֑ם מִשְׁמְרוֹתָ֣ם מִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת מִשְׁמֶ֕רֶת מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת מִשְׁמֶ֗רֶת מִשְׁמֶ֙רֶת֙ מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת ׀ מִשְׁמֶ֤רֶת מִשְׁמֶ֥רֶת מִשְׁמֶרֶת֮ מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֑י מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֔י מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֗י מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֛י מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣י מִשְׁמַרְתִּֽי׃ מִשְׁמַרְתּ֔וֹ מִשְׁמַרְתּ֗וֹ מִשְׁמָר֖וֹת מִשְׁמָר֛וֹת משמרות משמרותם משמרת משמרתו משמרתי משמרתי׃ משמרתך bə·miš·me·reṯ bə·miš·mə·rō·ṯām bə·miš·mə·rō·w·ṯām bə·miš·mə·rō·w·ṯê·hem bemishMeret bemishmeroTam bemishmeroteiHem bəmišmereṯ bəmišmərōṯām bəmišmərōwṯām bəmišmərōwṯêhem lə·miš·mā·reṯ lə·miš·mā·rō·wṯ lə·miš·me·reṯ lemishMaret lemishmaRot lemishMeret ləmišmāreṯ ləmišmārōwṯ ləmišmereṯ miš·mā·rō·wṯ miš·mar·tə·ḵā miš·mar·tî miš·mar·tōw miš·me·reṯ miš·mə·rō·w·ṯām miš·mə·rō·wṯ mishmaRot mishmarteCha mishmarTi mishmarTo mishMeret mishmerOt mishmeroTam Mishmerotom mišmārōwṯ mišmartəḵā mišmartî mišmartōw mišmereṯ mišmərōwṯ mišmərōwṯām ū·miš·mar·tām ū·miš·me·reṯ umishmarTam umishMeret ūmišmartām ūmišmereṯ
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