Lexical Definition

‎מִשְׁמָר‎ mishmâr (mish-mawr') custody ^H:N-M
from ‎שָׁמַר‎

diligence, guard, office, prison, ward, watch.

• a guard (the man, the post or the prison)
• a deposit (figuratively)
• also (as observed) a usage (abstractly), or an example (concretely)

1) place of confinement, prison, guard, jail, guard post, watch, observance
1a) jail, prison, guard-house
1b) guard, guard post, act of guarding
1c) observances

See Greek: ἐφημερία

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מִשְׁמָר‎ noun [masculine] place of confinement, goal, prison; late, guard, watch, observance; — absolute ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Gen 42:17 +; construct ‎מִשְׁמַר‎ Gen 40:3 +; suffix ‎מִשְׁמָרוֺ‎ Neh 7:3, etc.; plural suffix ‎רָיו‎- Neh 13:14 —

1. goal, prison, ‎בֵּית שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Gen 40:3, compare vGen 40:4 (absolute), vGen 40:7; Gen 41:10; Gen 42:17 (absolute), + vGen 42:30 (ᵐ5), ‎בֵּית מִשְׁמַרְכֶם‎ vGen 42:19 (all E); guard-house in camp Lev 24:12 (H), Num 15:34 (P).

2. guard, Jer 51:12; Neh 4:3*; Neh 4:16*, ‎׳‎‎אַנְשֵׁי הַמּ‎ v.Neh 4:17* guard&-post Neh 7:3 figurative of ‎׳‎‎י‎ setting a guard, ‎׳‎‎כִּי תָשִׂים עָלַימ‎ Job 7:12 band of (Levitical) guards or functionaries 1Chr 26:16; Neh 12:24 (compare ‎מִשְׁמֶרֶת‎); act of guarding, ‎׳‎‎מִכָּלמֿ‎ Prov 4:23 above all guarding watch thy heart. — ‎׳‎‎לְמ‎ Ezek 38:7 is doubtful, Hi Co Toy and others reserve; Krae ‎לְמשֵׁל‎.

3. plural observances, services, of temple Neh 13:14.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References