נִשְׁמַ֜ר
𐤍𐤔𐤌𐤓
shâmar
was on guard
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.
2 Samuel 20:10 · Word #3
Lexicon H8104
| Lemma | שָׁמַר |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤔𐤌𐤓 |
| Transliteration | shâmar |
| Strong's | H8104 |
| 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. |
Morphology HVNp3ms
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state |
| Binyan | N — Niphal — Simple passive or reflexive |
| Conjugation | p — Perfect — Completed action |
| Person | 3 — 3rd person — Third person ("he/she/they") |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
Common Translation
| Phrase | was on guard |
SIBI-P1 Translation H8104-22
was guarded
| Morphological Notes | Verb; Niphal stem (passive/reflexive); perfect conjugation; 3rd person masculine singular. |
| Rendering Rationale | The Niphal stem conveys a passive or reflexive sense of the root שמר. As a 3rd masculine singular perfect, it denotes that he/it was acted upon—thus "was guarded," preserving the core sense of protective oversight inherent in the root. |
View full lexicon entry for H8104 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
was on guard
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Context is reflexive/passive—he was not watching out/on guard. 'Was on guard' reflects the context better than 'was guarded'. |