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Hebrew Old Testament.
:
is found for the first time in the biblical text in Exod.
34:7, where it has the sense of “keeping with faithfulness.” This meaning is usually found
when man is the subject: “keeping” the covenant (Deut. 33:9); “keeping” the law (Ps.
105:45 and 10 times in Ps. 119); “keeping” the rules of parents (Prov. 6:20).
:
is frequently used to express the idea of “guarding” something, such as a
vineyard (Isa. 27:3) or a fortification (Nah. 2:1). “To watch” one’s speech is a frequent
concern, so advice is given “to watch” one’s mouth (Prov. 13:3), the tongue (Ps. 34:13),
and the lips (Ps. 141:3). Many references are made to God as the one who “preserves”
His people from dangers of all kinds (Deut. 32:10; Ps. 31:23). Generally,
is a close
synonym to the much more common verb,
, “to keep, tend.”
Sometimes “to keep” has the meaning of “to besiege,” as in Isa. 1:8, “… as a
besieged city.”
(
, 8104), “to keep, tend, watch over, retain.” This verb occurs in most
Semitic languages (biblical Aramaic attests only a noun formed from this verb). Biblical
Hebrew attests it about 470 times and in every period.
-
means “to keep” in the sense of “tending” and taking care of. So God put
Adam “into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Gen. 2:15—the first
occurrence). In 2 Kings 22:14 Harhas is called “keeper of the wardrobe” (the priest’s
garments). Satan was directed “to keep,” or “to tend” (so as not to allow it to be
destroyed) Job’s life: “Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life” (Job 2:6). In this
same sense God is described as the keeper of Israel (Ps. 121:4).
The word also means “to keep” in the sense of “watching over” or giving attention to.
David, ironically chiding Abner for not protecting Saul, says: “Art not thou a valiant
man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the
king?” (1 Sam. 26:15). In extended application this emphasis comes to mean “to watch,
observe”: “And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli [was
watching] her mouth” (1 Sam. 1:12). Another extended use of the verb related to this
emphasis appears in covenantal contexts. In such cases “keep” means “to watch over” in
the sense of seeing that one observes the covenant, keeping one to a covenant. God says
of Abraham: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after
him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment …” (Gen.
18:19). As God had said earlier, “Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy
seed after thee in their generations” (Gen. 17:9). When used in close connection with
another verb,
can signify carefully or watchfully doing that action: “And he
answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my
mouth?” (Num. 23:12). Not only does
signify watching, but it signifies doing it
(
in the sense of fulfilling a responsibility: “And the spies saw a man come
forth out of the city …” (Judg. 1:24).
In a third group of passages this verb means “to keep” in the sense of saving or
“retaining.” When Jacob told his family about his dream, “his brethren envied him; but
his father observed the saying” (Gen. 37:11); he “retained” it mentally. Joseph tells
Pharaoh to appoint overseers to gather food: “And let them … lay up corn under the hand