English · KJV
H821

אַשְׁמֻרָה

ʼashmurâh /ash-moo-raw'/ Ask about this word
Rootor אַשׁמוּרָה · or אַשׁמֹרֶת · (feminine) from שָׁמַר
Meaninga night watch
KJV usagewatch.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼashmurâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʼashmurâh, represented by H821, defines a night watch. Derived from the primitive root H8104 meaning to guard or protect, it appears 7 times in 7 unique verses. This term specifically refers to a division of the night, a period for keeping watch, whether for military vigilance or personal reflection.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H821 marks pivotal moments occurring during the night. It is used to designate the specific timing of military actions, such as Gideon's attack "in the beginning of the middle watch" Judges 7:19 and Saul's assault during the "morning watch" 1 Samuel 11:11. The Lord Himself acts during the "morning watch" to trouble the Egyptian army Exodus 14:24. Beyond warfare, the term signifies periods of deep spiritual activity, including meditating on God Psalms 63:6 and His word Psalms 119:148. It is also used metaphorically to illustrate the brevity of time in God's sight, where a thousand years is like "a watch in the night" Psalms 90:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help frame the context of a night watch:

  • H8104 shâmar: As the root of H821, this word means to guard, protect, or watch. It underscores the core idea of vigilance, whether it is a watchman guarding a city Psalms 127:1 or an individual taking heed of God's word Psalms 119:9.
  • H3915 layil: This word for night is the setting in which a watch H821 takes place. Scripture presents the night as a time for both adversity and deep meditation Joshua 1:8, a context shared with the watches.
  • H1242 bôqer: Meaning morning, this word often specifies the "morning watch" Exodus 14:24 as the final watch of the night. It is associated with God's lovingkindness and faithfulness Psalms 92:2.
  • H7218 rôʼsh: Translated as beginning or head, this term marks the start of a watch, as seen in the phrase "in the beginning of the watches" Lamentations 2:19, signaling a call to urgent prayer.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H821 is tied to its use as a designated time for divine and human action.

  • Divine Timing: The "morning watch" is presented as a time when God intervenes decisively in human affairs, demonstrating His sovereignty over historical events Exodus 14:24.
  • Spiritual Devotion: The "night watches" are portrayed as a special time for intimate communion with God, set apart for meditating on His character Psalms 63:6 and His word Psalms 119:148.
  • God's Eternality: By comparing a thousand years to a mere watch in the night, Scripture uses this term to contrast human temporal limitations with God's infinite and eternal nature Psalms 90:4.
  • Fervent Prayer: In moments of great suffering, the "beginning of the watches" is the appointed time to pour out one's heart to the Lord, highlighting the night as an opportunity for desperate and heartfelt prayer Lamentations 2:19.

Summary

In summary, H821 is more than a simple unit of time. It functions as a framework for understanding key moments of vigilance, divine intervention, and profound spiritual intimacy. From a military sentry's shift to a psalmist's deep meditation, the watch is a recurring biblical motif that marks a specific time set apart for critical action and devotion, reminding believers of God's timely work and the importance of being spiritually alert.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 7 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • אַשְׁמֻרוֹת
  • אַשְׁמוּרָה
  • אַשְׁמֹרֶת

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H8104 שָׁמַר a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.; beward, H3915 לַיִל or (Isaiah 21:11) לֵיל; also לַיְלָה; from the same as לוּל; properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figurati H1242 בֹּקֶר from בָּקַר; properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning; ([phrase]) day, early, morning, morrow. H7218 רֹאשׁ from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in man

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 7 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (3 verses); never once in the other 34.

1
Exodus
1
Judges
1
1 Samuel
3
Psalms
1
Lamentations

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.