The Word of God tells us
He is our protection
and that
He takes care of us.
Psalms 121:5-8 The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. By day the sun will not strike you, nor the moon by night. The LORD will guard you from all evil; he will guard your soul. The LORD will guard your coming and going both now and forever. Nabre KJV NIV NLT NKJV ESV.
Some translations use the word protector,
some say keeper,
some say guardian and others preserver.
This word guardian is one we often use for a person who protects another, or is given legal responsibility over another.
To guard or a guard, a watchman meaning:
someone or something that guards to a legal custodian of a minor or property.![](https://i0.wp.com/www.minimannamoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5-yahweh-your-guardian.png?resize=300%2C78&ssl=1)
Psalm 121:5 The Lord is your Guardian; the Lord is your shadow; [He is] by your right hand. ה יְהֹוָ֥ה שֹֽׁמְרֶ֑ךָ יְהֹוָ֥ה צִ֜לְּךָ֗ עַל־יַ֥ד יְמִינֶֽךָ: 6 By day, the sun will not smite you, nor will the moon at night.
השומר
שומר shomar/shomer guardian
A word used in Hebrew for guardian is Shomer
Strong’s Hebrew: 7763. שׁוֹמֵר (Shomer)
… Σωμηρ; = שֶׁמֶר 2b.
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
Shomer {sho-mare’}; active participle of shamar ; keeper;
Also:
Strong’s Hebrew: 8104. שָׁמַר (shamar) — to keep, watch, preserve
keep (156), keeper (8 ), keepers (2 ), keeping (10), keeps (19), kept
The Hebrew root for the verb protect in the verse is
shamar
which first appears in Genesis 2:15.
This is where Adam was told to tend and shamar/guard the garden. It’s also used in Genesis 17:9 where Adam was instructed to keep His covenant.
Shamar is used over 400 times in the Old Testament/Tanakh and its basic meaning is:
to exercise great care over
to watch over
to guard
to take heed and
to tend or restrain, as a flock of sheep.
Strong’s Hebrew: 7778. שׁוֹעֵר (shoer) — a gatekeeper
… shaar Definition a gatekeeper NASB Translation gatekeeper (2 ), gatekeepers (33), gatekeepers* (1 ), keeper (1 ) .
Brown-Driver-Briggs שֹׁעֵר37 noun masculine porter (denominative from שַׁעַר); — absolute 2Chronicles 31.
guardian noun. guardians. שׁוֹמֵר, מֵגֵן; אַפּוֹטְרוֹפּוּס.
Example sentences of using guardian as a noun:
After the death of her parents, her uncle was appointed as her guardian.
More Hebrew words for guardian.
noun אַפּוֹטרוֹפּוֹס. custodian, bailee.
noun אְפִּיטרוֹפּוּס. administrator, trustee, custodian, executor, procurator.
5The Lord is your Guardian; the Lord is your shadow; [He is] by your right hand.
היְהֹוָ֥ה שֹֽׁמְרֶ֑ךָ יְהֹוָ֥ה צִ֜לְּךָ֗ עַל־יַ֥ד יְמִינֶֽךָ:
7The Lord will guard you from all evil; He will guard your soul. זיְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִשְׁמָרְךָ֥ מִכָּל־רָ֑ע יִ֜שְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ:
8The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from now and to eternity. חיְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִשְׁמָר־צֵֽאתְךָ֥ וּבוֹאֶ֑ךָ מֵֽ֜עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם:
When we read all evil, the Hebrew word for
evil in this passage is ra.
It is a general term which may mean physical harm or personal distress; but more often refers to the immoral or evil actions of others, where evil infers everything that is out of harmony with our Heavenly Father and His kingdom.
In Ps. 121. The Lord who is the maker of heaven and earth
is the One Who will
preserve/shamar the soul/nefesh
of the one who looks to Him for help .
He will guard/shamar that soul and will not slumber,
He will watch over Israel /shamar and will not sleep. He is the keeper shamar of that soul and will both preserve/shamar that one from evil and guard/shamar its life from evil, the Lord God of Israel will guard/shamar that individuals coming and going forever.
The Lord will keep your going out and
your coming inform this time forth
and forevermore.
Ps. 121:8.
In response to Gods precise and caring protection of our lives, we are instructed to likewise guard our hearts and keep them engaged with the Lord.
Proverbs. 4:23
Above all else
guard your hearts
for out of it flow the springs of life.
Tehillim (Psalms) – Chapter 121
1A song for ascents. I shall raise my eyes to the mountains, from where will my help come? |
אשִׁ֗יר לַֽמַּֽ֫עֲל֥וֹת אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֖ינַי אֶל־הֶֽהָרִ֑ים מֵ֜אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי: |
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2My help is from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. |
בעֶזְרִי מֵעִ֣ם יְהֹוָ֑ה עֹ֜שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ: |
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3He will not allow your foot to falter; Your Guardian will not slumber. |
גאַל־יִתֵּ֣ן לַמּ֣וֹט רַגְלֶ֑ךָ אַל־יָ֜נ֗וּם שֹֽׁמְרֶֽךָ: |
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4Behold the Guardian of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. |
דהִנֵּ֚ה לֹ֣א יָ֖נוּם וְלֹ֣א יִישָׁ֑ן שׁ֜וֹמֵ֗ר יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: |
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5The Lord is your Guardian; the Lord is your shadow; [He is] by your right hand. |
היְהֹוָ֥ה שֹֽׁמְרֶ֑ךָ יְהֹוָ֥ה צִ֜לְּךָ֗ עַל־יַ֥ד יְמִינֶֽךָ: |
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6By day, the sun will not smite you, nor will the moon at night. |
ויוֹמָ֗ם הַשֶּׁ֥מֶשׁ לֹֽא־יַ֜כֶּ֗כָּה וְיָרֵ֥חַ בַּלָּֽיְלָה: |
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7The Lord will guard you from all evil; He will guard your soul. |
זיְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִשְׁמָרְךָ֥ מִכָּל־רָ֑ע יִ֜שְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ: |
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8The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from now and to eternity. |
חיְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִשְׁמָר־צֵֽאתְךָ֥ וּבוֹאֶ֑ךָ מֵֽ֜עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם: |