Beware

Beware - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

BEWA'RE, v.i.

1. Literally, to restrain or guard one's self from. Hence, to regard with caution; to restrain one's self from anything that may be dangerous, injurious or improper; to avoid; to take care; followed by of before the thing that is to be avoided.

Beware of all, but more beware of man.

Beware of false prophets; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees; beware of the concision.

2. To have a special regard to.

Behold, I send an angel before thee--beware of him, and obey his voice. Exo 23.

[This is unusual and hardly legitimate.]

This word though here admitted as a verb, from the Saxon,is rarely used as a verb in fact; or if a verb, is now never used except in the imperative mode It is a compound of be and the Old Eng. ware, now wary. Be wary of danger. Hence it cannot be used with did, like a regular verb, nor with be, in any of its inflections, he is beware; for this would be to use the substantive verb twice before ware and wary, is and be. Ben Jonson however has used the word in the third person. He bewares to act. But it has no past tense or participle, and therefore, if admitted as a verb, it is defective,and used only in the imperative mode, or after an auxiliary.

We must beware of excess.

Guard - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

(1.) Heb. tabbah (properly a "cook," and in a secondary sense "executioner," because this office fell to the lot of the cook in Eastern countries), the bodyguard of the kings of Egypt (Gen. 37:36) and Babylon (2 Kings 25:8; Jer. 40:1; Dan. 2:14).

(2.) Heb. rats, properly a "courier," one whose office was to run before the king's chariot (2 Sam. 15:1; 1 Kings 1:5). The couriers were also military guards (1 Sam. 22:17; 2 Kings 10:25). They were probably the same who under David were called Pelethites (1 Kings 14:27; 2 Sam. 15:1).

(3.) Heb. mishmereth, one who watches (Neh. 4:22), or a watch-station (7:3; 12:9; Job 7:12).

In the New Testament (Mark 6:27) the Authorized Version renders the Greek spekulator by "executioner," earlier English versions by "hangman," the Revised Version by "soldier of his guard." The word properly means a "pikeman" or "halberdier," of whom the bodyguard of kings and princes was composed. In Matt. 27:65, 66; 28:11, the Authorized Version renders the Greek kustodia by "watch," and the Revised Version by "guard," the Roman guard, which consisted of four soldiers, who were relieved every three hours (Acts 12:4). The "captain of the guard" mentioned Acts 28:16 was the commander of the Praetorian troops, whose duty it was to receive and take charge of all prisoners from the provinces.

Guard - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

GUARD, v.t. gard. [L. verus; wahren, to keep, to last, to hold out; bewahren, to keep or preserve; bewahren, to verify, to confirm; Eng. ware, aware;]

1. To secure against injury, loss or attack; to protect; to defend; to keep in safety. We guard a city by walls and forts. A harbor is guarded by ships, booms or batteries. Innocence should be guarded by prudence and piety. Let observation and experience guard us against temptations to vice.

2. To secure against objections or the attacks of malevolence.

Homer has guarded every circumstance with caution.

3. To accompany and protect; to accompany for protection; as, to guard a general on a journey; to guard the baggage of an army.

4. To adorn with lists, laces or ornaments.

5. To gird; to fasten by binding.

GUARD, v.i. To watch by way of caution or defense; to be cautions; to be in a state of defense or safety. Guard against mistakes, or against temptations.

GUARD, n. [Eng. ward.]

1. Defense; preservation or security against injury, loss or attack.

2. That which secures against attack or injury; that which defends. Modesty is the guard of innocence.

3. A man or body of men occupied in preserving a person or place from attack or injury; he or they whose business is to defend, or to prevent attack or surprise. Kings have their guards to secure their persons. Joseph was sold to Potiphar, a captain of Pharaoh's guard.

4. A state of caution or vigilance; or the act of observing what passes in order to prevent surprise or attack; care; attention; watch; heed. Be on your guard. Temerity puts a man off his guard.

5. That which secures against objections or censure; caution of expression.

They have expressed themselves with as few guards and restrictions as I.

6. Part of the hilt of a sword, which protects the hand.

7. In fencing, a posture of defense.

8. An ornamental lace,hem or boarder.

Advanced guard,

Van guard, In military affairs, a body of troops, either horse or foot, that march before an army or division, to prevent surprise, or give notice of danger.

Rear guard, a body of troops that march in the rear of an army or division, for its protection.

Life guard, a body of select troops, whose duty is to defend the person of a prince or other officer.

GUARD'-BOAT, n. A boat appointed to row the rounds among ships of war in a harbor, to observe that their officers keep a good look-out.

GUARD'-CHAMBER, n. A guard-room. 1 Ki 14.

Watch - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

WATCH, n. [It is from the same root as wake, which see.]

1. Forbearance of sleep.

2. Attendance without sleep.

All the long night their mournful watch they keep.

3. Attention; close observation. Keep watch of the suspicious man.

4. Guard; vigilance for keeping or protecting against danger.

He kept both watch and ward.

5. A watchman, or watchmen; men set for a guard, either one person or more, set to espy the approach of an enemy or other danger, and to give an alarm or notice of such danger; a sentinel; a guard. He kept a watch at the gate.

Ye have a watch; go your way, make it as sure as ye can. Mat 27.

6. The place where a guard is kept.

He upbraids I ago, that he made him brave me upon the watch.

7. Post or office of a watchman.

As I did stand my watch upon the hill--

8. A period of the night, in which one person or one set of persons stand as sentinels; or the time from one relief of sentinels to another. This period among the Israelites, seems to have been originally four hours, but was afterwards three hours, and there were four watches during the night. Hence we read in Scripture of the morning watch, and of the second, third and fourth watch; the evening watch commencing at six oclock, the second at nine, the third at twelve, and the fourth at three in the morning. Exo 14. Mat 14. Luke 12.

9. A small time piece or chronometer, to be carried in the pocket or about the person, in which the machinery is moved by a spring.

10. At sea, the space of time during which one set or division of the crew remain on deck to perform the necessary duties. This is different in different nations.

To be on the watch, to be looking steadily for some event.

WATCH, v.i.

1. To be awake; to be or continue without sleep.

I have two nights watchd with you.

2. To be attentive; to look with attention or steadiness. Watch and see when the man passes.

3. To look with expectation.

My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning. Psa 130.

4. To keep guard; to act as sentinel; to look for danger.

He gave signal to the minister that watchd.

5. To be attentive; to be vigilant in preparation for an event or trial, the time of whose arrival is uncertain.

Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Mat 24.

6. To be insidiously attentive; as, to watch for an opportunity to injure another.

7. To attend on the sick during the night; as, to watch with a man in a fever.

To watch over, to be cautiously observant of; to inspect, superintend and guard from error and danger. It is our duty constantly to watch over our own conduct and that of our children.

WATCH, v.t.

1. To guard; to have in keeping.

Flaming ministers watch and tend their charge.

2. To observe in ambush; to lie in wait for.

Saul also sent messengers to Davids house to watch him, and to slay him. 1 Sam 19.

3. To tend; to guard.

Paris watched the flocks in the groves of Ida.

4. To observe in order to detect or prevent, or for some particular purpose; as, to watch a suspected person; to watch the progress of a bill in the legislature.

gard:

(1) sar ha-Tabbachim, "captain of the guard," literally, "slaughterers" (Ge 37:36; 39:1; 40:3,1; 41:10,12); rabh Tabbachim (2Ki 25:8,11,20; Jer 39:9, etc.); rabh tabbachayyah (Da 2:14); ratsim, "guard," the King James Version "footmen" (1Sa 22:17); sare ha-ratsim, "chief of the guard" the King James Version "captains of the guard" (1Ki 14:27); ta' ha-ratsim, "guard-chamber" (1Ki 14:28; compare Eze 40:21, etc., where "lodges" are "guardrooms"; see A.B. Davidson at the place).

(2) mishmar, "guard," a defense to a point of danger (Ne 4:22 f; Eze 38:7).

(3) mishma`ath, "guard" (2Sa 23:23, where the American Revised Version, margin and the Revised Version, margin have "council," the body over which Benaiah was set by David and whose functions were perhaps those of consultation)

(4) spekoulator, "guard" (Mr 6:27, "a man of Herod's guard," where, as in one or two other cases, Mark, writing for Romans, simply transliterates the Latin speculator "a scout," "an executioner," as in loc.).

(5) stratopedarches, "captain of the guard" the King James Version, "captain of the praetorian guard" the Revised Version, margin, Ac 28:16. See CAPTAIN.

(6) (koustodia), "watch" the King James Version, "guard" the American Standard Revised Version and the Revised Version (British and American) (Mt 27:65,66; 28:11).

1. Royal Body-Guard:

An oriental monarch's body-guard consisted of picked men attached to his person and ready to fulfill his pleasure in important and confidential concerns. At the courts of Egypt and Babylon the members of the guard were known as "slaughterers," "executioners" (Ge 37:36 King James Version margin, the American Revised Version, margin and the Revised Version, margin, where Potiphar is called their captain); 2Ki 25:8, where Nebuzaradan is called their captain (King James Version margin "chief marshal"). Whether it had ever been the function of the body-guard to kill meat for the royal table there is little directly to show; that they acted as executioners can be well understood. In Israel they were known as "the footmen" (1Sa 22:17 the King James Version, the American Revised Version, margin and the Revised Version, margin "runners") who acted as royal messengers or couriers from the time of Saul onward (2Ki 10:25; 11:6); and this designation connects them with the couriers of the kings of Persia (Es 3:13,15; 8:14, where our versions render "posts," though the Hebrew is ratsim).

2. Composed of Foreigners:

The men of the royal body-guard were usually foreigners like the janissaries of oriental monarchs down to modern times, who prefer to have around their persons warriors uninfluenced by family connection with the people of the land. Rameses II had such a body-guard whose commanders ranked with the great officers of the crown (Maspero, Struggle of the Nations, 766). David's body-guard of 600, known also as the gibborim or "mighty men," consisted of Cherethites, Pelethites, and Gittites (2Sa 15:18; 20:23), and we read of Carites (2Ki 11:19), who may have been Carians or Cretans, as forming part of the guard at the coronation of King Jehoash.

3. Connection with the Temple:

That this guard had duties in connection with the temple as well as the king's house seems clear. That they were employed as slaughterers of the sacrifices before the Levites were entrusted with the office is unlikely, inasmuch as this guard is not said to have been composed of "slaughterers" but of "runners." But they accompanied King Rehoboam when he visited the temple (1Ki 14:28), and to their captains were committed the shields of brass which took the place of the shields of gold which Solomon had hung up in the temple; Jehoiada employed their captains to put Athaliah to death and to exterminate the worshippers of Baal who had fled to the temple precincts (2Ki 11:4); the temple gate leading to the palace was called "the gate of the guard" (2Ki 11:19). At this time, and for this occasion, at least, the royal body-guard were the temple guards; and when Ezekiel drew up his plans for the temple which he conceived to replace the temple destroyed by Nebuchadrezzar, the "lodges" or "little chambers" were rooms for the accommodation of the temple guard (Eze 40:7,10,21,33, etc.).

LITERATURE.

Robertson Smith, OTJC, 262, and note.

T. Nicol.

woch ('ashmurah, 'ashmoreth; phulake): A division of the night. The night was originally divided into three watches (Jud 7:19), but later into four, as we find in the New Testament (Mt 14:25; Mr 6:48). We do not know the limits of the watches in the first division, but the middle watch probably began two hours before midnight and ended two hours after. The fourfold division was according to the Roman system, each of which was a fourth part of the night.

See TIME.

"Watch" is also the guard placed on watch (mishmar, Ne 4:9; koustodia, from Latin custodia, Mt 27:65,66; 28:11). It sometimes refers to the act of watching, as in 2Ki 11:6,7 (mishmereth); Lu 2:8 (phulake).

"Watch" is also used figuratively, as in Ps 141:3 for restraint: "Set a watch, O Yahweh, before my mouth" (shomrah).

See WARD.

H. Porter

Definition

The term “watch” means to look at something very closely and carefully. It also has several figurative meanings. A “watchman” was someone whose job was to guard a city by looking carefully all around him for any danger or threat to the people in the city.

• The command to “watch your life and doctrine closely” means to be careful to live wisely and to not believe false teachings.
• To “watch out” is a warning to be careful to avoid a danger or harmful influence.
• To “watch” or “keep watch” means to always be alert and on guard against sin and evil. It can also mean to “be ready.”
• To “keep watch over” or “keep close watch” can mean to guard, protect or take care of someone or something.
• Other ways of translating “watch” could include “pay close attention to” or “be diligent” or “be very careful” or “be on guard.”
• Other words for “watchman” are “sentry” or “guard.”

Bible References

• 1 Thessalonians 5:6
• Hebrews 13:17
• Jeremiah 31:4-6
• Mark 8:15
• Mark 13:33-34
• Matthew 25:10-13

Word Data

• Strong’s: H0821, H2370, H4929, H4931, H5027, H5341, H6486, H6822, H6836, H6974, H7462, H7789, H7919, H8104, H8108, H8245, G00690, G09910, G11270, G14920, G23340, G28920, G35250, G37080, G39060, G43370, G46480, G50830, G54380