Word study
Watch
9 Hebrew and 10 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: watch, watching, watched, watches. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “watch” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- שָׁמַר shâmarkeep, watch, preservetranslated this way 25 times of its 461 uses · Strong’s H8104Verb · Translated: keep 133, careful 39, kept 33, guard 25Full study and all 436 verses →
Genesis 28:15 Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Numbers 1:53 But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”
- רָאָה rââhseetranslated this way 14 times of its 1,266 uses · Strong’s H7200Verb · Translated: see 354, saw 285, seen 124, look 45Full study and all 1,181 verses →
Genesis 21:16 Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I cannot bear to watch the boy die!” And as she sat nearby, she lifted up her voice and wept.
Exodus 22:10 If a man gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any other animal to be cared for by his neighbor, but it dies or is injured or stolen while no one is watching,
- חֲזָא chăzâgaze upon, dream, be usualtranslated this way 11 times of its 31 uses · Strong’s H2370Verb · Translated: saw 12, watched 6, see 3, watching 2Full study and all 29 verses →
Daniel 2:31 As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome.
Daniel 2:34 As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.
- עַיִן ayineyetranslated this way 10 times of its 764 uses · Strong’s H5869Noun · Translated: eyes 383, sight 186, eye 38, presence 13Full study and all 731 verses →
Numbers 20:8 “Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”
- צָפָה tsâphâhlook out or about, spy, keep watchtranslated this way 8 times of its 34 uses · Strong’s H6822Verb · Translated: watchman 11, watchmen 5, watch 4Full study and all 33 verses →
Genesis 31:49 It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other.
1 Samuel 4:13 When he arrived, there was Eli, sitting on his chair beside the road and watching, because his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the whole city cried out.
- אַשְׁמֻרָה ashmurâhwatchtranslated this way 7 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s H821Noun · Translated: watch 4, watches of the night 1, watches of night 1, watch of the night 1Full study and all 7 verses →
Exodus 14:24 At morning watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion.
Judges 7:19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands.
- שָׁקַד shâqadwatch, waketranslated this way 6 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s H8245Verb · Translated: watching 3Full study and all 11 verses →
Job 21:32 He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb.
Proverbs 8:34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway.
- שׁוּר shûrbehold, regardtranslated this way 3 times of its 15 uses · Strong’s H7789Verb · Translated: see 4, watch 3, behold 2Full study and all 15 verses →
Numbers 23:9 For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations.
Jeremiah 5:26 For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.
- נָצַר nâtsarwatch, guard, keeptranslated this way 2 times of its 59 uses · Strong’s H5341Verb · Translated: keep 10, guard 9, obey 7, preserve 5Full study and all 58 verses →
Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.
Proverbs 22:12 The LORD’s eyes keep watch over knowledge, but He frustrates the words of the faithless.
Greek words (New Testament)
- γρηγορεύω grēgoreúōI am awake, am vigilant, watchtranslated this way 13 times of its 22 uses · Strong’s G1127Verb · Translated: keep watch 9, alert 3, Watch 3, Wake 2Full study and all 22 verses →
Matthew 24:42 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.
Mark 13:34 It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch.
- ὁράω horáōI see, look upon, experiencetranslated this way 6 times of its 445 uses · Strong’s G3708Verb · Translated: saw 183, see 121, seen 60, appeared 18Full study and all 424 verses →
Matthew 16:6 “Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Mark 8:15 “Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
- βλέπω blépōI look, seetranslated this way 6 times of its 128 uses · Strong’s G991Verb · Translated: see 53, seeing 10, saw 8, sees 6Full study and all 117 verses →
Mark 12:38 In His teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces,
Acts 1:9 After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.
- φυλακή phylakḗa watching, guard, prison, imprisonmenttranslated this way 5 times of its 43 uses · Strong’s G5438Noun · Translated: prison 27, watch 3, jail 3, watch of the night 2Full study and all 43 verses →
Matthew 14:25 During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea.
Mark 6:48 He could see that the disciples were straining to row, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them,
- θεωρέω theōréōI behold, look at, experiencetranslated this way 5 times of its 58 uses · Strong’s G2334Verb · Translated: see 23, saw 16, sees 6, watching 3Full study and all 56 verses →
Matthew 27:55 And many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him.
Mark 12:41 As Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd putting money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts.
- παρατηρέω paratēréōI watchtranslated this way 5 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s G3906Verb · Translated: watching him closely 2, watched 2, watching 1, observing 1Full study and all 6 verses →
Mark 3:2 In order to accuse Jesus, they were watching to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.
Luke 6:7 Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.
- προσέχω proséchōI pay attention to, devote myself totranslated this way 3 times of its 24 uses · Strong’s G4337Verb · Translated: Beware 7, paid close attention 2, devote 2, Watch 2Full study and all 24 verses →
Luke 17:3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.
- ἀγρυπνέω agrypnéōI am awaketranslated this way 2 times of its 4 uses · Strong’s G69Verb · Translated: stay alert 2, keep watch 1, watch 1Full study and all 4 verses →
Luke 21:36 So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account. To this end, allow them to lead with joy and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you.
- σκοπέω skopéōregard attentively, take heedtranslated this way 2 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s G4648Verb · Translated: watch 2, careful 1, fix our eyes 1, look 1Full study and all 6 verses →
Romans 16:17 Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.
Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
- ὀφθαλμοδουλεία ophthalmodouleíaservice rendered only while the master watchestranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s G3787Noun · Translated: watching 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Ephesians 6:6 And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
Colossians 3:22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
What the Bible says about watch: passages by topic →
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.