נָצַר
nâtsar · naw-tsar'
to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.)
Lexicon
Derivation: a primitive root;
to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.)
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: besieged, hidden thing, keep(-er, -ing), monument, observe, preserve(-r), subtil, watcher(-man).
Letters
- נNun50
Picture: a sprouting seed, or a fish in water
- Concrete
- seed · sprout · fish · offspring
- Extended
- life · continuation · heir · to perpetuate
- צTsade90
Picture: a person lying on their side (or a fish hook)
- Concrete
- hook · trail · side · a man bowed
- Extended
- to hunt · to pursue · need · righteousness as a straight path
- רResh200
Picture: a human head
- Concrete
- head · face · person
- Extended
- first · top · beginning · chief · the highest
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
the seed, life continuing › to pursue the straight path › the head, the highest
The seed, life continuing that works to pursue the straight path of the head, the highest.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of נָצַר above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
63 occurrences · 63 OT · 0 NT · 52 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- keep9 · 20%
- preserve7 · 16%
- of the watchmen2 · 5%
- thou shalt preserve2 · 5%
- and i shall keep2 · 5%
- he that keepeth2 · 5%
- whoso keepeth2 · 5%
- keeping1 · 2%
- him, he kept1 · 2%
- and kept1 · 2%
- unto thee, o thou preserver1 · 2%
- that the keeper1 · 2%
- unto such as keep1 · 2%
- preserveth1 · 2%
- which may preserve1 · 2%
- but keep1 · 2%
- and keep1 · 2%
- are they that keep1 · 2%
- for i have kept1 · 2%
- this i had, because i kept1 · 2%
- against me: but i will keep1 · 2%
- because i keep1 · 2%
- for i will keep1 · 2%
- i will keep1 · 2%
- he keepeth1 · 2%
Where it is used, by book.
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.