What does נָצַר (natsar) mean in the Bible?
נָצַר (natsar): Protective vigilance that ranges from righteous obedience to God's law to concealment and deception
Hebrew · H5341
נָצַר
To guard , in a good sense (to protect , maintain , obey , etc.) or a bad one (to conceal , etc.)
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נָצַר H5341
Pronunciation natsar
What does נָצַר (natsar) mean in the Bible?
נָצַר (natsar): Protective vigilance that ranges from righteous obedience to God's law to concealment and deception
Full entry for נָצַר (H5341) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5341?
The BSB source-word alignment has 61 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Keep (4), preserve (3), . . . (2), Guard (2), He who guards (2).
Where does נָצַר (natsar) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 34:7. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (24), Proverbs (18), Isaiah (8), 2 Kings (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It Keep 4× Psalms 34:13, Psalms 119:69, Proverbs 3:1, Proverbs 6:20
preserve 3× Psalms 64:1, Proverbs 3:21, Proverbs 20:28
. . . 2× 2 Kings 17:9, Ezekiel 6:12
Guard 2× Proverbs 4:23, Nahum 2:1
He who guards 2× Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 16:17
I obey 2× Psalms 119:56, Psalms 119:100
I will keep you 2× Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 49:8
that I may obey 2× Psalms 119:34, Psalms 119:115
A besieging army 1× Jeremiah 4:16
am its keeper 1× Isaiah 27:3
and cunning 1× Proverbs 7:10
and I will keep [them] 1× Psalms 119:33
and maintained 1× Deuteronomy 33:9
and obey 1× Psalms 105:45
and she will guard you 1× Proverbs 4:6
are those who keep 1× Psalms 119:2
besieged 1× Isaiah 1:8
but keeping 1× Psalms 78:7
by a watchman 1× Job 27:18
Guard it 1× Proverbs 4:13
guard me 1× Psalms 40:11
guards 1× Proverbs 13:6
He guarded him 1× Deuteronomy 32:10
hidden things 1× Isaiah 48:6
I guard it 1× Isaiah 27:3
I have kept 1× Psalms 119:22
I will obey 1× Psalms 119:145
in secret places 1× Isaiah 65:4
Keep me safe 1× Psalms 140:4
keep watch 1× Psalms 141:3
keep watch over 1× Proverbs 22:12
keeps 1× Proverbs 28:7
maintaining 1× Exodus 34:7
may preserve 1× Proverbs 5:2
O watcher 1× Job 7:20
obey them 1× Psalms 119:129
preserve me 1× Psalms 25:21
preserves 1× Psalms 31:23
Protect me 1× Psalms 140:1
to guard 1× Proverbs 2:8
to guard him 1× Psalms 61:7
to those who keep 1× Psalms 25:10
watchtower 1× 2 Kings 18:8
when watchmen 1× Jeremiah 31:6
who guards 1× Proverbs 24:12
Whoever tends 1× Proverbs 27:18
will guard you 1× Proverbs 2:11
You protect me 1× Psalms 32:7
You will forever guard us 1× Psalms 12:7
You will keep 1× Isaiah 26:3
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 34:7 נֹצֵ֥ר to maintaining Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Deuteronomy 32:10 יִצְּרֶ֖נְהוּ to He guarded him Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 33:9 יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃ to and maintained Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 2 Kings 17:9 נוֹצְרִ֖ים to . . . Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 2 Kings 18:8 נוֹצְרִ֖ים to watchtower Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural Job 7:20 נֹצֵ֪ר to O watcher Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct Job 27:18 נֹצֵֽר׃ to by a watchman Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Psalms 12:7 תִּצְּרֶ֓נּוּ׀ to You will forever guard us Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Psalms 25:10 לְנֹצְרֵ֥י to to those who keep Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct Psalms 25:21 יִצְּר֑וּנִי to preserve me Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | first person common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 34:7
Aligned rows 61
Books represented 10
Exodus 1 Deuteronomy 2 2 Kings 2 Job 2 Psalms 24 Proverbs 18 Isaiah 8 Jeremiah 2 Ezekiel 1 Nahum 1
Source forms
יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃ 3x yin·ṣō·rū Deuteronomy 33:9, Psalms 78:7, Proverbs 5:2
נְצֹ֣ר 3x nə·ṣōr Psalms 34:13, Proverbs 4:23, Proverbs 6:20
נֹצֵ֣ר 3x nō·ṣêr Psalms 31:23, Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 27:18
נָצָֽרְתִּי׃ 3x nā·ṣā·rə·tî Psalms 119:22, Psalms 119:56, Psalms 119:100
וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗ 2x wə·’eṣ·ṣā·rə·ḵā Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 49:8
נוֹצְרִ֖ים 2x nō·wṣ·rîm 2 Kings 17:9, 2 Kings 18:8
נֹצֵ֥ר 2x nō·ṣêr Exodus 34:7, Proverbs 16:17
אֱצֹּ֬ר 1x ’ĕṣ·ṣōr Psalms 119:69
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 7x Exodus 34:7, Job 27:18, Psalms 31:23, Proverbs 13:3
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 5x Deuteronomy 33:9, Psalms 78:7, Psalms 105:45, Proverbs 5:2
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular 4x Psalms 34:13, Proverbs 3:21, Proverbs 4:23, Proverbs 6:20
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 4x 2 Kings 17:9, 2 Kings 18:8, Jeremiah 4:16, Jeremiah 31:6
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular 3x Psalms 32:7, Psalms 140:1, Psalms 140:4
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular 3x Psalms 119:22, Psalms 119:56, Psalms 119:100
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular 2x Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 49:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular 2x Psalms 119:34, Psalms 119:115
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Protective vigilance that ranges from righteous obedience to God's law to concealment and deception
Strong's H5341
Lexical occurrences 63 verses Word forms 1 form 35 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Proverbs 4:20-27 Source Gloss
to guard , in a good sense (to protect , maintain , obey , etc.) or a bad one (to conceal , etc.)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Protective vigilance that ranges from righteous obedience to God's law to concealment and deception
to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.) BDB: watch Usage: besieged, hidden thing, keep(-er, -ing), monument, observe, preserve(-r), subtil, watcher(-man).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 35
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 35×
Participle active 2Kgs 17:9 · 2Kgs 18:8 · Exod 34:7 · Jer 4:16 · Jer 31:6 · Job 7:20 · Job 27:18 · Prov 13:3 · Prov 16:17 · Prov 27:18 · Prov 28:7 · Ps 31:24 · Ps 119:2 13×
Imperfect Deut 33:9 · Prov 5:2 · Prov 20:28 · Ps 78:7 · Ps 105:45 · Isa 26:3 · Ps 64:2 · Prov 13:6 · Ps 119:69 9×
Sequential imperfect Prov 3:21 · Prov 4:23 · Prov 6:20 · Ps 34:14 4×
Perfect Ps 119:22 · Ps 119:56 · Ps 119:100 · Prov 22:12 4×
Jussive Prov 3:1 · Prov 23:26 2×
Participle passive Isa 1:8 1×
Infinitive absolute Nah 2:2 1×
Cohortative Ps 119:145 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to watch over or protect carefully
Showing 1 selected witness from 63 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
נָצַר is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
The command emphasizes vigilant protection of one's inner life. Proverbs 4:20-27
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain