Original Word: אַשְׁמֻרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: ashmurah
Pronunciation: ash-mo-reth
Phonetic Spelling: (ash-moo-raw')
KJV: watch
NASB: watch, watches
Word Origin: [(feminine) from H8104 (שָׁמַר - keep)]

1. a night watch

watch

Or bashmuwrah {ash-moo-raw'}; or -ashmoreth {ash-mo'-reth}; (feminine) from shamar; a night watch -- watch.

see HEBREW shamar

Word Origin
from shamar
Definition
a watch
NASB Translation
watch (4), watches (3).

אַשְׁמוּרָה, אַשְׁמֹ֫רֶת noun feminine watch (division of time); — absolute אַשְׁמוּרָה בֳּלּ֑יְלָה Psalm 90:4; ראֹשׁ אַשְׁמֹרֶת הַתִּיכוֺנָה Judges 7:19; construct אַשְׁמֹרֶת הַבֹּקֶר Exodus 14:24 (J), 1 Samuel 11:11; plural absolute אַשְׁמֻרוֺת Lam 19:19; Psalm 63:7; Psalm 119:148.

Definition and Semantic Range

אַשְׁמֻרָה denotes a “watch,” specifically a defined period of night-time vigilance. In the Hebrew Scriptures it marks either a military guard, the time itself, or a devotional interval in which one remains alert before God.

Historical Context of Night Watches

Ancient Israel originally divided the night into three equal watches (approximately sunset-10 p.m., 10 p.m.–2 a.m., 2 a.m.–sunrise). Under later Near-Eastern and Roman influence a four-watch system arose, but the three-fold pattern is reflected in all seven occurrences of אַשְׁמֻרָה. These segments were crucial for security, strategic warfare, and spiritual discipline, framing the night as a series of appointments with divine oversight.

Survey of Old Testament Usage

Exodus 14:24 – “At morning watch, the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud on the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.”

Judges 7:19 – “Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch… They blew the trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands.”

1 Samuel 11:11 – “The next day Saul separated his troops into three companies, and they rushed into the camp at the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day.”

Psalm 63:6 – “When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night.”

Psalm 90:4 – “For in Your sight a thousand years are but a day that passes, or a watch of the night.”

Psalm 119:148 – “My eyes anticipate the watches of night, that I may meditate on Your word.”

Lamentations 2:19 – “Arise, cry out in the night, from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord.”

Themes of Divine Intervention

1. Deliverance: Both Exodus 14:24 and Judges 7:19 emphasize God’s decisive action during a watch, underscoring that human vulnerability at night invites divine breakthrough.
2. Sovereignty over Time: Psalm 90:4 relativizes human chronology against God’s eternal perspective by equating a millennium with a single watch.
3. Covenant Faithfulness Remembered: Psalm 63:6 and Psalm 119:148 portray the watches as opportunities to recall and meditate on God’s word, fostering intimacy and trust.

Vigilance in Prayer and Worship

Lamentations 2:19 models corporate intercession “from the first watch,” illustrating that earnest prayer often intensifies when daylight distractions cease. The practice of night watches evolved into organized prayer vigils in synagogue and later church tradition, encouraging believers to seek God when physical senses dull and spiritual receptivity heightens.

Implications for Leadership and Warfare

Military narratives (Judges 7; 1 Samuel 11) show that strategic timing within the watches can amplify a smaller force’s effectiveness. Leaders today may glean principles of preparedness, surprise, and dependence on God’s timing.

Prophetic Resonance and New Covenant Reflection

Jesus’ exhortation, “Keep watch” (Matthew 24:42), and His night-long prayer on the Mount of Olives echo the Hebrew concept underlying אַשְׁמֻרָה. The early church practiced similar vigil-style gatherings (Acts 12:5-12). Thus the Old Testament watches prefigure the continual readiness Christ demands of His disciples, anticipating His return “in the second or third watch” (Luke 12:38).

Practical Applications for the Contemporary Church

• Adopt structured night-time prayer watches to intercede for families, congregations, and nations.
• Use the quiet hours for Scripture meditation, following the pattern of Psalm 119:148.
• Encourage spiritual alertness, remembering that God still intervenes in the “morning watch,” turning apparent dead-ends into deliverance.

אַשְׁמֻרָה therefore invites every generation to sanctify the night, align with God’s timetable, and stand watch in faith until dawn breaks.

אַשְׁמֻר֑וֹת אַשְׁמֻר֔וֹת אשמרות בְּ֝אַשְׁמֻר֗וֹת בְּאַשְׁמֹ֣רֶת באשמרות באשמרת הָאַשְׁמֹ֣רֶת האשמרת וְאַשְׁמוּרָ֥ה ואשמורה ’aš·mu·rō·wṯ ’ašmurōwṯ ashmuRot bə’ašmōreṯ bə’ašmurōwṯ bə·’aš·mō·reṯ bə·’aš·mu·rō·wṯ beashMoret beashmuRot hā’ašmōreṯ hā·’aš·mō·reṯ haashMoret veashmuRah wə’ašmūrāh wə·’aš·mū·rāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts