Bible Word Study
שִׁמְרָת
Shimrâth · Shimrath, an Israelite
שִׁמְרָת
Shimrath, an Israelite
Definition
Shimrath is a proper noun referring to a specific individual in the Old Testament, an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin. The name itself means 'guardship' or 'protection,' derived from the Hebrew root for 'to guard' or 'to keep.' He is listed as a son of Shimei in the genealogy of the Benjamites recorded in 1 Chronicles 8:21. As a personal name, it carries the meaning of its root, likely expressing a hope or characteristic of divine or familial protection.
Biblical Usage
The word Shimrath is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 8:21. Its usage is strictly as a personal name within a genealogical list detailing the descendants of Benjamin. It appears in the context of post-exilic record-keeping, which aimed to preserve the lineage and identity of the tribes of Israel.
Etymology
Shimrath is a proper name derived from the Hebrew root שָׁמַר (shamar, H8104), which means 'to keep, guard, observe, or preserve.' The name is formed with a common noun ending (-ath), giving it the sense of 'guardship,' 'a guarding,' or 'that which is guarded.' It is related to other names like Shemariah, which also incorporate this root of protection.
Semantic Range
While the name Shimrath itself is not theologically loaded, its etymological root (shamar) is profoundly significant. This root is central to concepts of God's covenantal faithfulness in 'keeping' His promises (Deuteronomy 7:9) and His people's responsibility to 'keep' His commandments (Deuteronomy 6:17). Understanding that this personal name means 'protection' can enrich the reading of the genealogy, reminding the reader that individual identities within Israel's story were often tied to core theological concepts of God's guarding care. In ancient Israelite culture, personal names were often descriptive or theophoric (containing a divine name), conveying a meaning, a hope, or an attribute. A name like Shimrath ('guardship') likely reflected the parents' prayer or declaration for their child's safety and divine protection. This differs from many modern naming conventions where sound or family tradition may be prioritized over literal meaning. Shemariah (shemaryah, H8114) — A more common theophoric name meaning 'Yahweh has kept' or 'whom Yahweh guards.'
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]