Reference: WATCHMEN
American
Are of as early a date as cities, robbers, and wars, Ex 14:24; Jg 7:19. Jerusalem and other cities had regular guards night and day, Song 3:1-3; 5:7, to whose hourly cries Isaiah refers in illustration of the vigilance required by God in his ministers, Isa 21:8,11-12; 62:6. At this day the watchmen of Jerusalem "keep not silence," nor do they "hold their peace day nor night;" especially at night and when danger is apprehended, they are required to call to each other every few minutes, and the cry passes from one to another entirely around the city walls. Those of Sidon also do the same. Watchmen always had a station at the gate of a city and in the adjacent tower, 2Sa 18:24-27; 2Ki 9:27; also on hill-tops overlooking a large circuit of terraced vineyards, whence they could "see eye to eye," and "lift up the voice" of warning or of cheer, Isa 52:7-8; and their responsible office, requiring so much vigilance and fidelity, illustrates that of prophets and ministers, Jer 6:17; Eze 33:1-9; Heb 13:17.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And during the morning watch, Yahweh looked down to the Egyptian camp [from] in the column of fire and cloud, and he threw the Egyptian camp into a panic.
So Gideon and the hundred men who [were] with him came to the edge of the camp [at] the beginning of the middle night-watch, when they had just finished setting up the guards, and they blew on the trumpets and smashed the jars that [were] in their hands.
Now David [was] sitting between the two gates, and the sentinel went up to the roof of the gate by the wall and he lifted up his eyes and watched, and look, a man [was] running by himself. The sentry called and told the king, and the king said, "If he [is] alone, good news is in his mouth." {He kept coming closer}. read more. Then the sentinel saw another man running, so the sentinel called to the gatekeeper and said, "Look, a man running alone." The king said, "This one also [is] bringing good news." The sentinel said, "I [am] seeing [that] the running of the first [is] like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zakok." The king said, "He [is] a good man; he will come, for good news."
On my bed in the night, I sought him whom my {heart} loves. I sought him, but I did not find him. Now I will arise, and I will go about in the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my {heart} loves. I sought him, but I did not find him. read more. The sentinels who go about in the city found me. "Have you seen the one whom my {heart} loves?"
The sentinels making rounds in the city found me; they beat me, they wounded me; they took my cloak away from me-- {those sentinels on the walls}!
Then [the] {watchman} called, "Lord, I [am] standing on [the] watchtower continually by day, and I [am] standing at my post {throughout} the night.
The oracle of Dumah: [One is] calling to me from Seir, "Watchman, what {of} [the] night? Watchman, what {of} [the] night?" [The] watchman says, "Morning comes, and also [the] night. If you will inquire, inquire; {come back again}."
How delightful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns as a king." The voices of your watchmen! They lift up [their] voices; together they sing for joy; for they {clearly} see Yahweh's return [to] Zion.
I have appointed watchmen upon your walls, Jerusalem; all day and all night they shall never be silent. You who profess Yahweh have no rest.
And I raised up watchmen over you: 'Listen attentively to [the] sound of a horn.' But they said, 'We will not listen attentively.'
And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying}, "Son of man, speak to {your people}, and you must say to them, 'A land, if I bring over it a sword and the people of the land take a man, one from their number, and they appoint him for them as a watchman, read more. and he sees the sword coming against the land, and he blows on the horn and he warns the people, and {anyone who listens} hears the sound of the horn and {he does not take warning} and [the] sword comes and it takes him, his blood will be on his [own] head. [For] he heard the sound of the horn and he did not take warning; his blood will be on him. But [if] he took warning, he saved his life. And [as for] the watchman, if he sees the sword coming and {he does not blow} the horn, and the people [are] not warned, and [the] sword comes and it takes {their lives}, he will be taken through his guilt, but his blood from the hand of the watchman I will seek.' "And you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; if you hear a word from my mouth, then you must warn them from me. {When I say} to the wicked, 'Wicked [one], you will certainly die,' and you {did not speak} to warn [the] wicked from his way, he, [the] wicked, will die by his guilt, but his blood I will seek from your hand. But, you, if you warn [the] wicked from his way, to turn from it, and {he does not turn} from his way, he will die by his guilt, and you will have saved your life.
Obey your leaders and submit [to them], for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not [with] groaning, for this [would be] unprofitable for you.