HEBREW WORD STUDY – DILIGENCE – MISHAMAR – משמר  Mem Shin Mem Resh

Proverbs 4:23: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

The word English word diligence is used throughout the Bible in various contexts. There are really four words in Hebrew that carry the English word diligence as one of its meanings. Webster defines diligence as careful and persistent work or effort.  Bible translators have applied a broader view of our English word diligence to express various Hebrew words.  For instance, other meanings to this word diligence is charitsuit which is a diligence, or careful and persistent work with a specific skill.  This would apply to a carpenter who is diligently applying his skills in his trade.  Then you have hatamadah which is being diligent in the sense of enduring.  This would be applied to someone on a difficult journey or performing a difficult task. This would be a diligence or persistence is completing a difficult journey or task. One who is hatamadah would not give up.  Then there is shaqidah, this is a diligence in just doing a good job and performing a task to the best of one’s ability. 

What I want is to understand what it means to diligently establish my heart when it comes to walking with God.   The verse that addresses this is Proverbs 4:23 which tells us to keep our hearts with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.  The issues of life is a reference integrity or morality, that is living a life that is pleasing to God. As I approach these latter years of my time here on earth, it is becoming more important to me than ever to live a life pleasing to God.  The clock is ticking, the sands of time are running and I am becoming more and more frustrated over that nagging feeling that I am not doing all I am supposed to do for the work of God.  I am being diligent – charistsuit in my studies of God’s Word using the skills He has given me.  Many times, however,  I grow tired and weary of study.  I grow discouraged over not seeing the results I earnestly crave in my ministry yet I am still being diligent – hatamadah despite the weariness, despite growing tired of being the good soldier, despite the disappointments, I still press on, I am still hatamadah. Then, I am diligent shaqidah in the performance of the task that God has given me.  I try my best to use my time wisely, to share His Gospel whenever He opens the door.  I seek to be a good and shaqidah diligent worker for God.

But there is one area that I wonder if I am diligent and that is with the matters of my heart.  Am I diligent in keeping my heart.  Is the frustration over not seeing the growth in my ministry that I am hoping and praying for really from my heart?  Is this God prompting me to do something to increase the growth of my ministry or am I really on track but letting my personal desires overrul what God is whispering my heart.  In this I must keep my heart with diligence. What does that mean? The word for keeping is netsar which is a word for a watchman or a guard who stands firm at his post. He is established, firmly fixed.  Netsar seems to be an awful lot like diligence and indeed it could be used for diligence but in context it is more of the idea of standing guard being established over your heart. What is being established over my heart and does that really rule my heart.

The word for diligence here further narrows this down. It is the word mishamar from the root word shamar which means to watch over and to guard. So, you could render this as; “Keep your heart with all keeping.”  Or “watch your heart with all guarding.”  However, this is a Persian or early Arabic word for an eyelid. You eye lid guards your eye.  Yet, it only hinders the eye from seeing when it is in danger such as from dust, bright sunlight or other foreign objects. It is there to service the eye as a protector.  So,who is in charge? The Eye – your heart or the eyelid your mind, intelligence, knowledge and wisdom.  Let’s trace this word a little further in its Semitic origins where we find it is used for a prison guard.  A prison guard controls the life of the prisoner. The prisoner is free to do whatever he likes, so long as it is ok with the guard.  So, in this, it is the eyelid that is in charge. 

As I interpret this verse, it would seem to me to mean that we are to guard, that is netsar, diligently or watch over our hearts with our intellect, knowledge and wisdom. However, our heart the eye will make the final decisions, it will ultimate see what is before it.  However, the eyelid will protect the eye from danger by closing.  So too the heart will make the decisions but you need the eyelid, the mind, the intelligence and wisdom of God to stop your heart if it detects danger.  

I believe what King Solomon the wises man who ever lived is teaching us is a lesson he learned very well, especially in the area of his heart. He followed his heart with many women such as foreign women.  He ignored the warnings of his intelligence and knowledge of law of God which forbid being attached to a foreign woman and that led to much heartache for him and destroyed his relationship with God.  

Listen to your heart but if it is in conflict with the laws of God and the plan of God that you understand from your study of God’s Word let that knowledge be your eyelid and protect you from doing something that is displeasing to God.  If your heart tells you it is pleasing to God and your mind, intellect, intelligence and wisdom tells you it is pleasing to God, then full steam ahead.   

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