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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJames Hastings Dictionary of the Bible: Guard Body-Guard
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GUARD BODY-GUARD.—The former is used in EV [Note: English Version.] almost exclusively for the body-guard of royal and other high-placed personages, such as Nehemiah (Neh_4:22 f.) and Holofernes (Jdt_12:7). ‘Body-guard’ occurs only 1Es_3:4 RV [Note: Revised Version.] of the ‘guard’ (AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ) of Darius. The members of the body-guard of the Pharaoh of Gen_37:35 and of Nebuchadnezzar (2Ki_25:8 etc.) are, in the original style, ‘slaughterers (of animals for food),’ not as RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] ‘executioners.’ Those composing the body-guard of the Hebrew kings, on the other hand, are styled ‘runners’ (1Sa_22:17 RV [Note: Revised Version.] and marg., 2Ki_10:25; 2Ki_11:4 etc.), one of their duties being to run in front of the royal state-chariot (cf. 2Sa_15:1, 1Ki_1:5). In 1Ki_14:28 we hear of a guard-chamber. The office of ‘the captain of the guard’ was at all times one of great dignity and responsibility. David’s body-guard consisted of foreign mercenaries, the Cherethites and Pelethites (see p. 122), commanded by Benaiah (2Sa_20:23 compared with 2Sa_23:23). The famous Prætorian guard of the Roman emperors is mentioned in Php_1:13 RV [Note: Revised Version.] ; also Act_28:16 AV [Note: Authorized Version.] in a passage absent from the best texts and RV [Note: Revised Version.] .
A. R. S. Kennedy.