1. Tabbach', טִבָּח, originally signified a "cook;" and as butchering fell to the lot of the cook in Eastern countries, it gained the secondary sense of "executioner," and is applied to the body-guard of the kings of Egypt (Genesis 37:36) and Babylon (2 Kings 25:8; Jeremiah 39:9; Jeremiah 40:1; Daniel 2:14). So Potiphar, the master of Joseph, was captain of Pharaoh's body-guard, i.e. chief executioner (Genesis 39:1; Genesis 41:10; Genesis 41:12). In Egypt he had a public prison in his house (Genesis 9:3-4). It is evident from Herodotus (ii, 165 sq.) that the kings of Egypt had a guard who, in addition to the regular income of the soldier, also received a separate salary. In the paintings of marches and battles on the monuments, these royal guards are commonly seen to be employed in protecting the person of the king, and are distinguished by peculiar dresses and weapons (Wilkinson, i, 337, 406). During the reign of the Ptolemies, who in general adhered to the usages of the ancient Egyptians, the office of the commander of the body-guard was a very important one. They possessed the confidence of the king, and were often employed in the most important business transactions. Finally, the super. intendence of the executions belonged to the most distinguished caste. In Babylon, Nebuzaradan, who held this office, commanded also a part of the royal army (Jeremiah 39:13; Jeremiah 52:15). (See EXECUTIONER).

2. Rats, רָוֹ, properly means a courier, and is the ordinary term employed for the attendants of the Jewish kings, whose office it was to run before the chariot (2 Samuel 15:1; 1 Kings 1:5), like the cursores of the Roman emperors (Seneca, Epist. 87, 126). That the Jewish "runners" superadded the ordinary duties of a military guard appears from several passages (1 Samuel 22:17; 2 Kings 10:25; 2 Kings 11:6; 2 Chronicles 12:10). It was their office also to carry dispatches (2 Chronicles 30:6). They had a guard- room set apart for their use in the king's palace, in which their arms were kept ready for use (1 Kings 14:28; 2 Chronicles 12:11). (See FOOTMAN). They were perhaps the same who, under David, were called Pelethites (1 Kings 1:5; 1 Kings 14:27; 2 Samuel 15:1). (See PELETHITE).

3. The terms mishm'reth, מִשְׁמֶרֶת, and mishmair' מִשְׁמָר, express properly the act of watching, or else a watch-station, but are occasionally transferred to the persons who kept watch (Nehemiah 4:9; Nehemiah 4:22; Nehemiah 7:3; Nehemiah 12:9; Job 7:12). The A.V. is probably correct in substituting mishmarto' מִשְׁמִרְתּוֹ for the present reading in 2 Samuel 23:23, Benaiah being appointed "captain of the guard," as Josephus (Ant. 7:14, 4) relates, and not privy councillor: the same error has crept into the text in 1 Samuel 22:14, where the words "which goeth at thy bidding" may originally have been "captain of the body-guard." (See CAPTAIN).

In New-Test. times we find the σπεκουλάτερ , for the Latin spiculator (rendered "executioner," margin guard, Mark 6:27), properly a pike- man, halberdier, a kind of soldiers forming the body-guard of kings and princes, who also, according to Oriental custom, acted as executioners. The term κουστωδία, for the Latin custodia, i.e. custody, a "watch" or guard, is spoken of the Roman soldiers at the sepulchre of Jesus (Matthew 27:65-66; Matthew 28:11). The ordinary Roman guard consisted of four soldiers (τετράδιον, "quaternion"), of which there were four, corresponding to the four watches of the night, who relieved each other every three hours (Acts 12:4; comp. John 19:23; Polyb. 6:33, 7). When in charge of a prisoner, two watched outside of the cell while the other two were inside (Acts 12:6). The officer mentioned in Acts 28:16 στρατοπεδάρχης , " captain of the guard") was perhaps the commander of the Praetorian troops, to whose care prisoners from the provinces were usually consigned (Pliny, Ep.x, 65). (See WATCH).

Bibliography Information
McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'GUARD.'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/g/guard.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.

Bible Encyclopedias GUARD.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

Bible Encyclopedias
GUARD.