Guard Body-Guard
Guard Body-Guard
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. Davids 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 Prtorian 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.