Bible Dictionaries
Keeping

　　KEEPING.—The Englishτηρέω (and its compounds φυλάσσω (and its compound ἔχω (and its compounds κρατέω, φυλάσσω with their respective compounds, and for a discussion of the difference in meaning between them the reader is referred to Grimm-Thayer’s Gr. Lex., and Westcott’s St. John (note on John 8:51).

　　1. Two common usages of the word have to be noticed first. (a) It is=exercise watchful care. The participle translationτηρέω) as is rendered ‘watch’ in Matthew 27:36 ‘and they sat and watched him there’ (Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885συντηρέω), which is used to describe the action of putting ‘new wine into new bottles’—‘both are preserved,’ i.e. properly cared for (Matthew 9:17). And the same compound occurs again in the passage in Mk. (Mark 6:20), where it is said that Herod ‘observed’ (Authorized Versionφυλάσσοντες φυλακάς) by night over their flocks’ (Luke 2:8); ‘It is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep (Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885τηρέω) the good wine until now’ (John 2:10).

　　Retention (ἑσίγησαν) about the things they had seen on the Mount], the two most striking contexts in which the word is used with this meaning are found in Luke’s Gospel. When the shepherds made known concerning the saying which had been spoken to them about the child in Bethlehem, ‘all that heard it wondered.… But Mary kept (ἄγω, Authorized Versionτηρέω) it against the day of my burying’ (John 12:7 Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885τηρέω) not the Sabbath’ (John 9:16).

　　4. But ‘keep’ has the more precise meanings of: (a) believe, in such passages as ‘Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep (φυλάσσω) from my youth up’ (Matthew 19:20 Authorized Version ; λόγος (sing, or plur. ‘word’ or ‘words’) and τηρέω) them in the Father’s name, and guarded (φυλάσσω) it unto life eternal’ Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885