2 Samuel 23:23 - "... And David set him over his bodyguard."

2 Kings 25:8 - "In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month - which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem."

The term "bodyguard" means exactly what it says. This is a person who is employed to "guard the body," that is, to protect another person, usually a sovereign, or, today, a head of state. However, very wealthy persons also employed bodyguards on occasion, just as today we can hire one if we wish.

Look in the yellow pages of your telephone directory, and you’ll find many listings for guards. You have your pick of residence security guards, sporting event guards, payroll escort guards, men in motorcycles, men in cars, men with dogs - you name it, you have it through making a simple telephone call.

Or, perhaps, you are more inclined to associate the bodyguard with the present-day Secret Service agent. And that fits too. I don’t suppose any of us will ever forget the pictures taken when President Kennedy was shot in Dallas. Remember the actions of the Secret Service man who made himself a target to prevent any more bullets from striking the Presidential party? That is truly being a bodyguard!

In biblical times, these men were usually soldiers, who were singled out because of their good height, great strength, agility, and/or military prowess.

Actually, scholars are not sure of the organization of the bodyguard during the monarchy, because it seems to have been a flexible affair. But Saul’s (and, later, David’s) personal bodyguard is called the mishma’ ath, meaning, literally, "those who obey, who answer the call." So it would seem to have been on a personal choice basis.

David himself was captain of Saul’s bodyguard, as well as being personal bodyguard to Achish, king of Gath. In 1 Chronicles 11:25 we read that Benaiah ben Jehoida was one of David’s thirty "mighty warriors" and head of his bodyguard. Potiphar was head of Pharaoh’s bodyguard, and, as our second text tells us, we have mention of Babylonian bodyguards.

In reading Jeremiah 32:2, we gather that Zedekiah had a special body- or palace-guard, in whose quarters Jeremiah was prisoned for a while.

So you see, while it is necessary for men to fear men, while violence and hatred exist in the world, it will be necessary for men to be protected. It isn’t always possible - the action of the Secret Service man was too late - but the necessity exists. How wonderful it would be to live in a world where bodyguards would be an anachronism!