gregoreo denotes remaining alert and prepared, whether in prayer, guarding, or awaiting an uncertain arrival.

The attested use consistently concerns sustained alertness rather than sleeping or becoming inattentive: it is commanded while awaiting a master's arrival, in prayer and temptation, amid danger, and in guarding what remains.

1. Remain alert and ready · dominant

   The verb calls for alert readiness in varied situations. In Mark 13:35 the APB renders the command "Keep watch" because the householder's arrival is unknown; in Mark 14:38 it is joined with prayer in relation to temptation, while Luke 12:37 describes slaves found "keeping watch" when their lord comes. Colossians 4:2 places the present active participle within continuing prayer, and 1 Peter 5:8 sets the command alongside sobriety while an opponent seeks someone to swallow.

   Mark 13:35Mark 14:38Luke 12:37Colossians 4:21 Peter 5:8Matthew 24:42

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the clause with "keep watch," and elsewhere uses "watch," "watching," "watchful," or "keep awake." Because the APB is a whole-verse translation, these renderings show the clause's presentation rather than a fixed one-to-one English equivalent.