Quick Definition
φυλακή, ῆς, ἡ n.f. a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Strong's Definition
from 5442; a guarding or (concretely, guard), the act, the person; figuratively, the place, the condition, or (specially), the time (as a division of day or night), literally or figuratively
KJV Usage: cage, hold, (im-)prison(-ment), ward, watch
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, f. | -ῆς | φυλάσσω
7.24 · Constructions · Buildings
jail, prison a place of detention Practically all languages have terms for a jail or a prison, though in some instances a descriptive phrase is employed, ‘a place where people are tied up’ or ‘a place to be chained.’ In some instances, highly idiomatic expressions are used, ‘a place for eating iron’ or ‘a room with rats.’
MAT 5:25 · MAT 14:3 · MAT 14:10 · MAT 18:30 · MAT 25:36 · MAT 25:39 · MAT 25:43 · MAT 25:44 · MRK 6:17 · MRK 6:27 · LUK 3:20 · LUK 12:58 · LUK 21:12 · LUK 22:33 · LUK 23:19 · LUK 23:25 · JHN 3:24 · ACT 5:19 · ACT 5:22 · ACT 5:25 · ACT 8:3 · ACT 12:4 · ACT 12:5 · ACT 12:6 · ACT 12:17 · ACT 16:23 · ACT 16:24 · ACT 16:27 · ACT 16:37 · ACT 16:40 · ACT 22:4 · ACT 26:10 · 2CO 6:5 · 2CO 11:23 · HEB 11:36 · 1PE 3:19 · REV 2:10 · REV 20:7
37.123 · Control, Rule · Guard, Watch Over
guard post, guard station (derivative of φυλάσσω[a] ‘to guard closely,’ 37.120) a place or post for guarding
67.196 · Time · Definite Units of Time: Year, Month, Week, Day, Hour
watch, a fourth of the night one of four periods of time into which the night was divided (during which time certain assigned persons would be on the lookout) In general, φυλακή in the NT refers to one of four periods into which the night was divided, based on the Roman custom of dividing the night into four equal periods or watches. In MAT 24:43 and LUK 12:38, however, it is possible that the reference is to three night watches, as was typical among Hebrews and Greeks.
85.85 · Existence in Space · Dwell, Reside
haunt, lair, dwelling place a place for wild animals and evil spirits to dwell
37.119 · Control, Rule · Guard, Watch Over
Collocation: φυλάσσω φυλακάς
to guard against, to keep under watch, to watch over to be on one’s guard against some eventuality In a number of languages there is a great deal of difference in terminology employed in speaking about guarding an area in order to apprehend someone and guarding a flock of animals for fear of theft from robbers or danger from wild animals.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
φυλακή, -js, ἡ, (φυλάσσω), fr. Hom. down, Sept. for NNW, Ww, 71D (a prison), x52 (enclosure, confinement), guard, watch, i. e. a. in an act. sense, a watching, keeping watch: φυλάσσειν φυλακάς, to keep watch, Lk. ii. 8 (often in the Grk. writ. fr. Xen. an. 2, 6, 10, etc.; Plat. lege. 6 p. 758 ἃ. down; [οἵ. φυλακὰς ἔχειν, ete. fr. Hom. (Il. 9, 1 ete.) on]; often also in Sept. for Το Ww). b. like the Lat. custodia and more freq. the plur. custodiae (see Klotz, Hdwrbch. [or Harpers’ Lat. Dict.] s.v.), iq. persons keeping watch, a guard, sentinels: Acts xii. 10 [here A. V. ward] (and very often in prof. auth. fr. Hom. down). c. of the place where captives are kept, a prison: Mt. xiv. 10; xxy. 36, [39], 43 sq.; Mk. vi. 17, 27 (28); Lk. iii. 20; xxi. 12; xxii.33; Actsv.19, 22; vili.3; xii. ὅ 5α. 17; xvi. 27,40; xxii.4; xxvi. 10; 2 Co. vi. 5 [here, as in ΗΘ}. xi. 36, A. V. imprisonment]; 2 Co. xi. 23; 1 Pet. iii. 19; Rev. xviii. 2 [twice; rendered in A. V. hold and cage (R.V. hold)]; xx. 7, (Hdt. 3, 152; Thue. 3, 34; Plut., al.; Sept. for 77200, 823 ma, and xQ30 m3, Vow); βάλλειν or τιθέναι τινὰ εἰς (τ.) φυλακήν or ἐν (τῇ) φυλακῇ : Mt. v. 25; xiv. 5 [RG, al. ἀπέθετο] ; xviii. 80: Lk. xii. 58; xxiii. 19, 25; Jn. iii. 24; Acts v. 25; viii. 3 [here παραδιδόναι εἰς b.]; xii. 4; xvi. 23 sq. 37; Rey. ii. 10. ἃ. of the time (of night) during which guard was kept, a watch i.e. the period of time during which a part of the guard were on duty, and at the end of which others relieved them. As the earlier Greeks divided the night commonly into three parts [see L. and S. 5. ν. I. 4], so, previously to the exile, the Israelites also had three watches in a night; subsequently, however, after they became subject to Rome, they adopted the Roman custom of dividing the night into four watches: Mt. xxiv. 43; ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ, τρίτῃ, Lk. xii. 38; τετάρτῃ, Mt. xiv. 25; Mk. vi. 48. Cf. Win. RWB. s.v. Nachtwache; [McC. and S. 8. ν. Night-watch; B. D. s. v. Watches of Night].
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
φυλακή phylakē 47x
a keeping watch, ward, guard, Lk. 2:8; a place of watch, Rev. 18:2; a watch, guard, body of guards, Acts 12:10; ward, custody, imprisonment, 2 Cor. 6:5; 11:23; Heb. 11:36; prison, 1 Pet. 3:19; a place of custody, prison, Mt. 14:10; 25:39, 44; a watch or division, of the night, which in the time of our Savior was divided into watches of three hours each, called ὀψέ, μεσονύκτιον, ἀλεκτοροψωνία and πρωία, or πρωί, Mt. 14:25; 24:43; Mk. 6:48; Lk. 12:38 (2x)
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
φυλακή, -ῆς, ἡ
(< φυλάσσω) [in LXX chiefly for מִשְׁמֶרֶת and cogn. forms, also for כֶּלֶא etc. ;]
actively, a guarding, guard, watch (Hom., Plat., Xen., al.): cogn. acc., φυλάσσειν φυλακάς, to keep watch, Lk 2:8;
of those who keep watch (as also Lat. custodia), a guard; pl., sentinels, a guard (Hom., al.): Ac 12:10;
of the place where persons are kept under guard, a prison (Hdt., Thuc., al.): Mt 14:10, Mk 6:17, Lk 3:20, Ac 5:19, II Co 6:5, I Pe 3:19, Re 18:2, al.;
of the time during which guard was kept by night (Lat. vigilia; Anthol.), a watch: Mt 14:25 24:43, Mk 6:48, Lk 12:38
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
φυλακή. (1) For φυλακή in the general sense of ‘‘ care,” “charge,” of a thing: P Lille I. 78 (iii/B.c.) ἐπιζητήσαντος αὐτοῦ βυβλάριά τινα, ἃ ἐδεδώκειν ἐν φυ(λακῆι) ““1] me réclama de petits livres qu’il m’avait donnés en garde.” (2) ‘‘ watch,” “‘guard”’: P Tebt II. 2827 (late ii/B.c.) a guard declares that he will keep the best watch possible upon other people’s holdings—ov(Aakiv) ἀλ[λο]τρ[{1ὧν κλή(ρων) συντηιρήσιν ἀπὸ τίο]ῦ BeAti<o>rov, /vene 254 (soon after B.C. 200) ὅπως δὲ ἡ χ]ώρα ἡ Μιλησίων καὶ ἸΠριηνέων ἐμ. φυλ[ακῆι καὶ σωτηρίαι ὑπάρχηι. (3) = ‘‘a guard,” i.e. ‘‘persons keeping guard” (Lat. custodia), as in Ac 12: P Giss I. 1915 (ii/A.D.), a sister begs her brother not to face some danger (perhaps connected with the Jewish war) without a guard—pi μόνος τὸν κίνδυνον [ἄνευ] φυλακῆς ὑπόμεινε (/. ὑπόμενε). (4) = “« prison” (Mt 1419, a/.): BGU IV. 1138'8 (B.c. 18) ἀπολείίψ)ομαι τὸν Tlamla(v) ἐκ τῆς φυλακῇ(ς), P Oxy 11. 25948 (a.p. 23), a declaration τῷ τεταγμένῳ πρὸς τῇ τοῦ Διὸς φυλακῇ, ““ἴο the governor of the prison of Zeus,” by the surety for a man who had been arrested for debt that he will restore ὃν ἐνγεγύημαι . . ἐκ [τ]ῆς πολιτικῆς φυλα[κ]ῆς “the man whom I bailed out of the public prison,” P Giss 1. 8418 (A.D. 83) ᾿Ασκλᾶν els τὴν φυλακὴν παρ[α]δοθῆναι (cf. Ac 88), PSI VII. 8327 (v/a.p.) εἰς τὴν δημοσίαν φυλακήν. (5) the time during which a watch was kept, as in Mt 248s al.: P Petr 11. 45.1:18 (B.c. 246) (= Chrest. I. p. 5) πρώτης φυλακῆς ἀρχομένης. For the subst. φυλακία cf. P Oxy XVI. 1627}" (A.D. 342) an appointment eis φυλακίαν ἱεροῦ Θοηρίου, ‘to the guarding of the temple of Thoéris.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
φυλακή (phulakē) — prison/watch: prison. φῠλᾰκ-ή, ἡ, (φύλαξ) watching or guarding, especially by night, φυλακῆς μνήσασθε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; φυλακὰς ἔχειν keep watch and ward, [Refs]; φ. κατέχειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φυλακὴ ἔχει αὐτόν watching engages him, variant in [Refs 8th c.BC+] tell an unarmed man to stand on the defensive, i.e. to give commands that cannot be obeyed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὅπως ἀφανὴς εἴη ἡ φ. that there might be nothing visible to watch, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φυλακὰς φυλάξειν keep watch and ward, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φυλακὰς καταστήσασθαι, κατασκευάσασθαι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. watch or guard, of persons, [NT+5th c.BC+]; φ. τοῦ σώματος a body guard, [Refs 5th c.BC+], etc.; garrison of a place or fortress, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ ἐν τῇ Ναυπάκτῳ φ., of a squadron of ships, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. b the rank of φύλακες, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
3. station, post, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Διὸς φ., [Refs 4th c.BC+] name for the centre of the universe, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
4. of time, a watch of the night, ἐπεὰν τῆς νυκτὸς ἦ δευτέρη φ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πρώτης φ. ἀρχομένης Wilcken [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; φυλακαῖσι νυκτέροισιν [Refs 5th c.BC+]: of these there were three, accusative to [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but five are mentioned in [Refs 7th c.BC+]; and the Roman division was four, [NT]
5. place for keeping others in, ward, prison, δημοσία φ. [NT+1st c.BC+]; πολιτικὴ φ. the town-prison, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
6. Astrology texts ={ταπείνωμα}, [Refs]
II. guarding, keeping, preserving, whether for security or custody, ἐν φυλακῇ ἔχειν τινά [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸν Ἰσθμὸν ἔχειν ἐν φ. to keep the Isthmus guarded or occupied, [Refs]; τὸν ἠνείκαντο γλώσσης χαρακτῆρα τοῦτον ἔχειν ἐν φ. to preserve the same character of language, [Refs 6th c.BC+]; στόματος φυλακᾷ κατασχεῖν φθόγγον probably in [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἐν φ. σχεθέμεν μεγάλᾳ be very ware of, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φυλακὴν ἔχειν, ={φυλάττεσθαι}, keep guard, be on the watch, περί τινα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φ. ἔχειν μή.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φ. λαμβάνειν μή.. [Refs 4th c.BC+]; δεινῶς ἦσαν ἐν φυλακῇσι were straitly on their guard, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2. custody of property, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.3. safeguard, τὴν μεγίστην φ. ἀνῄρηκε τῆς πόλεως its chief safeguard, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δημοκρατίας, μοναρχίας φ., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. (from middle) precaution, πολλῆς φ. ἔργον [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.2. with genitive, precaution against, εὐλάβεια φ. κακοῦ [Refs 5th c.BC+]
φυλακή (phulakē) — prison/watch: watch. φῠλᾰκ-ή, ἡ, (φύλαξ) watching or guarding, especially by night, φυλακῆς μνήσασθε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; φυλακὰς ἔχειν keep watch and ward, [Refs]; φ. κατέχειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φυλακὴ ἔχει αὐτόν watching engages him, variant in [Refs 8th c.BC+] tell an unarmed man to stand on the defensive, i.e. to give commands that cannot be obeyed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὅπως ἀφανὴς εἴη ἡ φ. that there might be nothing visible to watch, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φυλακὰς φυλάξειν keep watch and ward, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φυλακὰς καταστήσασθαι, κατασκευάσασθαι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. watch or guard, of persons, [NT+5th c.BC+]; φ. τοῦ σώματος a body guard, [Refs 5th c.BC+], etc.; garrison of a place or fortress, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ ἐν τῇ Ναυπάκτῳ φ., of a squadron of ships, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. b the rank of φύλακες, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
3. station, post, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Διὸς φ., [Refs 4th c.BC+] name for the centre of the universe, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
4. of time, a watch of the night, ἐπεὰν τῆς νυκτὸς ἦ δευτέρη φ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πρώτης φ. ἀρχομένης Wilcken [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; φυλακαῖσι νυκτέροισιν [Refs 5th c.BC+]: of these there were three, accusative to [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but five are mentioned in [Refs 7th c.BC+]; and the Roman division was four, [NT]
5. place for keeping others in, ward, prison, δημοσία φ. [NT+1st c.BC+]; πολιτικὴ φ. the town-prison, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
6. Astrology texts ={ταπείνωμα}, [Refs]
II. guarding, keeping, preserving, whether for security or custody, ἐν φυλακῇ ἔχειν τινά [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸν Ἰσθμὸν ἔχειν ἐν φ. to keep the Isthmus guarded or occupied, [Refs]; τὸν ἠνείκαντο γλώσσης χαρακτῆρα τοῦτον ἔχειν ἐν φ. to preserve the same character of language, [Refs 6th c.BC+]; στόματος φυλακᾷ κατασχεῖν φθόγγον probably in [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἐν φ. σχεθέμεν μεγάλᾳ be very ware of, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φυλακὴν ἔχειν, ={φυλάττεσθαι}, keep guard, be on the watch, περί τινα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φ. ἔχειν μή.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φ. λαμβάνειν μή.. [Refs 4th c.BC+]; δεινῶς ἦσαν ἐν φυλακῇσι were straitly on their guard, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2. custody of property, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.3. safeguard, τὴν μεγίστην φ. ἀνῄρηκε τῆς πόλεως its chief safeguard, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δημοκρατίας, μοναρχίας φ., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. (from middle) precaution, πολλῆς φ. ἔργον [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.2. with genitive, precaution against, εὐλάβεια φ. κακοῦ [Refs 5th c.BC+]