φυλακτήριον, φυλακτηριου, τό (neuter of the adjective φυλακτηριος, φυλακτήρια, φυλακτήριον, from φυλακτήρ (`poetic for φύλαξ')); 1. a fortified place provided with a garrison, a station for a guard or garrison. 2. a preservative or safeguard, an amulet: Demosthenes, p. 71, 24; Dioscorides (?) 5, 158f (159f), often in Plutarch. The Jews gave the name of φυλακτήρια (in the Talm. ϊΐΜτΔμΔΜιο, prayer-fillets, German Gebetsriemen; (cf. O. T. 'frontlets')) to small strips of parchment on which were written the following passages from the law of Moses, Exo_13:1-16; Deu_6:4-9; Deu_11:13-21, and which, enclosed in little cases, they were accustomed when engaged in prayer to wear fastened by a leather strap to the forehead and to the left arm over against the heart, in order that they might thus be solemnly reminded of the duty of keeping the commands of God in the head and in the heart, according to the directions given in Exo_13:16; Deu_6:8; Deu_11:18; (cf. Josephus, Antiquities 4, 8, 13). These scrolls were thought to have power, like amulets, to avert various evils and to drive away demons (Targ. on Son_8:3); hence, their Greek name. (But see Ginsburg in Alex.'s Kitto, see under the words, Phylacteries (under the end) and Mezuza.) The Pharisees were accustomed τά φυλακτήρια αὐτῶν πλατύνειν, to widen, make broad, their phylacteries, that they might render them more conspicuous and show themselves to be more eager than the majority to be reminded of God's law: Mat_23:5. Cf. Winers RWB, under the word Phylakterien; Leyrer in Herzog xi., 639ff; Kneucker in Schenkel 1:601f; Delitzsch in Riehm 270f; (Edersheim, Jewish Social Life etc., p. 220ff; B. D. under the word Frontlets; especially Hamburger, Real-Encycl., under the word Tephillin, vol. ii, p. 1203f; Ginsburg in Alex.'s Kitto as above).

φυλακτήριον phylaktērion 1x the station of a guard or watch; a preservative, safeguard; hence, a phylactery or amulet, worn about the person; from which circumstance the word is used in the NT as a term for the Jewish Tephillin or prayer-case, which took their rise from the injunction in Deu_6:8 ; Deu_11:18 ; Mat_23:5

* φυλακτήριον , -ου , τό , 1. an outpost, fortification ( Thuc ., al. ). 2. a safeguard ( Plat .). 3. an amulet ( Plut ., al. ); in NT for the Talmudic ϊΜΐτΔμΜΔιο , a prayer fillet, a phylactery , a small strip of parchment on which portions of the law were written and worn on the forehead and next the heart ( cf. Exo_13:16 ): Mat_23:5 .†

φυλακτήριον [page 678] lit. a guarded post or fortification, came to be used by the Jews as a technical term for the prayer-fillet, a strip of parchment inscribed with portions of the Law, and worn as an amulet or protective-mark on the forehead or next the heart, as in Mat. 23:5 : cf. the golden φυλακτήρια worn by the kings of Egypt, OGIS 90 .45 (Rosetta stone B.C. 196) ἐπιθεῖναι δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ περὶ τὰς βασιλείας τετραγώνου κατὰ τὸ προειρημένον βασίλειον φυλακτήρια χρυ [σᾶ , to place on the square surface round the crowns, beside the afore-mentioned crown, golden phylacteries (Mahaffy). Other exx. of the word are P Leid W xviii. 2 (ii/iii A.D.) (= II. p. 143) τὸ γὰρ ὄνομα σοῦ ἔχω ε φυλακτήριων ( l. ἔχω ὡς φυλακτήριον ) ἐν καρδίᾳ τῇ ἐμῇ , xx. 24 ἐν τὸ ἀργύρῳ πετάλου ( l. ἐν τῷ ἀργύρου πετάλῳ ) τὰ ζ̄ ( sc. vocales), πρὸς τὸν φυλκτήρον ( l. τὸ φυλακτήριον ), and P Lond 121 .298 (iii/A.D.) (=1. p. 94) φυλακτήρια λέων a spell for the times when the moon is in the several signs of the Zodiac. See also Deissmann BS , p. 352

φυλακτήριον φυ^λακτήριον, ου, τό, [Etym: φυλάσσω] "a guarded post, a fort or castle", Hdt. : "an outpost", Lat. statio, Thuc. , Xen. "a safe-guard, preservative", Dem. ; among the Jews φυλακτήρια were strips of parchment with texts from the Law written on them, used as "amulets", NTest.

φυλακτήριον, -ου, τό __1. an outpost, fortification (Thuc., al.). __2. a safeguard (Plat.). __3. an amulet (Plut., al.); in NT for the Talmudic תְּפִלִּין, a prayer fillet, a phylactery, a small strip of parchment on which portions of the law were written and worn on the forehead and next the heart (cf. Exo.13:16): Mat.23:5.† (AS)