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δεσμωτήριον

desmōtḗrion

G1201 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A place where individuals are kept under restraint, specifically a prison, jail, or dungeon; generally denotes a physical space designed to secure and confine detainees. In biblical usage, highlights the status of those being held, whether under accusation, pending trial, or punitive detention. In certain contexts, can connote an underground or fortified holding cell (dungeon).

Semantic Range

prison, jail, dungeon, place of confinement, holding cell

Root / Etymology

From δεσμωτής (prisoner) or δεσμός (bond, chain), related to δέω (to bind); with the suffix -τήριον denoting a place connected to the action. Thus, δεσμωτήριον = 'place of bonds,' i.e. prison.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Earliest attestations are in late Classical and Hellenistic Greek, but the term is especially prevalent in the Septuagint and New Testament, where it simply means 'prison' or 'jail.' In earlier classical Greek, other terms such as φυλακή or σωφρονιστήριον could be used for places of detention, with δεσμωτήριον emerging as a technical term for prison. In Roman Judea and the broader Hellenistic world, legal systems often involved formal prisons, though holding cells (especially underground or heavily secured ones) were common. English 'dungeon' can capture the sense of an especially fortified or oppressive prison, but standard translations as 'prison' or 'jail' are generally adequate. The semantic nuance is thus context-dependent: a general prison or, in some narratives, an especially harsh or secure one. The word is distinct from φυλακή, which can also mean 'watch' or 'guard,' though in context both may refer to places of custody.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a derivative of δεσμόν (equivalent to δεσμέω); a place of bondage, i.e. a dungeon:--prison.

Root Family

δεσμ- (desmeúō) — to bind, to fasten, to tie

Root δεσμ- to bind, to imprison, to restrain
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G1195 δεσμεύω binding
G1196 δεσμέω
G1197 δέσμη bundles
G1198 δέσμιος bound ones
G1199 δεσμόν binding bonds

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1201-02 δεσμωτήριον desmoterion N ACC N SG prison place of bonds place of bonds 2
G1201-01 δεσμωτηρίῳ desmoterio N DAT N SG prison in a prison prison 1
G1201-03 δεσμωτηρίου desmoteriou N GEN N SG prison of the place of bonds prison 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1201-01 Matthew 11:2 δεσμωτηρίῳ desmoterio N DAT N SG prison in a prison prison
G1201-02 Acts 5:21 δεσμωτήριον desmoterion N ACC N SG prison place of bonds place of bonds
G1201-02 Acts 5:23 δεσμωτήριον desmoterion N ACC N SG prison place of bonds prison
G1201-03 Acts 16:26 δεσμωτηρίου desmoteriou N GEN N SG prison of the place of bonds prison
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