φυλακή (G5438) — Greek Lexicon

φυλακή

phylakḗ

G5438 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An act or process of guarding, watch, or protection; also, a place where guarding occurs (such as a prison or enclosure); by extension, a watch or guard (the person on duty), or a period of time during which a watch is kept (watch of the day or night). Used both for literal guarding and for metaphorical states of being kept, confined, or under guard.

Semantic Range

guarding, guarding action, a guard post, watchman, a period of watch, place of being guarded (prison, enclosure), condition of being guarded or imprisoned, watch of the night or day, metaphorical states of confinement or custody

Root / Etymology

From the root φυλακ-, related to the verb φυλάσσω (‘to guard, watch, keep’). The noun form denotes the action, place, or condition associated with guarding. No evidence for non-Greek origin; it is native Greek formation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, φυλακή originally referred to the act of guarding, a post for sentries, or the persons engaged in guarding. By the Hellenistic period, its semantic range broadened to include places where prisoners are kept (prison, cell), the condition of being under guard (imprisonment), and designated time intervals for guards (watch of the night or day). In the Septuagint, φυλακή translates various Hebrew terms for guard-post, custody, or watch, sometimes for periods of time (such as the night watches). In the New Testament, it can refer to a literal prison or jail, a period of time (watch of the night), or the state of being imprisoned. English translations sometimes narrow φυλακή to 'prison,' but its broader uses include temporal, spatial, and personal aspects of guarding. In some contexts (e.g., Revelation), it can refer figuratively to a place of confinement or a symbolic condition of being held. There is overlap with terms like δεσμωτήριον ('prison house'), but φυλακή emphasizes the aspect of guarding or watching over, more than solely the detention itself.

Translation Consistency

primary "prison" 38 occurrences

Most common natural rendering across occurrences (24 of 45) and fits the primary concrete sense — a place or condition of being guarded or confined. 'Prison' is a simple, natural English noun that will consistently cover the enclosure/imprisonment senses in contexts where φύλακή denotes a guarded place or custody; rarer senses (watch, period, guard-post) can be handled by context-specific qualifiers rather than varying the base word.

Alternatives (7 occurrences):

"watch" (4x) "watches" (1x) "guard post" (1x) "imprisonments" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from φυλάσσω; 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:--cage, hold, (im-)prison(-ment), ward, watch.

Root Family

φυλακή (phylakē) — guarding, watch, guard post, place of confinement, custody

Root φυλακ- to guard, to watch, to keep under surveillance

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G5438-03`	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison	19
`G5438-04`	φυλακὴν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison	15
`G5438-05`	φυλακῆς	phulakes	`N GEN F SG`	prison	of guarding	prison	6
`G5438-02`	φυλακὰς	phulakas	`N ACC F PL`	prisons	watches	prisons	3
`G5438-01`	φυλακαῖς	phulakais	`N DAT F PL`	prisons	to places of guarding	to prisons	3

Occurrences in Scripture

46 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G5438-04`	Matthew 5:25	φυλακὴν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison
`G5438-03`	Matthew 14:3	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison
`G5438-03`	Matthew 14:10	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison
`G5438-03`	Matthew 14:25	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	watch	guarding-place	watch
`G5438-04`	Matthew 18:30	φυλακὴν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison
`G5438-03`	Matthew 24:43	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	watch	guarding-place	watch
`G5438-03`	Matthew 25:36	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	to the prison
`G5438-03`	Matthew 25:39	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	to the prison
`G5438-03`	Matthew 25:43	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	to the prison
`G5438-03`	Matthew 25:44	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison
`G5438-03`	Mark 6:17	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison
`G5438-03`	Mark 6:27	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison
`G5438-04`	Mark 6:48	φυλακὴν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	watch	a place of guarding	watch
`G5438-02`	Luke 2:8	φυλακὰς	phulakas	`N ACC F PL`	watches	watches	watches
`G5438-03`	Luke 3:20	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison
`G5438-03`	Luke 12:38	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	watch	guarding-place	watch
`G5438-04`	Luke 12:58	φυλακήν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison
`G5438-02`	Luke 21:12	φυλακάς	phulakas	`N ACC F PL`	prisons	watches	prisons
`G5438-04`	Luke 22:33	φυλακὴν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison
`G5438-03`	Luke 23:19	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison
`G5438-04`	Luke 23:25	φυλακὴν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison
`G5438-04`	John 3:24	φυλακὴν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison
`G5438-05`	Acts 5:19	φυλακῆς	phulakes	`N GEN F SG`	prison	of guarding	prison
`G5438-03`	Acts 5:22	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	to the prison
`G5438-03`	Acts 5:25	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison
`G5438-04`	Acts 8:3	φυλακήν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison
`G5438-04`	Acts 12:4	φυλακήν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison
`G5438-03`	Acts 12:5	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison
`G5438-04`	Acts 12:6	φυλακήν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison
`G5438-04`	Acts 12:10	φυλακὴν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	guard	a place of guarding	guard post
`G5438-05`	Acts 12:17	φυλακῆς	phulakes	`N GEN F SG`	prison	of guarding	prison
`G5438-04`	Acts 16:23	φυλακήν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison
`G5438-04`	Acts 16:24	φυλακὴν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison
`G5438-05`	Acts 16:27	φυλακῆς	phulakes	`N GEN F SG`	prison	of guarding	prison
`G5438-04`	Acts 16:37	φυλακήν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding
`G5438-05`	Acts 16:40	φυλακῆς	phulakes	`N GEN F SG`	prison	of guarding	prison
`G5438-02`	Acts 22:4	φυλακὰς	phulakas	`N ACC F PL`	prisons	watches	prisons
`G5438-01`	Acts 26:10	φυλακαῖς	phulakais	`N DAT F PL`	prisons	to places of guarding	to prisons
`G5438-01`	2 Corinthians 6:5	φυλακαῖς	phulakais	`N DAT F PL`	imprisonments	to places of guarding	imprisonments
`G5438-01`	2 Corinthians 11:23	φυλακαῖς	phulakais	`N DAT F PL`	prisons	to places of guarding	to prisons
`G5438-05`	Hebrews 11:36	φυλακῆς	phulakes	`N GEN F SG`	imprisonment	of guarding	of prisoning
`G5438-03`	1 Peter 3:19	φυλακῇ	phulake	`N DAT F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison
`G5438-04`	Revelation 2:10	φυλακὴν	phulaken	`N ACC F SG`	prison	a place of guarding	a prison
`G5438-03`	Revelation 18:2	φυλακὴ	phulake	`N NOM F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison
`G5438-03`	Revelation 18:2	φυλακὴ	phulake-2	`N NOM F SG`	prison	guarding-place	prison
`G5438-05`	Revelation 20:7	φυλακῆς	phulakes	`N GEN F SG`	prison	of guarding	prison

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