What does φυλακή (phylakḗ) mean in the Bible?
φυλακή (phylakḗ) is a New Testament noun for prison; guard; watch. In pastoral use, the word belongs to confinement, guarding, suffering, and gospel witness.
Greek · G5438
φυλακή
Prison/watch: prison
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φυλακή G5438
Pronunciation phylakḗ
What does φυλακή (phylakḗ) mean in the Bible?
φυλακή (phylakḗ) is a New Testament noun for prison; guard; watch. In pastoral use, the word belongs to confinement, guarding, suffering, and gospel witness.
Reader summary
Full entry for φυλακή (G5438) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G5438?
The BSB source-word alignment has 47 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include prison (27), jail (3), watch (3), - (2), . . . (2).
Where does φυλακή (phylakḗ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 5:25. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (16), Matthew (10), Luke (8), Revelation (5).
What This Word Actually Means
φυλακή (phylakḗ) is a New Testament noun for prison; guard; watch. In pastoral use, the word belongs to confinement, guarding, suffering, and gospel witness. Matthew 5:25, Matthew 14:3, Matthew 14:10 gives the first selected witnesses, with additional passages showing the word in other NT settings. The word is not a shortcut around exegesis, but it gives teachers a concrete doorway into how imprisonment and guarding can become settings for injustice, endurance, deliverance, and witness.
Its value is strongest when the verse remains in view: speaker, audience, grammar, and argument decide how much weight the word should bear. This companion therefore treats G5438 as a servant of Scripture's own logic. It helps readers name the concept clearly, trace representative witnesses, and avoid using a Strong's number as if it could replace the passage.
Do not call every restriction persecution; the passage must show the reason for confinement or guarding.
Editorial synthesis
How the Bible Uses It
Prison; guard; watch appears in representative NT contexts including Matthew 5:25, Matthew 14:3, Matthew 14:10, Matthew 14:25, Matthew 18:30. These witnesses show the word serving confinement, guarding, suffering, and gospel witness, while each passage sets the limits for responsible teaching.
- Matt.5.25
Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
This anchor witness places prison; guard; watch inside Matthew 5:25. The verse should be read in its own argument before the word is used as a broader teaching theme.
- Matt.14.3
Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,
This witness places prison; guard; watch inside Matthew 14:3. The verse should be read in its own argument before the word is used as a broader teaching theme.
- Matt.14.10
And sent to have John beheaded in the prison.
This witness places prison; guard; watch inside Matthew 14:10. The verse should be read in its own argument before the word is used as a broader teaching theme.
- Matt.14.25
During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea.
This witness places prison; guard; watch inside Matthew 14:25. The verse should be read in its own argument before the word is used as a broader teaching theme.
- Matt.18.30
But he refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay his debt.
This witness places prison; guard; watch inside Matthew 18:30. The verse should be read in its own argument before the word is used as a broader teaching theme.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It prison 27× Matthew 5:25, Matthew 14:3, Matthew 14:10, Matthew 18:30
jail 3× Acts 5:19, Acts 5:22, Acts 5:25
watch 3× Matthew 14:25, Mark 6:48, Luke 2:8
- 2× Revelation 18:2
. . . 2× Luke 23:19, Luke 23:25
imprisonments 2× 2 Corinthians 6:5, 2 Corinthians 11:23
watch of the night 2× Matthew 24:43, Luke 12:38
[and] imprisoned 1× Mark 6:17
a haunt 1× Revelation 18:2
cell 1× Acts 16:24
guards 1× Acts 12:10
imprisonment 1× Hebrews 11:36
prisons 1× Luke 21:12
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 5:25 φυλακὴν to prison Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Matthew 14:3 φυλακῇ to prison Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Matthew 14:10 φυλακῇ to prison Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Matthew 14:25 φυλακῇ to watch Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Matthew 18:30 φυλακὴν to prison Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Matthew 24:43 φυλακῇ to watch of the night Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Matthew 25:36 φυλακῇ to prison Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Matthew 25:39 φυλακῇ to prison Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Matthew 25:43 φυλακῇ to prison Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Matthew 25:44 φυλακῇ to prison Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 5:25
Aligned rows 47
Books represented 9
Matthew 10 Mark 3 Luke 8 John 1 Acts 16 2 Corinthians 2 Hebrews 1 1 Peter 1 Revelation 5
Source forms
φυλακῇ 17x phylakē Matthew 14:3, Matthew 14:10, Matthew 14:25, Matthew 24:43
φυλακὴν 9x phylakēn Matthew 5:25, Matthew 18:30, Mark 6:48, Luke 22:33
φυλακήν 6x phylakēn Luke 12:58, Acts 8:3, Acts 12:4, Acts 12:6
φυλακῆς 6x phylakēs Acts 5:19, Acts 12:17, Acts 16:27, Acts 16:40
φυλακαῖς 3x phylakais Acts 26:10, 2 Corinthians 6:5, 2 Corinthians 11:23
φυλακὴ 3x phylakē Revelation 18:2
φυλακὰς 2x phylakas Luke 2:8, Acts 22:4
φυλακάς 1x phylakas Luke 21:12
Parsing patterns
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular 17x Matthew 14:3, Matthew 14:10, Matthew 14:25, Matthew 24:43
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular 15x Matthew 5:25, Matthew 18:30, Mark 6:48, Luke 12:58
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 6x Acts 5:19, Acts 12:17, Acts 16:27, Acts 16:40
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural 3x Luke 2:8, Luke 21:12, Acts 22:4
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural 3x Acts 26:10, 2 Corinthians 6:5, 2 Corinthians 11:23
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular 3x Revelation 18:2
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Prison; guard; watch is useful for teaching confinement, guarding, suffering, and gospel witness, but the verse must govern the application. Start with the passage's argument before drawing broader pastoral lines.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that G5438 by itself proves a full doctrine without the surrounding passage and broader canonical witness.
- Do not call every restriction persecution; the passage must show the reason for confinement or guarding.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Prison, sentries, or a night watch—context determines which meaning, not the word itself
Strong's G5438
Lexical occurrences 47 verses Greek text appearances 47 times 16 shown below Word forms 6 forms 47 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
prison/watch: prison
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 47 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 5:25 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
φυλακὴν fulakhn
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Matthew 14:3 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
φυλακῇ, fulakh
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Matthew 14:10 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
φυλακῇ. fulakh
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Matthew 14:25 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
φυλακῇ fulakh
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Matthew 18:30 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
φυλακήν, fulakhn
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Matthew 24:43 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
φυλακῇ fulakh
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Matthew 25:36 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
φυλακῇ fulakh
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Matthew 25:39 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
φυλακῇ, fulakh
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Matthew 25:43 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
φυλακῇ, fulakh
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Matthew 25:44 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
φυλακῇ, fulakh
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Mark 6:17 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
φυλακῇ, fulakh
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Mark 6:27 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
φυλακῇ, fulakh
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Mark 6:48 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
φυλακὴν fulakhn
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Luke 2:8 Noun Accusative Plural Feminine
φυλακὰς fulakav
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Luke 3:20 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
φυλακῇ. fulakh
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verse Luke 12:38 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
φυλακῇ, fulakh
a watching, guard, prison, imprisonment
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 6 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 6 Aligned forms 47 Case pattern Dative (20) Number pattern Singular (41)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · Feminine Rev 18:2 3×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Acts 5:19 · Acts 12:17 · Acts 16:27 · Acts 16:40 · Heb 11:36 · Rev 20:7 6×
Dative · Singular · Feminine Matt 14:3 · Matt 14:10 · Matt 14:25 · Matt 24:43 · Matt 25:36 · Matt 25:39 · Matt 25:43 · Matt 25:44 · Mark 6:17 · Mark 6:27 · Luke 3:20 · Luke 12:38 · Luke 23:19 · Acts 5:22 · Acts 5:25 · Acts 12:5 17×
Dative · Plural · Feminine Acts 26:10 · 2 Cor 6:5 · 2 Cor 11:23 3×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine Matt 5:25 · Matt 18:30 · Mark 6:48 · Luke 12:58 · Luke 22:33 · Luke 23:25 · John 3:24 · Acts 8:3 · Acts 12:4 · Acts 12:6 · Acts 12:10 · Acts 16:23 · Acts 16:24 · Acts 16:37 · Rev 2:10 15×
Accusative · Plural · Feminine Luke 2:8 · Luke 21:12 · Acts 22:4 3×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Witnesses
Luke 3:19–20 φυλακῇ phylakḗ
Prison, guard
Showing 1 selected witness from 47 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
φυλακή is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Prison; guard; watch gives teachers a concrete way to speak about confinement, guarding, suffering, and gospel witness without turning a word study into a detached lecture. The first question is not, "What can this Greek word be made to mean?" but, "What is the Spirit saying through this word in this passage?" Matthew 5:25 should set the tone for that discipline.
The word can open how imprisonment and guarding can become settings for injustice, endurance, deliverance, and witness, but it should not be used to bypass context, flatten related terms, or make the lexeme carry more doctrine than the author places on it. Handled well, G5438 helps shepherds, teachers, leaders, groups, families, and disciples slow down over a real textual marker.
It gives them language for the passage's burden, invites careful comparison with other witnesses, and keeps the application tethered to Scripture rather than to a sermon idea in search of a vocabulary hook. Do not call every restriction persecution; the passage must show the reason for confinement or guarding.
Anchor passage
Matt.5.25
Doctrinal connections
- G3056 Logos - word, message, or account; useful where speech and witness shape the passage
- G4102 Pistis - faith or faithfulness; useful where response, trust, or allegiance is in view
- G26 Agape - love; useful where the word touches Christian character and neighbor care
- G5485 Charis - grace; useful where the passage stresses divine initiative and gift
φυλακή is cataloged in the local registry as a Greek noun with Strong's ID G5438. Selected BSB source-word forms include φυλακὴν, φυλακῇ, with English alignments such as prison, watch. The pastoral entry uses the local registry and BSB source-word witnesses as controls; it does not reproduce lexical-source wording as public prose.
From Old to New Testament
The entry should be connected to the Old Testament only where the passage itself or a clear canonical parallel supports the move. For this checkpoint, the main public burden remains the NT witness set: Matthew 5:25, Matthew 14:3, Matthew 14:10, Matthew 14:25, Matthew 18:30.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain