1200. desmophulax
Lexical Summary
desmophulax: Jailer, Prison Keeper

Original Word: δεσμοφύλαξ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: desmophulax
Pronunciation: des-mo-foo'-lax
Phonetic Spelling: (des-mof-oo'-lax)
KJV: jailor, keeper of the prison
NASB: jailer
Word Origin: [from G1199 (δεσμόν - imprisonment) and G5441 (φύλαξ - guards)]

1. a jailer (as guarding the prisoners)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
jailor, keeper of the prison.

From desmon and phulax; a jailer (as guarding the prisoners) -- jailor, keeper of the prison.

see GREEK desmon

see GREEK phulax

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from desmos and phulax
Definition
a prison keeper
NASB Translation
jailer (3).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1200: δεσμοφύλαξ

δεσμοφύλαξ, δεσμοφυλακος, (δεσμός and φύλαξ, like θησαυροφύλαξ (cf. with 100 (95))), a keeper of a prison, a jailer: Acts 16:23, 27, 36. (Josephus, Antiquities 2, 5, 1; Lucian, Tox. 30; (Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 3, 60; others); ἀρχιδεσμοφύλαξ, Genesis 39:21-23.)

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scope

Strong’s Greek 1200 designates the official custodian of prisoners within a city or military jail. More than a mere watchman, this officer wielded civic authority, answered directly to magistrates, and bore full legal responsibility for every inmate under his charge. Failure to keep a prisoner could bring the penalty intended for the escapee upon the custodian himself (compare Acts 12:19). Thus the term carries the weight of life-and-death accountability.

Occurrences in Scripture

All three New Testament appearances occur in one narrative—Paul and Silas in Philippi: Acts 16:23, Acts 16:27, and Acts 16:36. Concentration in a single passage highlights the jailer’s pivotal part in God’s work at Philippi.

Historical Background of First-Century Imprisonment

Philippi, a Roman colony, was administered under Roman law. Local jails were typically attached to the praetorium or situated near the forum. Stocks, inner cells, and iron fetters were standard. A jailer such as the Philippian official would likely have been a retired soldier receiving a modest stipend for civic service. His oath bound him to maintain strict security; suicide was the honorable escape if duty failed. The narrative fits this milieu precisely: “When the jailer woke and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword to kill himself, supposing the prisoners had escaped” (Acts 16:27).

The Philippian Jailer Narrative

1. Custody and Cruelty (Acts 16:23–24). After an unjust beating, Paul and Silas are handed over “to the jailer, commanding him to guard them securely” (Acts 16:23). He responds with bureaucratic rigor, thrusting them into the inner prison and fastening their feet in stocks.
2. Midnight Deliverance (Acts 16:25–26). Their prayers and hymns invite divine intervention; an earthquake shakes open every door and loosens every chain.
3. Despair and Rescue (Acts 16:27–29). Convinced his honor is lost, the jailer prepares to die, but Paul cries, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” (Acts 16:28).
4. Conversion and Household Baptism (Acts 16:30–34). Trembling, the officer asks, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The answer is immediate: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” (Acts 16:31). He washes their wounds, receives baptism, and sets a meal before them, rejoicing with his whole family.
5. Vindication and Release (Acts 16:35–36). When the magistrates send word to free the prisoners, the same jailer respectfully conveys the order: “The magistrates have sent to release you. Now therefore come out and go in peace” (Acts 16:36).

Theological Themes and Ministry Application

• Sovereign Grace. God sovereignly uses a civil servant’s crisis to birth a church in Philippi (Philippians 1:1).
• Light in Darkness. The jailer moves from the literal darkness of an inner cell to the spiritual light of salvation, embodying Isaiah’s promise, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”
• Suffering as Witness. Paul and Silas’s worship under duress validates their message; the jailer’s conversion springs directly from their steadfastness.
• Household Faith. The passage affirms God’s gracious reach to entire families while maintaining individual belief (“you and your household”).
• Just Treatment of Prisoners. The account anticipates exhortations such as Hebrews 13:3 to remember those in chains, shaping Christian concern for the incarcerated.

Christ as the Liberator

By opening prison doors yet keeping His servants inside, the Lord demonstrates that true freedom is not the absence of chains but the presence of Christ. This mirrors Jesus’ inaugural proclamation: “He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Luke 4:18).

The Church’s Mission to the Imprisoned

The Philippian episode establishes an early precedent for evangelism behind bars. From first-century believers to modern prison chaplaincy, the Church continues to echo Paul’s words: “Remember my chains” (Colossians 4:18).

Reflection in Church History

The conversion of the Philippian jailer became a cherished illustration among early Christian writers of God’s ability to overturn human justice systems and claim servants from every social stratum. Throughout the centuries, ministers from John Bunyan to modern missionaries have cited Acts 16 to encourage faithfulness amid incarceration and to spark outreach to those in confinement.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 1200 encapsulates more than a job title; it frames an encounter where Roman duty met divine mercy, resulting in eternal liberation for a man once responsible for chains. The term’s brief scriptural footprint magnifies its message: no cell is too dark, no guard too hardened, for the gospel of Jesus Christ to break through.

Forms and Transliterations
δεσμοφυλακι δεσμοφύλακι δεσμοφυλαξ δεσμοφύλαξ desmophulaki desmophulax desmophylaki desmophýlaki desmophylax desmophýlax
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Acts 16:23 N-DMS
GRK: παραγγείλαντες τῷ δεσμοφύλακι ἀσφαλῶς τηρεῖν
NAS: commanding the jailer to guard
KJV: charging the jailor to keep
INT: having charged the jailor safely to keep

Acts 16:27 N-NMS
GRK: γενόμενος ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ καὶ ἰδὼν
NAS: When the jailer awoke and saw
KJV: And the keeper of the prison awaking
INT: having been the jailor and having seen

Acts 16:36 N-NMS
GRK: δὲ ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ τοὺς λόγους
NAS: And the jailer reported these
KJV: And the keeper of the prison told this
INT: moreover the jailor the words

Strong's Greek 1200
3 Occurrences


δεσμοφύλακι — 1 Occ.
δεσμοφύλαξ — 2 Occ.

1199
Top of Page
Top of Page