Guard

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

A — 1: Κουστωδία (Strong'S #2892 — Noun Feminine — koustodia — koos-to-dee'-ah )

"a guard," (Latin, custodia; Eng., "custodian"), is used of the soldiers who "guarded" Christ's sepulchre,  Matthew 27:65,66;  28:11 , and is translated "(ye have) a guard," "the guard (being with them)," and "(some of) the guard," RV, AV, "... a watch," "(setting a) watch," and "... the watch." This was the Temple guard, stationed under a Roman officer in the tower of Antonia, and having charge of the high priestly vestments. Hence the significance of Pilate's words "Ye have a guard." See Watch.

A — 2: Σπεκουλάτωρ (Strong'S #4688 — Noun Masculine — spekoulator — spek-oo-lat'-ore )

Latin, speculator, primarily denotes "a lookout officer," or "scout," but, under the emperors, "a member of the bodyguard;" these were employed as messengers, watchers and executioners; ten such officers were attached to each legion; such a guard was employed by Herod Antipas,  Mark 6:27 , RV, "a soldier of his guard" (AV, "executioner").

A — 3: Φύλαξ (Strong'S #5441 — Noun Masculine — phulax — foo'-lax )

"a guard, keeper" (akin to phulasso, "to guard, keep"), is translated "keepers" in  Acts 5:23; in  Acts 12:6,19 , RV, "guards" (AV, "keepers"). See Keeper.

 Acts 28:16Captain.  Philippians 1:13

B — 1: Φυλάσσω (Strong'S #5442 — Verb — phulasso — foo-las'-so )

"to guard, watch, keep" (akin to A, No. 3), is rendered by the verb "to guard" in the RV (AV, "to keep") of  Luke 11:21;  John 17:12;  Acts 12:4;  28:16;  2—Thessalonians 3:3;  1—Timothy 6:20;  2—Timothy 1:12,14;  1—John 5:21;  Jude 1:24 . In  Luke 8:29 , "was kept under guard," RV (AV, "kept"). See Beware , Keep , Observe , Preserve , Save , Ware Of , Watch.

B — 2: Διαφυλάσσω (Strong'S #1314 — Verb — diaphulasso — dee-af-oo-las'-so )

a strengthened form of No. 1 (dia, "through," used intensively), "to guard carefully, defend," is found in  Luke 4:10 (from the Sept. of   Psalm 91:11 ), RV, "to guard" (AV, "to keep").

B — 3: Φρουρέω (Strong'S #5432 — Verb — phroureo — froo-reh'-o )

a military term, "to keep by guarding, to keep under guard," as with a garrison (phrouros, "a guard, or garrison"), is used, (a) of blocking up every way of escape, as in a siege; (b) of providing protection against the enemy, as a garrison does; see  2—Corinthians 11:32 , "guarded." AV, "kept," i.e., kept the city, "with a garrison." It is used of the security of the Christian until the end,  1—Peter 1:5 , RV, "are guarded," and of the sense of that security that is his when he puts all his matters into the hand of God,  Philippians 4:7 , RV, "shall guard," In these passages the idea is not merely that of protection, but of inward garrisoning as by the Holy Spirit; in  Galatians 3:23 ("were kept in ward"), it means rather a benevolent custody and watchful guardianship in view of worldwide idolatry (cp.   Isaiah 5:2 ). See Keep.

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

(1) In  Acts 5:23;  Acts 12:6;  Acts 12:19 the Authorized Versionrenders φύλακες ‘keepers,’ which the Revised Versionretains in the former passage, where the watchmen are Jewish, but changes into ‘guards’ in the latter, where they are Roman. Arrested by the high priest Annas, and put ‘in public ward’ ( Acts 5:18 : ἐν τηρήσει δημοσίᾳ), Peter and John were not chained; their keepers merely shut the prison-house (δεσμωτήριον) and stood on guard outside. But when St. Peter was arrested by Herod Agrippa, and imprisoned in the fortress of Antonia or the adjoining barracks, he was chained to two soldiers, while other two kept watch at the door of the prison (φυλακή, Vulgate carcer ). The station of the latter two was apparently ‘the first ward’ (φυλακή, Vulgate custodia ) which the prisoner had to pass before he could effect his escape. The four soldiers together made a quaternion (τετράδιον), and four such bodies of armed men were told off to mount guard in succession during the four watches into which, in Roman fashion, the night was divided.

(2) The above-named Agrippa himself, having incurred the displeasure of Tiberius, once had the experience of being chained as a prisoner for six months to soldiers of the Imperial bodyguard in Rome. It was fortunate for him that the Emperor’s sister-in-law Antonia, who used her influence with Macro, the prœfectus praetorio , ‘procured that the soldiers who kept him should be of a gentle nature, and that the centurion who was over them, and was to diet with him, should be of the same disposition’ (Jos. Ant. XVIII. vi. 7). Tiberius’ death restored him to liberty, and Caligula consoled him with the gift of a chain of gold, equal in weight to the one of iron which he had worn ( ib. vi. 10).

(3) To another such iron chain, which coupled St. Paul to one soldier after another of the same Imperial guard, allusion is made in each of the Captivity Epistles. Thanks to the favourable report given by the centurion Junius on handing over his charge to the praefect of the Praetorians, St. Paul probably received better treatment than an ordinary prisoner; but the fact remained that in his own hired house he was the δέσμιος of Christ Jesus, always wearing galling ‘bonds’ (δεσμοί,  Philippians 1:7;  Philippians 1:13-14;  Philippians 1:16,  Colossians 4:18,  Philemon 1:10;  Philemon 1:13,  2 Timothy 2:9), called also a ‘chain’ (ἅλυσις,  Ephesians 6:20,  2 Timothy 1:16). Great good, however, resulted from his imprisonment; for through the frequent relief of the guard, and the Apostle’s skill in changing an enforced fellowship with armed men into a spiritual communion, the real significance of his bonds-their relation to his faith in Christ-gradually became known among all ‘the Praetorians,’ the finest regiment of the Roman army ( Philippians 1:12-13). The arguments for this interpretation of the word πραιτώριον are fully stated by Lightfoot, Philippians 4, 1878, p. 99f. Other possible explanations will be found under Palace.

In the Republican days the cohors praetoria , or cohortes praetoriœ , formed the bodyguard of the praetor or propraetor , who was governor of a province with military powers. Under the Empire the Praetorians came to be the Imperial bodyguard, which, as constituted by Augustus, was made up of nine cohorts, each of a thousand picked men. They were distinguished from other legionaries by shorter service and double pay, and on discharge they received a generous bounty or grant of land. Tiberius concentrated the force in a strongly fortified camp to the east of Rome, on a rectangle of 39 acres, where the modern Italian army also has barracks. One cohort, wearing civilian garb, was always stationed at the Emperor’s house on the Palatine; others were often sent to foreign service. The Praetorians were under a prœfectus praetorio , or more often two, sometimes even three prœfecti . These were originally soldiers, but ultimately the office was mostly filled by lawyers, whose duty it was to relieve the Emperor in certain kinds of civil and criminal jurisdiction. One of Trajan’s rescripts to Pliny ( Ep . 57) indicates that the proper course to take with a certain Bithynian prisoner is to hand him over in chains ‘ad praefectos praetorii mei,’ and the case seems to be parallel to that of the Apostle, who made an appeal unto Caesar ( Acts 25:11;  Acts 25:21).

James Strahan.

King James Dictionary

GUARD, gard. L. verus wahren, to keep, to last, to hold out bewahren, to keep or preserve bewahren, to verify, to confirm Eng. ware, aware

1. To secure against injury, loss or attack to protect to defend to keep in safety. We guard a city by walls and forts. A harbor is guarded by ships, booms or batteries. Innocence should be guarded by prudence and piety. Let observation and experience guard us against temptations to vice. 2. To secure against objections or the attacks of malevolence.

Homer has guarded every circumstance with caution.

3. To accompany and protect to accompany for protection as, to guard a general on a journey to guard the baggage of an army. 4. To adorn with lists, laces or ornaments. 5. To gird to fasten by binding.

GUARD, To watch by way of caution or defense to be cautions to be in a state of defense or safety. Guard against mistakes, or against temptations.

GUARD, n. Eng. ward.

1. Defense preservation or security against injury, loss or attack. 2. That which secures against attack or injury that which defends. Modesty is the guard of innocence. 3. A man or body of men occupied in preserving a person or place from attack or injury he or they whose business is to defend, or to prevent attack or surprise. Kings have their guards to secure their persons. Joseph was sold to Potiphar, a captain of Pharaoh's guard. 4. A state of caution or vigilance or the act of observing what passes in order to prevent surprise or attack care attention watch heed. Be on your guard. Temerity puts a man off his guard. 5. That which secures against objections or censure caution of expression.

They have expressed themselves with as few guards and restrictions as I.

6. Part of the hilt of a sword, which protects the hand. 7. In fencing, a posture of defense. 8. An ornamental lace,hem or boarder.

Advanced guard,

Van guard, In military affairs, a body of troops, either horse or foot, that march before an army or division, to prevent surprise, or give notice of danger.

Rear guard, a body of troops that march in the rear of an army or division, for its protection.

Life guard, a body of select troops, whose duty is to defend the person of a prince or other officer.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Heb. mishmereth, one who watches ( Nehemiah 4:22 ), or a watch-station (7:3; 12:9;  Job 7:12 ).

In the New Testament ( Mark 6:27 ) the Authorized Version renders the Greek Spekulator By "executioner," earlier English versions by "hangman," the Revised Version by "soldier of his guard." The word properly means a "pikeman" or "halberdier," of whom the bodyguard of kings and princes was composed. In   Matthew 27:65,66;  28:11 , the Authorized Version renders the Greek Kustodia By "watch," and the Revised Version by "guard," the Roman guard, which consisted of four soldiers, who were relieved every three hours (  Acts 12:4 ). The "captain of the guard" mentioned  Acts 28:16 was the commander of the Praetorian troops, whose duty it was to receive and take charge of all prisoners from the provinces.

Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., DD Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Guard'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/g/guard.html. 1897.

Holman Bible Dictionary

Tabbach   Genesis 37:36 Genesis 39:1 2 Kings 25:8-20 Jeremiah 39:9-13 shamar   Nehemiah 4:9 Nehemiah 7:3 1 Samuel 22:17 1 Kings 1:5 1 Kings 14:27-28 Nehemiah 3:25 Jeremiah 32:2 2 Chronicles 23:10 Zechariah 9:8

Three Greek nouns are translated as guard. Hyperetes is used for those guarding the high priest's quarters (  Matthew 26:58;  Mark 14:54 ). Koustodia (  Matthew 27:66;  Matthew 28:11 ) is a Latin loan word, suggesting that this guard was indeed a Roman guard. Philake is used for stations of guards in   Acts 12:10 .

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. mishmaath, from 'obedience,' a body-guard.  2 Samuel 23:23;  1 Chronicles 11:25 .

2. mishmar, a place where watch was kept.  Nehemiah 4:22,23;  Ezekiel 38:7 .

3. ruts , 'to run,' runners, state couriers, who published edicts in the provinces, some of which would always be with the king.  1 Kings 14:27,28;  2 Kings 10:25;  2 Kings 11:4-19;  2 Chronicles 12:10,11 .

4. tabbach, slaughterer, executioner, attached to the body-guard of the king  Genesis 37:36;  Daniel 2:14 . This Hebrew word occurs in every other passage where the word 'guard' occurs.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Tabbach . The king's executioner, literally, cook ( Genesis 37:36, margrin;  2 Kings 25:8;  Daniel 2:14). Rats ("the runner") who carried dispatches ( 2 Chronicles 30:6), and also acted as military guard to the Jewish kings ( 2 Samuel 15:1). Μishmereth ("watchmen") ( Nehemiah 4:9;  Nehemiah 4:22).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

gard  : (1) שׂר הטּבּחים , sar ha - ṭabbāḥı̄m , "captain of the guard," literally, "slaughterers" (  Genesis 37:36;  Genesis 39:1;  Genesis 40:3 ,  Genesis 40:1;  Genesis 41:10 ,  Genesis 41:12 ); רב־טבּחים , rabh ṭabbāḥı̄m ( 2 Kings 25:8 ,  2 Kings 25:11 ,  2 Kings 25:20;  Jeremiah 39:9 , etc.); רב טבּחיּה , rabh tabbāḥayyāh ( Daniel 2:14 ); רצים , rācı̄m , "guard," the King James Version "footmen" ( 1 Samuel 22:17 ); sārē hā - rācı̄m , "chief of the guard" the King James Version "captains of the guard" ( 1 Kings 14:27 ); tā' hā - rācı̄m , "guard-chamber" ( 1 Kings 14:28; compare  Ezekiel 40:21 , etc., where "lodges" are "guardrooms"; see A.B. Davidson at the place). (2) משׁמר , mishmār , "guard," a defense to a point of danger ( Nehemiah 4:22 f;   Ezekiel 38:7 ). (3) משׁמעת , mishma‛ath , "guard" ( 2 Samuel 23:23 , where the American Revised Version, margin and the Revised Version, margin have "council," the body over which Benaiah was set by David and whose functions were perhaps those of consultation). (4) Σπεκουλάτωρ , spekoulátōr , "guard" ( Mark 6:27 , "a man of Herod's guard," where, as in one or two other cases, Mark, writing for Romans, simply transliterates the Latin speculator "a scout," "an executioner," as in loc.). (5) Στρατοπεδάρχης , stratopedárchēs , "captain of the guard" the King James Version, "captain of the praetorian guard" the Revised Version, margin,  Acts 28:16 . See Captain . (6) (Κουστωδία , koustōdı́a ), "watch" the King James Version, "guard" the American Standard Revised Version and the Revised Version (British and American) ( Matthew 27:65 ,  Matthew 27:66;  Matthew 28:11 ).

1. Royal Body-Guard

An oriental monarch's body-guard consisted of picked men attached to his person and ready to fulfill his pleasure in important and confidential concerns. At the courts of Egypt and Babylon the members of the guard were known as "slaughterers," "executioners" ( Genesis 37:36 King James Version margin, the American Revised Version, margin and the Revised Version, margin, where Potiphar is called their captain);   2 Kings 25:8 , where Nebuzaradan is called their captain (King James Version margin "chief marshal"). Whether it had ever been the function of the body-guard to kill meat for the royal table there is little directly to show; that they acted as executioners can be well understood. In Israel they were known as "the footmen" ( 1 Samuel 22:17 the King James Version, the American Revised Version, margin and the Revised Version, margin "runners") who acted as royal messengers or couriers from the time of Saul onward (  2 Kings 10:25;  2 Kings 11:6 ); and this designation connects them with the couriers of the kings of Persia ( Esther 3:13 ,  Esther 3:15;  Esther 8:14 , where our versions render "posts," though the Hebrew is rācı̄m ).

2. Composed of Foreigners

The men of the royal body-guard were usually foreigners like the janissaries of oriental monarchs down to modern times, who prefer to have around their persons warriors uninfluenced by family connection with the people of the land. Rameses 2 had such a body-guard whose commanders ranked with the great officers of the crown (Maspero, Struggle of the Nations , 766). David's body-guard of 600, known also as the gibbōrı̄m or "mighty men," consisted of Cherethites, Pelethites, and Gittites (  2 Samuel 15:18;  2 Samuel 20:23 ), and we read of Carites ( 2 Kings 11:19 ), who may have been Carians or Cretans, as forming part of the guard at the coronation of King Jehoash.

3. Connection with the Temple

That this guard had duties in connection with the temple as well as the king's house seems clear. That they were employed as slaughterers of the sacrifices before the Levites were entrusted with the office is unlikely, inasmuch as this guard is not said to have been composed of "slaughterers" but of "runners." But they accompanied King Rehoboam when he visited the temple ( 1 Kings 14:28 ), and to their captains were committed the shields of brass which took the place of the shields of gold which Solomon had hung up in the temple; Jehoiada employed their captains to put Athaliah to death and to exterminate the worshippers of Baal who had fled to the temple precincts ( 2 Kings 11:4 ); the temple gate leading to the palace was called "the gate of the guard" ( 2 Kings 11:19 ). At this time, and for this occasion, at least, the royal body-guard were the temple guards; and when Ezekiel drew up his plans for the temple which he conceived to replace the temple destroyed by Nebuchadrezzar, the "lodges" or "little chambers" were rooms for the accommodation of the temple guard ( Ezekiel 40:7 ,  Ezekiel 40:10 ,  Ezekiel 40:21 ,  Ezekiel 40:33 , etc.).

Literature

Robertson Smith, Otjc , 262, and note.

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