Quick Definition
a keeper of a prison, a jailer
Strong's Definition
a jailer (as guarding the prisoners)
Derivation: from G1199 (δεσμόν) and G5441 (φύλαξ);
KJV Usage: jailor, keeper of the prison
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
δεσμοφύλαξ, δεσμοφυλακος, ὁ (δεσμός and φύλαξ, like θησαυροφύλαξ (cf. with 100 (95))), a keeper of a prison, a jailer: Act_16:23; Act_16:27; Act_16:36. (Josephus, Antiquities 2, 5, 1; Lucian, Tox. 30; (Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 3, 60; others); ἀρχιδεσμοφύλαξ, Gen_39:21-23.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
δεσμοφύλαξ desmophylax 3x
a keeper of a prison, jailer, Act_16:23 ; Act_16:27 ; Act_16:36
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
*† δεσμο -φύλαξ , -κος , ὁ
(δεσμός , φύλαξ ),
a prison-keeper, gaoler: Act_16:23 ; Act_16:27 ; Act_16:36 ( cf. ἀρχιδ -, Gen_39:21 ).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
δεσμοφύλαξ [page 142]
P Petr III. 28 ( e ) verso ( b ) .5 (iii/B.C.) παρεδόθη δὲ Παῶτι δεσμοφύλακι , but he was handed over to Paos the gaoler, P Lille I. 7 .14 (iii/B.C.) οὗτος δὲ ἀπήγαγέν με εἰς τὸ αὖθι δεσμωτήριον , εἶπεν τῶι δεσμοφύ (λακι ) δι᾽ ἣν αἰτίαν συνέσχημαι . BGU IV. 1138 .12 ff. (B.C. 19 8) (= Chrest. II. p. 123) ἐφάνη τῷ Κασίωι ὄντ (ι ) ἐντ̣α̣υ̣ͅθ̣α , τὸν τῆ (ς ) Σάιεως δεσμοφύλακ (α ) Χαιρήμονα καλέσαι , κα̣ι̣̣ ἐ̣λ̣ε̣ν̣χ̣ο̣(μένου ) α̣ὐ̣το (ῦ ) πρὸς ὲ̣λ̣ε̣ν̣χο (ν ) τοῦ Ἰσχυρίω (νος ), ὃ ἠδίκησ̣ε̣ν̣, ἐμαρτύρησ (εν ) ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ Χ̣α̣ι̣ρήμω (ν ) περὶ το (ῦ ) παραδεδόσθαι αὑτῷ τὸν Παπία [ν κτλ . Cf. P Flor I. 2 .75 (A.D. 265) where a certain person is nominated εἰς δεσμο [φυλακίαν τῆς ἐν τῇ ] μ̣ητροπόλει εἱρκτῆς : on δεσμοφυλακία as a tax for the support of public prisons, see the editors introduction to P Fay 53.
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
δεσμοφύλαξ "a gaoler", Luc.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
δεσμο-φύλαξ, -κος, ὁ
(δεσμός, φύλαξ),
a prison-keeper, gaoler: Act.16:23, 27, 36 (cf. ἀρχιδ-, Gen.39:21).†
(AS)