Quick Definition
a body-guardsman, an executioner
Strong's Definition
a speculator, i.e. military scout (spy or (by extension) life-guardsman)
Derivation: of Latin origin;
KJV Usage: executioner
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
σπεκουλάτωρ, σπεκουλατορος (R G σπεκουλατορος (cf. Tdf. on Mark as below)), ὁ (the Latin wordspeculator), a looker-out, spy, scout; under the emperors an attendant and member of the body-guard, employed as messengers, watchers, and executioners (Seneca, de ira 1, 16centurio supplicio praepositus codere gladium speculatorem jubet; also de benef. 3, 25); the name is transferred to an attendant of Herod Antipas that acted as executioner: Mar_6:27. Cf. Keim, ii., 512 (English translation, 4:219; J. W. Golling in Thes. Nov. etc. ii., p. 405f.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
σπεκουλάτωρ spekoulatōr 1x
a sentinel, life-guardsman, a kind of soldiers who formed the body-guard of princes, etc., one of whose duties was to put criminals to death, Mar_6:27
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
σπεκουλάτωρ , -ορος ( Rec. -ωρος ), ὁ
(Lat. speculator ),
1. prop ., a spy or scout .
2. An executioner: Mar_6:27 ( v. Swete , in l ).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
σπεκουλάτωρ [page 582]
(Lat. speculator ), originally scout, courier, then executioner : in NT only Mar_6:27 (see Swete s note). The word is found in a list of accounts P Cairo Goodsp 30 vii. 31 (A.D. 191 192) Θαι ]σαρίῳ σπεκουλ (άτορι ) (δραχμαὶ ) δ̄ , and ter in the Registri Fondiarii P Flor I. 71 .652, .763, .811 (iv/A.D.). Cf. also P Oxy IX. 1193 .1 (iv/A.D.) an order π (αρὰ ) τοῦ σπεκουλ [άτορος ] addressed to the chief of the police in a certain village, ib. 1223 .21 (late iv/A.D.), and ib. 1214 .2 (v/A.D.).
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
σπεκουλάτωρ σπεκουλάτωρ, ορος, ὁ, Latin "speculator, one of the body-guard", NTest.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
σπεκουλάτωρ, -ορος (Rec. -ωρος), ὁ (Lat. speculator),
__1. prop., a spy or scout.
__2. An executioner: Mrk.6:27 (see Swete, in l).†
(AS)