Bible Dictionaries
Guard

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

"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.

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 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.

Notes: (1) In Acts 28:16 , some mss. have the sentence containing the word stratopedarches, "a captain of the guard." See CAPTAIN. (2) In Philippians 1:13 , the noun praitorion, the "praetorian guard," is so rendered in the RV (AV, "palace").

"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.

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").

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.