δέσμ-ιος G1198
A prisoner or captive; one bound in confinement under authority.
Desmios refers to a person held in physical custody — bound, imprisoned, or detained by governing authorities. In the Gospels it describes Barabbas, the notable prisoner released at Passover (Matt 27:15-16; Mark 15:6). In Acts, Paul and Silas are prisoners at Philippi whose midnight worship triggers an earthquake (Acts 16:25-27). Paul later embraces the identity of 'prisoner of Christ Jesus' (Eph 3:1; Philem 1:1), transforming a term of shame into one of apostolic honor. Spanish 'preso' and German 'Gefangener' both carry the same weight of physical confinement.
Senses
1. prisoner, captive — A person held in confinement or bondage, whether in a literal prison or under military guard. The term designates someone detained by civil or political authority. Barabbas is called a desmios at Passover (Matt 27:15-16), and Paul and Silas are desmoi at Philippi (Acts 16:25, 27). Paul adopts the title voluntarily in his epistles (Eph 3:1; Philem 1:9), reframing imprisonment as a mark of faithful service. The translations uniformly render it as 'prisoner' or 'captive' across all languages. 17×
AR["أَسرى","أَسيرًا","أَسيرُ","أَسيرِهِ","أَسِيرًا","أَسِيرٌ","أَسْرَى","الأَسيرُ","الأَسِيرُ","سَجِينًا","سُجَناءَ","سُجَناءُ"]·ben["বন্দী","বন্দীকে","বন্দীদের","বন্দীদেরকে","বন্দীরা"]·DE["Gefangene","Gefangener"]·EN["a-prisoner","prisoner","prisoners"]·FR["prisonnier"]·heb["אֲסִירִים","אֲסוּרִים","אָסִיר","אָסוּר","הָאָסִיר"]·HI["कैदी","बंदियों","बंदियों-को","बंदियोंको","बंदी","बंदीको","बंदी।","बन्दि","बन्दी"]·ID["Tahanan","dipenjara,","tahanan","tahanan,","tahanan-tahanan","tawanan"]·IT["desmion","prigioniero"]·jav["dipun-bandha","ingkang-kabanda","tahanan","tahanan,","tiyang-ukuman","tiyang-ukuman,"]·KO["갇힌-자","갇힌-자들-을","갇힌-자들과","갇힌-자로","갇힌-자를","겇힌-자","죄수","죄수-를","죄수들을","죄수들이","죄수로","죄수를"]·PT["preso","prisioneiro","prisioneiro,","prisioneiros","prisioneiros."]·RU["узник","узника","узникам","узники","узников","узником"]·ES["preso","presos","prisionero","prisioneros"]·SW["mfungwa","wafungwa","wafungwa,"]·TR["elleri","tek-başına","tutsak","tutuklu","tutuklular","tutuklulara","tutukluları","tutuklusu","tutukluyu"]·urd["قیدی","قیدی-کو","قیدیوں","قیدیوں-کو"]
Matt 27:15, Matt 27:16, Mark 15:6, Acts 16:25, Acts 16:27, Acts 23:18, Acts 25:14, Acts 25:27, Acts 28:16, Acts 28:17, Eph 3:1, Eph 4:1 (+5 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
δέσμ-ιος, ον, binding: metaphorically, binding as with a spell, enchaining, with genitive, ὕμνος ἐξ Ἐρινύων δ. φρενῶν Refs 4th c.BC+ __II passive, bound, captive, Refs 5th c.BC+; on leash, [κύων] probably in Refs; δ. φυγών, ={ἐκ δεσμῶν}, Refs 5th c.BC+