Peter describes God casting rebellious angels into Tartarus, 'delivered into chains of darkness' to await judgment (2 Peter 2:4). The imagery draws on both Greek mythology (Tartarus as the underworld prison) and Jewish apocalyptic literature (1 Enoch's bound Watchers). Whether literal chains or metaphorical bonds of darkness, the word evokes secure imprisonment. Classical usage included ropes for practical purposes, but here the context is decisively eschatological—the restraint of spiritual powers until final judgment.