φῠλάσσω G5442
To guard, keep watch, observe commandments, or beware of; encompassing physical guarding, moral obedience, divine preservation, and vigilant caution.
This versatile verb phulasso carries the image of a sentinel standing watch — and from that concrete picture flow all its uses. Shepherds phulasso their flocks by night (Luke 2:8); a strong man phulasso his house against intruders (Luke 11:21); believers phulasso God's commandments (Luke 11:28); and the Lord himself phulasso his own from the evil one (2 Thess 3:3). The middle voice adds reflexive force: guard yourselves, beware. Spanish uniformly uses guardar for nearly every sense, while French splits between garder ('to keep') and préserver ('to preserve'), revealing the dual active-passive dynamic at work in the word.
2. preserve, protect from harm — To preserve or protect from spiritual harm, loss, or destruction — especially with God as the agent of protection. Jesus declares in John 17:12 that he 'guarded' the disciples and none was lost. Paul entrusts his deposit to the Lord who is able to phulasso it (2 Tim 1:12). In 2 Thessalonians 3:3 the Lord is faithful and will phulasso believers from the evil one. The emphasis is not on human vigilance but on divine safekeeping. 9×
amh["ሊጠብቃችሁ"]·AR["احفَظوا","احْفَظْ","حَفِظَ","حَفِظْتُ","يحفظ","يَحْفَظَ","يَحْفَظُ"]·ben["রক্ষা-কর","রক্ষা-কর,","রক্ষা-করতে","রক্ষা-করতে,","রক্ষা-করবে","রক্ষা-করবেন","রক্ষা-করেছেন","সুরক্ষিত-করেছি,"]·ces["uchránit"]·dan["at-bevare"]·DE["bewahren","zu-bewahren"]·ell["φυλάξαι"]·EN["I-guarded","guard","preserved","to-guard","will-guard"]·FR["garder","préserver"]·guj["સાચવવા"]·hat["pwoteje"]·hau["kiyaye"]·heb["יִשְׁמֹר","לִ-שְׁמֹר","לשמור","שְׁמֹר","שִׁמְרוּ","שָׁמַר","שָׁמַרְתִּי"]·HI["बचअ","बचयेग","बचाए-रखो","बचाएगा","बचाया","मैंने-बचाया","रकशित-करन,","रखने-को","सुरकशित-रख,"]·hun["megőrizni"]·ID["Aku-menjaga","akan-menjaga","jagalah","memelihara,","menjaga","untuk-menjaga"]·IT["custodire"]·jav["Kawula-ngayomi,","badh醳impen","jagèn,","jagènana","njagi","njagi,","padha-jagi,"]·JA["守る-ことが"]·KO["너희-자신들-을-지키라","보존했다,","보호하였다","지켜라,","지키기를,","지키시고","지키실-것이다","지킨다"]·mar["राखण्यास"]·mya["စောင့်ရှောက်"]·nld["te-bewaren"]·nor["bevare"]·pnb["بچان"]·pol["zachować"]·PT["guarda","guardai-vos","guardar","preservou","protegi","vos-guardará"]·ron["a-vă-păzi"]·RU["сохрани","сохранил","сохранил,","сохранит","сохранить","храните"]·ES["guarda","guardaos","guardar","guardará","guardó","protegí"]·SW["alimlinda","ataihifadhi","atawalinda","ilinde","jilindeni","kuilinda","kuwalinda","niliwalinda"]·swe["att-bevara"]·tam["காக்க"]·tel["కాపాడుటకు"]·tgl["panatilihin"]·TH["รักษา"]·TR["koru","korudu","korudum","korumak","koruyacak","koruyun","saklamak"]·ukr["зберегти"]·urd["بچاؤ","بچانے-کو","حفاظت کی","حفاظت-کرنا","حفاظت-کرے-گا","حفاظت-کرےگا","محفوظ-رکھ","محفوظ-رکھا،"]·VI["gìn-giữ"]·yor["pa-yín-mọ́"]·yue["保守"]·ZH["保守"]
John 12:25, John 17:12, 2 Thess 3:3, 1 Tim 6:20, 2 Tim 1:12, 2 Tim 1:14, 2 Pet 2:5, 1 John 5:21, Jude 1:24
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
1. keep, observe commandments — To keep or observe commandments, laws, and teachings faithfully. This is the moral-obedience sense, prominent in the Gospels when the rich young ruler claims 'all these I have kept from my youth' (Matt 19:20, Mark 10:20, Luke 18:21). Luke 11:28 pronounces blessing on those who hear God's word and phulasso it. Spanish guardar and French garder both cover this 'keep/observe' meaning, while German bewahren adds the nuance of cherishing what is kept. 10×
AR["أَن-يَحفَظوا","الْحافِظينَها","تَحفَظُ","تَحْفَظَ","تَحْفَظُوا","حَفِظتُ","حَفِظْتُهَا","لا-يَحفَظونَ","يَحْفَظْ"]·ben["তুমি-পালন-কর,","পালন-করতে","পালন-করলে।","পালন-করে","পালন-করে,","পালন-করে;","পালন-করেছি"]·DE["bewahren","bewahrt"]·EN["I-have-kept","I-kept","keep","keeping","keeps","kept","to-keep","you-keep"]·FR["garder","préserver"]·heb["יִשְׁמֹר","לִשְׁמֹר","שְׁמַרְתֶּם","שָׁמַרְתִּי","שׁוֹמְרִים","שׁוֹמְרִים;","שׁוֹמֵר","תִּשְׁמֹר"]·HI["पअलन-करते-हैन;","पालन-करना","पालन-किया","पाला","मअन","मानने-वाले","माने","रखे"]·ID["aku-pelihara","aku-telah-memelihara","engkau-pelihara","kupelihara","memelihara","memelihara,","memelihara.","memeliharanya","menaati","menjaga"]·IT["custodire"]·jav["kawula-sampun-njagi","kula-rumeksa","kula-sampun-nindakaken","netepi","netepi,","netepi;","ngestokaken,","njagi.","panjenengan-jagi,"]·KO["지켰다","지켰습니다","지키기를,","지키노라;","지키는-자들이","지키라고","지키면","지키지"]·PT["guardar","guardastes","guardei","guardei.","guardes","para-guardarem,"]·RU["соблюдает","соблюдать","соблюдают","соблюли","сохранил","сохранил.","сохранит","хранил-ты","хранящие"]·ES["guarda","guardan","guardar","guardasteis","guarde","guardes","guardé","la-guardan"]·SW["anayashika","asiyashike","hawaishiki","kushika","mliishika","nimeyashika","nimezishika","uyashike","wanaolishika"]·TR["korudum","korursa,","koruyasin","tutanlar","tutarsa","tutmak","tuttum","tuttunuz","tutuyorlar"]·urd["بجا-لایا-ہے","بچایا","تو-مانے","حفاظت-کرنا","رکھا","رکھتے-ہیں","مانے","محفوظ-رکھتے-ہیں","پالن-کیا","پورا-کرے"]
3. guard, watch over — To guard or watch over physically as a sentinel, custodian, or military detail. Shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night in Luke 2:8 provide the most vivid image. Acts 12:4 describes soldiers assigned to phulasso Peter in prison. Luke 11:21 pictures a strong man guarding his palace. Spanish custodiar ('to guard/watch') and guardando ('guarding') both capture the concrete, physical dimension of this sense. 8×
AR["أَنْ-يُحْفَظَ","حَافِظًا","لِـ-يَحْرُسُوا","مَحروسًا","يَحرُسُهُ","يَحْرُسُ","يَحْرُسُونَ"]·ben["পালন-করতে","পাহারা-দিতে","পাহারা-দিতেছে","পাহারা-দেওয়া","পাহারা-দেয়","পাহারাদার","রক্ষিত-হইতে"]·DE["bewahrt"]·EN["being-guarded","guarding","guards","keeping","to-be-guarded","to-guard"]·FR["garder"]·heb["לְהִשָּׁמֵר","לִשְׁמֹר","נִשְׁמָר","שׁוֹמְרִים","שׁוֹמֵר"]·HI["पहरा-करनेवाले","पहरा-देने-को","पालन-करते-हुए","रखता-है","रखवाने","रखवाली-करता-हुआ","रखवाली-करते-हुए","रखवाली-होते"]·ID["dijaga","menaati","menjaga","yang-menjaga"]·IT["custodire"]·jav["dipun-jaga","dipun-jagi","ingkang-njagi","njagi"]·KO["지켜졌고","지키게-했다","지키는","지키라고","지키며","지키면"]·PT["guardando","que-guardava","sendo-guardado"]·RU["охраняемого","охраняет","охранять","охраняющий","охраняющим","соблюдая","стерегущие","стеречь"]·ES["custodiar","guarda","guardando","que-lo-custodiaba","ser-guardado","vigilado"]·SW["akilindwa","analinda","askari-aliyelinda","kulindwa","kumlinda","nikilinda","ukishika","wakilinda"]·TR["bekleyerek","korumak-için","korunan,","korunmasını","koruyan","koruyor","tutarak"]·urd["حفاظت-کرتا-ہے","رکھتے-ہوئے","رکھنا","رکھوالی-کرتے","نگہبانی-کرتا-ہوا","پہرہ-کرنے","پہرے-دینے-والے","پہرے-میں"]
4. guard against, beware of — To guard against, beware of, or take precaution — typically in the middle voice (phulassomai) with reflexive force. Luke 12:15 warns 'guard yourselves from all greed.' Acts 21:25 urges Gentile believers to guard themselves from idol-contaminated food. In 2 Peter 3:17, believers are told to beware lest they be carried away by error. The shift from active ('guard something') to middle ('guard yourself against') marks a distinct semantic move from custody to caution. 4×
AR["أَنْ-يَحْتَرِسُوا","احتَرِسوا","احْتَرِسُوا","احْذَرْهُ"]·ben["পালন-করতে","সাবধান-থাক","সাবধান-থাক,","সাবধান-হও"]·DE["bewahren","bewahrt"]·EN["beware-of","guard-yourselves","to-guard"]·FR["garder","préserver"]·heb["הִשְׁמְרוּ","הִשָּׁמֵר","הִשָׁמְרוּ","לִשְׁמֹר-אֶת-עַצְמָם"]·HI["बच,","बचने-को","बचो","सावधान-रहो"]·ID["berjaga-jagalah","jagalah,","menjaga","waspadalah"]·IT["custodire"]·jav["kawula-waspadaa","njagi","waspada,"]·KO["조심하라","지키라,","지키라고"]·PT["guardai-vos","guardarem-se"]·RU["берегись","берегитесь","храниться"]·ES["guardaos","guardarse","guárdate"]·SW["jihadharini","mjihadhari","wajiepushe"]·TR["korunun","sakın","sakınmalarını","sakının"]·urd["بچ-کر-رہ","بچنا","بچو","ہوشیار-رہو،"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
φῠλάσσω, Attic dialect φυλάττω, Epic dialect infinitive φυλασσέμεναι Refs 8th c.BC+; poetry imperfect φύλασσε Refs 5th c.BC+: future φυλάξω Refs 8th c.BC+aorist ἐφύλαξα, Epic dialect φύλ- Refs 8th c.BC+: perfect πεφύλᾰχα LXX+5th c.BC+:—middle, future -άξομαιRefs 5th c.BC+; also in passive sense, Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἐφυλαξάμην Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, future -αχθήσομαιRefs 1st c.BC+: aorist…