Reference: Prison
Easton
The first occasion on which we read of a prison is in the history of Joseph in Egypt. Then Potiphar, "Joseph's master, took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound" (Ge 39:20-23). The Heb word here used (sohar) means properly a round tower or fortress. It seems to have been a part of Potiphar's house, a place in which state prisoners were kept.
The Mosaic law made no provision for imprisonment as a punishment. In the wilderness two persons were "put in ward" (Le 24:12; Nu 15:34), but it was only till the mind of God concerning them should be ascertained. Prisons and prisoners are mentioned in the book of Psalms (Ps 69:33; 79:11; 142:7). Samson was confined in a Philistine prison (Jg 16:21,25). In the subsequent history of Israel frequent references are made to prisons (1Ki 22:27; 2Ki 17:4; 25:27,29; 2Ch 16:10; Isa 42:7; Jer 32:2). Prisons seem to have been common in New Testament times (Mt 11:2; 25:36,43). The apostles were put into the "common prison" at the instance of the Jewish council (Ac 5:18,23; 8:3); and at Philippi Paul and Silas were thrust into the "inner prison" (Ac 16:24; comp. Ac 4:3; 12:4-5).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
So Joseph's lord took him and delivered him up to the prison,: the place where, the prisoners of the king, were imprisoned, - so he was there, in the prison. And it came to pass that, Yahweh, was with Joseph, and extended unto him lovingkindness, - and gave him his favour in the eyes of the chief of the prison. read more. So the chief of the prison delivered up, into Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison, - and of all that was doing them, he, was the doer. After nothing, was the chief of the prison looking, of whatever was in his hand, - in that Yahweh, was with him, and whatsoever, he was doing, Yahweh, was causing to prosper.
and they put him in ward, - that a clear answer might be given to them at the mouth of Yahweh.
And they put him in ward, - because it was not clear what they should do unto him.
And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, - and took him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of bronze, and it came to pass that he used to grind in the prison.
And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called for Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them, and they stationed him between the pillars.
and thou shalt say - Thus, saith the king, Put this man into the prison, - and let him eat the bread of oppression, with the water of oppression, until I enter in peace.
For, a Hearkener to the needy, is Yahweh, And, his prisoners, hath he not despised.
Let the groaning of the prisoner, come in before thee, - According to the greatness of thine arm, Set free them who are appointed to death.
O bring forth, out of prison, my soul, That I may give thanks unto thy Name, - About me, let the righteous gather round, for thou wilt deal bountifully with me.
To open eyes that are blind, - To bring forth Out of the dungeon the captive Out of the prison, the dwellers in darkness.
and, then, the forces of the king of Babylon were besieging Jerusalem, - and, Jeremiah the prophet, had been shut up in the guard-court, which was in the house of the king of Judah;
Now, John, hearing in the prison the works of the Christ, sending through his disciples,
Naked, and ye clothed me, sick, and ye visited me, in prison, was I, and ye came unto me.
A stranger, was I, and ye took me not home, naked, and ye clothed me not, sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
And they thrust on them their hands, and put them in custody for the morrow, for it was evening, already.
And thrust their hands upon the Apostles, and put them in a public ward.
Saying - The prison, found we locked with all safety, and the keepers standing at the doors; but, when we had opened the prison, inside, found we, no one.
But, Saul, went on to lay waste the assembly, along the houses, going in, and, dragging off both men and women, was
Whom also having seized, he put into prison, delivering him up unto four quaternions of soldiers, to be guarding him, - intending, after the passover, to bring him up unto the people. Peter, therefore, was kept in the prison; but, prayer, was, earnestly, being made by the assembly, unto God, concerning him.
who, a charge like this receiving, thrust them into the inner prison, and, their feet, made he fast in the stocks.
Hastings
Imprisonment, in the modern sense of strict confinement under guard, had no recognized place as a punishment for criminals under the older Hebrew legislation (see Crimes and Punishments,
See Verses Found in Dictionary
and took him, and cast him into the pit, but the pit, was empty, there was in it no water.
So Joseph's lord took him and delivered him up to the prison,: the place where, the prisoners of the king, were imprisoned, - so he was there, in the prison.
After nothing, was the chief of the prison looking, of whatever was in his hand, - in that Yahweh, was with him, and whatsoever, he was doing, Yahweh, was causing to prosper.
so he delivered them up into the ward of the house of the chief of the royal executioners, into the prison, - the place where Joseph was imprisoned.
And they dreamed a dream they two, each man, his dream in one night, each man, according to the interpretation of his dream, - the butler and the baker who belonged to the king of Egypt, who were imprisoned in the prison.
And it came to pass, at midnight, that Yahweh, smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat upon his throne, unto the firstborn of the captive who was in the pit of his prison, - and every firstborn of beasts.
And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, - and took him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of bronze, and it came to pass that he used to grind in the prison.
And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called for Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them, and they stationed him between the pillars.
Then was Asa angry with the seer, and put him in the house of the stocks, for he was in a rage with him, over this, - and Asa oppressed some of the people, at that time.
But, whosoever shall not do the law of thy God and the law of the king, speedily, let, penalty, be exacted from him, - whether to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
then Pashhur smote Jeremiah the prophet, - and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of Yahweh.
Yahweh, hath made thee priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be deputies in the house of Yahweh, to any man who is raving and prophesying, so shalt thou put him into the stocks and into the pillory:
Now, Jeremiah, was coming in and going out in the midst of the people, for they had not put him into prison.
Then were the princes wroth against Jeremiah, and smote him, - and put him in prison, in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for that, had they made the prison.
Then were the princes wroth against Jeremiah, and smote him, - and put him in prison, in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for that, had they made the prison.
Then were the princes wroth against Jeremiah, and smote him, - and put him in prison, in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for that, had they made the prison. When Jeremiah had entered into the dungeon-house and into the cells, and Jeremiah, had remained there many days,
When Jeremiah had entered into the dungeon-house and into the cells, and Jeremiah, had remained there many days,
And Jeremiah said unto King Zedekiah, - What sin have I committed against thee, or against thy servants or against this people, that ye have delivered me up into prison?
then went forth Ebed-melech out of the house of the king, and spake unto the king, saying:
And it came to pass, in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year he began to reign, lifted up, the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison;
As for thee also, - By the blood of thy covenant, have I sent forth thy prisoners out of a pit, wherein is no water.
For, Herod, seizing John, had bound him, and, in prison, put him away, - because of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother;
and sent and beheaded John in the prison.
And they thrust on them their hands, and put them in custody for the morrow, for it was evening, already.
And thrust their hands upon the Apostles, and put them in a public ward.
who, a charge like this receiving, thrust them into the inner prison, and, their feet, made he fast in the stocks.
who, a charge like this receiving, thrust them into the inner prison, and, their feet, made he fast in the stocks.
And he abode two whole years in his own hired house, and made welcome all who were coming in unto him, -
in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in toilings, in watchings, in fastings,
In which, even unto the spirits in prison, he went and proclaimed, -
Morish
In Egypt, in Babylon, among the Romans, and doubtless in most other nations, these were used as places in which to secure prisoners. Joseph was cast into prison, and his feet were hurt with fetters (Ps 105:18), though it does not appear that there was any trial as to the crime of which he was accused. God interfered on his behalf, and made the keeper or jailor favourable to him, and he committed all the prisoners into Joseph's care. This was the royal prison, but the condition of the place is not known: he called it 'the dungeon.'
Jeremiah was confined in 'the court of the prison,' a place to which the Jews could come and where they could converse with him. Jer 32:2-12. Jehoiachin was in prison in Babylon. Jer 52:31. The prison at Jerusalem, under the Romans, is more fully described. Peter was bound by two chains, and lay asleep between two soldiers. It was under military rule, and the soldiers were responsible for the safety of the prisoners. The angel conducted Peter through the first and second guard to the outer iron gate that led into the city. This shows what is meant by the 'inner prison' mentioned elsewhere. Acts 12. At Philippi there was a jailor who was responsible for the safety of the prisoners. He, supposing some had escaped, was about to destroy himself, when Paul stopped him. Ac 16:23-27.
Fallen angels are said to be kept in 'everlasting chains,' Jude 1:6; and there are spirits which are kept in prison. 1Pe 3:19. The abyss in which Satan is to be shut up for the thousand years is also called a prison, which may refer to the same place. Re 20:7.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
They forced, into a fetter, his foot, Into the iron, entered his soul;
and, then, the forces of the king of Babylon were besieging Jerusalem, - and, Jeremiah the prophet, had been shut up in the guard-court, which was in the house of the king of Judah; whom Zedekiah king of Judah, had shut up, saying, - Why art thou prophesying, saying, - Thus, saith Yahweh, Behold me! giving up this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it; read more. and, Zedekiah king of Judah! shall not be delivered out of the hand of the Chaldeans, - for he shall be wholly given up, into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak - the mouth of the one to the mouth of the other, and the eyes of the one into the eyes of the other, shall look; and into Babylon, shall he lead Zedekiah and, there, shall he remain, until I visit him, Declareth Yahweh, - though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper? And Jeremiah said, - The word of Yahweh came unto me saying: Lo! Hanameel son of Shallum thine uncle, hath come unto thee saying, - Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth, for, thine, is the right of redemption to buy it. So Hanameel son of mine uncle, came unto me, according to the word of Yahweh into the guard-court, and said unto me, Buy, I pray thee my field that is in Anathoth which is in the land of Benjamin, for, thine, is the right of inheritance, and, thine, the redemption, - buy it for thyself. So I knew, that the word of Yahweh, it was. And I bought the field from Hanameel son of mine uncle that was in Anathoth, - and weighed him the silver, seventeen shekels, was the silver; and I wrote in the scroll and sealed it, and took in attestation witnesses, - and weighed the silver in the balances. Then took I the scroll of purchase, both that which was sealed - the title and the conditions - and that which was open; and gave the scroll of purchase unto Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle -- s son , and in the sight of the witnesses who subscribed the scroll of purchase, - in the sight of all the Jews who were sitting in the guard-court.
And it came to pass, in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year he began to reign, lifted up, the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison;
and, laying upon them many stripes, they thrust them into prison, charging the prison-keeper, safely, to be keeping them: who, a charge like this receiving, thrust them into the inner prison, and, their feet, made he fast in the stocks. read more. And, at midnight, Paul and Silas, being at prayer, began singing praise unto God; and the prisoners unto them, did hearken. And, suddenly, a great earthquake took place, - so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and all the doors were instantlyset open, and the bonds of all were unfastened. And, the prison-keeper, being wakened and seeing that the doors of the prison had been opened, drawing his sword, was about to kill himself, supposing the prisoners to have fled.
In which, even unto the spirits in prison, he went and proclaimed, -
Messengers also, even them who had not kept their own principality, but had forsaken their proper dwelling, unto the judgment of the great day in perpetual bonds under thick gloom, hath he reserved.
And, as soon as the thousand years, shall be ended, the Accuser shall be loosed out of his prison,
Smith
[For imprisonment as a punishment, see PUNISHMENTS] It is plain that in Egypt special places were used as prisons, and that they were under the custody of a military officer.
See Punishments
During the wandering in the desert we read on two occasions of confinement "in ward" --
but as imprisonment was not directed by the law, so we hear of none till the time of the kings, when the prison appears as an appendage to the palace, or a special part of it.
Private houses were sometimes used as places of confinement. By the Romans the tower of Antoni, was used as a prison at Jerusalem,
and at Caesarea the praetorium of Herod. The royal prisons In those days were doubtless managed after the Roman fashion, and chains, fetters and stocks were used as means of confinement. See
One of the readiest places for confinement was a dry or partially-dry wall or pit.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
so he delivered them up into the ward of the house of the chief of the royal executioners, into the prison, - the place where Joseph was imprisoned.
and they put him in ward, - that a clear answer might be given to them at the mouth of Yahweh.
And they put him in ward, - because it was not clear what they should do unto him.
and thou shalt say - Thus, saith the king, Put this man into the prison, - and let him eat the bread of oppression, with the water of oppression, until I enter in peace.
Then said they, - We will not drink wine, - for Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, laid command upon us, saying, Ye shall not drink wine, ye, nor your sons, unto times age-abiding; nor house, shall ye build nor, seed, shall ye sow, nor vineyard, shall ye plant, neither shall ye have them, - but in tents, shall ye dwell, all your days, that ye may live many days on the face of the soil where ye are sojourning. read more. So we have hearkened unto the voice of Jonadab, son of Rechab, our father, in all that be commanded us, - not to drink wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons nor our daughters; and not to bud houses for us to dwell in, - and so, vineyard or field or seed, have we none; but we have dwelt in tents, - and have hearkened and done, according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. And so it came to pass when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, - Let us even enter, Jerusalem, because of the force of the Chaldeans and because of the force of the Syrians: So have we dwelt in Jerusalem.
who, a charge like this receiving, thrust them into the inner prison, and, their feet, made he fast in the stocks.
And, great dissension arising, the captain, fearing lest Paul would be torn in pieces by them, ordered the troop to go down, and take him by force out of their midst, to bring him into the castle.