Word Study for G1199 (δεσμόν)

desmón /des-mos'/ Ask about this word

Rootneuter and masculine respectively from δέω

Meaninga band, i.e. ligament (of the body) or shackle (of a prisoner); figuratively, an impediment or disability

KJV usageband, bond, chain, string.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of desmón — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word desmón, represented by G1199, is a term for a band, bond, or chain. It appears 20 times across 20 unique verses. While its primary meaning refers to the literal shackle of a prisoner or a physical ligament, it is also used figuratively in scripture to describe an impediment or disability.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, G1199 appears in several significant contexts. The Apostle Paul frequently uses it to refer to his own imprisonment, describing his bonds in Christ that have become known throughout the palace Philippians 1:13. He writes of his affection for Onesimus, whom he considers a son begotten in his bonds Philemon 1:10. The term is also used for literal physical restraints, as when an earthquake shook a prison and "every one's bands were loosed" Acts 16:26. In a figurative sense, it describes a physical disability, as when the string of a man's tongue was loosed, enabling him to speak Mark 7:35. The word is also used to describe supernatural confinement, referring to the "everlasting chains" that bind fallen angels Jude 1:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words are derived from or connected to G1199, expanding on the concept of binding and imprisonment:

G1210 déō (to bind): This is the root verb from which desmón is derived. It refers to the act of binding, as when Jesus speaks of a woman whom Satan has bound for eighteen years Luke 13:16.
G1196 desméō (to tie, i.e. shackle): This verb, derived from desmón, is used to describe the state of being shackled, such as the man with an unclean spirit who was kept bound with chains and in fetters Luke 8:29.
G1201 desmōtḗrion (a place of bondage, i.e. a dungeon): This noun refers to a prison, the place where bonds are used. The foundations of the prison were shaken in Philippi, leading to the prisoners' bands being loosed Acts 16:26.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of G1199 is evident in its various applications.

Suffering for the Gospel: Paul does not see his imprisonment as mere punishment but as bonds in Christ Philippians 1:13. His suffering is a testimony that serves for the "defence and confirmation of the gospel" Philippians 1:7 and encourages others to speak the word "without fear" Philippians 1:14.
Spiritual and Physical Bondage: The word illustrates states of captivity that require divine intervention. A "daughter of Abraham" is described as being in a bond from which she ought to be loosed, having been bound by Satan Luke 13:16. In another account, a man possessed by a devil breaks the bands and fetters used to restrain him Luke 8:29.
Divine Authority and Judgment: The term is used to convey God's ultimate power to restrain evil. Fallen angels who left their first estate are reserved in "everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day" Jude 1:6, showing that even the most powerful spiritual beings are subject to God's sovereign justice.

Summary

In summary, G1199 is a multifaceted word that moves from the literal to the metaphorical. It describes the physical shackles of apostles, the spiritual bondage of humanity under sin and Satan, and the ultimate restraint of divine judgment. Through Paul's writings, the concept of bonds is transformed from a mark of shame into a badge of honor worn for the sake of the gospel, illustrating a profound truth about suffering and faith.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a noun across 19 occurrences, inflected in 8 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it. These are this word’s own inflections, not words built from it — for those, see Related Words.

δεσμοῖς
δεσμῶν
δεσμὰ
δεσμούς
δεσμὰ
δεσμῶν
δεσμοῦ
δεσμὸς

Related Words

3 entries in Strong’s name this word as their origin. These are its derivatives — a different relationship from the inflected forms above, which are this same word bent by grammar.

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 20 verses across 9 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (6 verses); never once in the other 18.

Mark

Luke

Acts

Philippians

Colossians

2 Timothy

Philemon

Hebrews

Jude

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.