### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **desmṓtēs**, represented by `{{G1202}}`, is a term for a **prisoner** or **captive**. It appears only **2 times** in **2 unique verses** within the New Testament, both instances occurring in the same narrative context. Its meaning is straightforward, referring to one who is bound or held in custody.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The use of `{{G1202}}` is confined to the book of Acts, specifically within the account of Paul's perilous sea voyage to Italy. In the first instance, Paul and other **prisoners** are delivered into the custody of a centurion named Julius [[Acts 27:1]]. Later in the same chapter, during a shipwreck, the soldiers' plan was to kill the **prisoners** to prevent any from swimming to shore and escaping [[Acts 27:42]]. These occurrences ground the word in a literal context of physical imprisonment and the threat of death.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words illuminate the circumstances surrounding the **prisoner**:
* `{{G3860}}` **paradídōmi** (to surrender, i.e yield up, intrust, transmit): This verb describes the action taken toward the prisoners, as they were **delivered** to the centurion for transport [[Acts 27:1]].
* `{{G615}}` **apokteínō** (to kill outright; figuratively, to destroy): This word conveys the lethal intent of the soldiers, who counseled to **kill** the prisoners in a moment of crisis [[Acts 27:42]].
* `{{G1309}}` **diapheúgō** (to flee through, i.e. escape): This is the potential action that the soldiers feared, prompting their plan to kill the prisoners lest they **escape** [[Acts 27:42]].
### Theological Significance
While `{{G1202}}` itself is used literally, its associated actions carry significant theological weight, connecting the plight of the prisoner to broader biblical themes.
* **Sacrificial Surrender:** The act of being "delivered" `{{G3860}}` over as a prisoner uses the same Greek word that describes Christ being **delivered** up for us [[Romans 8:32]] and giving himself [[Galatians 2:20]], linking the state of a captive to a model of divine sacrifice.
* **The Cost of Discipleship:** The threat to **kill** `{{G615}}` the prisoners [[Acts 27:42]] echoes the warnings given to believers that they would be **delivered** up to be afflicted and **killed** for their faith [[Matthew 24:9]].
* **Divine vs. Human Judgment:** The same verb for "delivering" a prisoner to Roman custody `{{G3860}}` is used when God **gave** people over to a reprobate mind [[Romans 1:28]], highlighting a contrast between human judgment and divine judgment.
### Summary
In summary, **desmṓtēs** `{{G1202}}` is a specific and rare term for a **prisoner**. Though its direct application is limited to the literal narrative of Paul's captivity in Acts, the context in which it appears—being delivered over and facing death—connects the physical experience of a captive to the profound spiritual realities of sacrifice, persecution, and divine purpose that are central to the New Testament.
TRV