Lexical Summary phulaktérion: Phylactery Original Word: φυλακτήριον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance phylactery. Neuter of a derivative of phulasso; a guard-case, i.e. "phylactery" for wearing slips of Scripture texts -- phylactery. see GREEK phulasso HELPS Word-studies 5440 phylaktḗrion (from 5442 /phylássō, "to keep, preserve") – phylacteries; small, leather cases containing four key passages of Scripture (Ex 13:1-10, 11-16; Dt 6:4-9, 13-21). Strapped to the inside of the left arm (between the shoulder and the elbow), phylacteries "rest over the heart" during prayer. They are also strapped on the wrist and forehead to signify how the Word of God should regulate all behavior and thoughts. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as phulassó and -térion (suff. denoting place) Definition an outpost, fortification, an amulet NASB Translation phylacteries (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5440: φυλακτήριονφυλακτήριον, φυλακτηριου, τό (neuter of the adjective φυλακτηριος, φυλακτήρια, φυλακτήριον, from φυλακτήρ (`poetic for φύλαξ')); 1. a fortified place provided with a garrison, a station for a guard or garrison. 2. a preservative or safeguard, an amulet: Demosthenes, p. 71, 24; Dioscorides ( The idea behind the New Testament “phylacteries” traces directly to the covenant charge of Exodus and Deuteronomy. The Lord commands, “It shall be a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the Lord is to be on your lips” (Exodus 13:9; cf. Exodus 13:16). Deuteronomy develops the theme: “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes” (Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18). While these verses emphasize internalizing the Word, later Jewish tradition crafted leather boxes (tefillin) containing four passages—Exodus 13:1-10; 13:11-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21—to be strapped on arm and forehead during prayer, making the invisible obedience visible. Development in Second Temple Judaism Archaeological finds at Qumran and Murabbaʿat show that physical phylacteries were in use by the second century before Christ. Rabbinic discussion in the Mishnah (e.g., Menahoth 3:7) standardized size, placement, and daytime use. By the time of Jesus, enlarged cases and ornate straps could signal status, blurring devotion with display. Usage in Matthew 23:5 The single New Testament reference exposes that tension: “They do all their deeds to be seen by men. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels” (Matthew 23:5). Jesus denounces not the object itself but the motive—religious ostentation that substitutes for heart obedience (compare Isaiah 29:13; Micah 6:8). Theological Significance 1. Memory and Meditation: Phylacteries remind Israel to keep God’s mighty acts before eyes and hands—symbols of thought and action (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2). Practical Ministry Implications • Encourage visible reminders—Scripture art, phone alarms, memorization cards—only as aids to inward transformation (Colossians 3:16; James 1:22). Patristic and Early Church Perspective Early Christian writers interpreted the Old Testament command allegorically: – Justin Martyr argued that the Law prophetically pointed to faith in Christ written on the heart, not on straps. – Origen urged believers to make the cross and the Word their true frontlet, guiding every thought. The Church therefore distanced itself from literal phylacteries while embracing continual Scripture meditation as their enduring essence. Continued Jewish Practice and Christian Insight Tefillin remain a treasured mitzvah in rabbinic Judaism, worn each weekday morning. Christians, honoring the same Scriptures, may observe the practice with respect while recognizing that the new covenant inscribes the Law on the heart by the Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3). Thus, the single Gospel reference stands as a timeless call to sincerity: God desires lives bound to His Word, not boxes bound to the body. |
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