Lexical Summary basanistés: Torturer, tormentor Original Word: βασανιστής Strong's Exhaustive Concordance tormentor. From basanizo; a torturer -- tormentor. see GREEK basanizo HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 930 basanistḗs (from 928 /basanízō) – a guard in a prison "whose function was to torture prisoners as a phase of judicial examination – prison guard, torturer" (L & N, 1, 37.126). See 928 (basanizō). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom basanizó Definition a torturer NASB Translation torturers (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 930: βασανιστήςβασανιστής, βασανιστου, ὁ (βασανίζω), one who elicits the truth by the use of the rack, an inquisitor, torturer, ((Antiphon, others); Demosthenes, p. 978, 11; Philo in Flacc. § 11 end; (de concupisc. § 1; quod omn. prob. book 16; Plutarch, an vitios. ad infel. suff. § 2)); used in Matthew 18:34 of a jailer (δεσμοφύλαξ Acts 16:23), doubtless because the business of torturing was also assigned to him. Topical Lexicon Essential Scripture Occurrence Matthew 18:34 records the only New Testament use of the noun, describing the king who, “in anger … handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed”. The setting is the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus’ climactic warning against harboring unforgiveness. Historical Background • In the Roman world a debtor could be confined to a guarded prison where professional “tormentors” extracted payment through physical hardship and public shame. Theological Significance Judicial Symbolism: The parable uses earthly custodians of pain to foreshadow divine justice. As a king’s jailers administer discipline in time, so God’s judgment addresses unrepentant sin in eternity (Matthew 18:35; Revelation 20:11-15). Retributive Equity: The servant who refused mercy receives measure-for-measure treatment (compare James 2:13). The image of tormentors dramatizes the moral law that forgiven people must forgive. Foretaste of Eternal Torment: Scripture elsewhere speaks of final torment for the unredeemed (Luke 16:23-28; Revelation 14:10-11). The parable’s temporal suffering previews the ultimate consequence of rejecting God’s grace. Practical Ministry Implications Pastoral Counseling: Persistent bitterness often manifests in emotional “torment” such as anxiety, restlessness, or fractured relationships. Teaching Matthew 18 underscores that release comes through extending forgiveness. Church Discipline: The community may suspend privileges for an unrepentant member (1 Corinthians 5:5), echoing the parable’s pattern of temporary hardship designed to awaken repentance. Evangelism and Apologetics: The figure of the tormentor offers a vivid entry point to discuss sin’s seriousness, God’s holiness, and the urgency of reconciliation through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). Intercessory Prayer: Recognizing spiritual torment motivates prayer for deliverance of believers caught in unforgiveness and for unbelievers facing ultimate judgment. Related Biblical Themes • Divine Mercy and Human Obligation – Matthew 6:12-15; Colossians 3:13 The solitary appearance of this term thus opens a window onto the gravity of grace, the peril of an unforgiving heart, and the reality of both temporal and eternal consequences. Forms and Transliterations βασανισταις βασανισταίς βασανισταῖς basanistais basanistaîsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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