In biblical times, dungeons were often used as places of confinement and punishment. The term "dungeon" in the Bible typically refers to a subterranean prison or a pit where individuals were held captive. These places were often dark, damp, and uncomfortable, serving as a means of detaining individuals in harsh conditions.

Old Testament References

1. Joseph in Egypt: One of the most notable references to a dungeon in the Old Testament is the account of Joseph. After being falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, Joseph was cast into a prison, which is described as a dungeon. Genesis 40:15 records Joseph's words: "For I was indeed kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon." This account highlights the unjust nature of his imprisonment and the harsh conditions he endured.

2. Jeremiah the Prophet: The prophet Jeremiah also experienced confinement in a dungeon. During the reign of King Zedekiah, Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern, which functioned as a dungeon, due to his prophecies against Jerusalem. Jeremiah 38:6 states, "So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes. Now there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud." This illustrates the severe conditions and the prophet's suffering for speaking God's truth.

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not explicitly use the term "dungeon," the concept of imprisonment in harsh conditions is present. The apostles and early Christians often faced imprisonment for their faith.

1. Paul and Silas in Philippi: In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi after casting out a spirit from a slave girl. Acts 16:24 describes their confinement: "On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks." This inner cell can be likened to a dungeon, emphasizing the severity of their imprisonment.

Symbolic and Theological Implications

Dungeons in the Bible often symbolize the trials and tribulations faced by God's people. They serve as a backdrop for demonstrating faithfulness and reliance on God amidst suffering. The accounts of Joseph, Jeremiah, and the apostles illustrate how God can deliver and sustain His people even in the darkest of circumstances.

Cultural and Historical Context

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, dungeons were typically underground chambers or pits. They were used not only for punishment but also for holding prisoners before trial or execution. The conditions were intentionally harsh to deter crime and rebellion. The biblical accounts reflect these historical realities, providing insight into the justice systems of the time.

Conclusion

The concept of a dungeon in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor for spiritual and physical trials. It underscores the themes of suffering, endurance, and divine deliverance that are prevalent throughout Scripture.Dungeon

[PRISON]

Different from the ordinary prison in being more severe as a place of punishment. Like the Roman inner prison (Acts 16:24), it consisted of a deep cell or cistern (Jeremiah 38:6). To be shut up in, a punishment common in Egypt (Genesis 39:20; 40:3; 41:10; 42:19). It is not mentioned, however, in the law of Moses as a mode of punishment. Under the later kings imprisonment was frequently used as a punishment (2 Chronicles 16:10; Jeremiah 20:2; 32:2; 33:1; 37:15), and it was customary after the Exile (Matthew 11:2; Luke 3:20; Acts 5:18, 21; Matthew 18:30). 1. (n.) A close, dark prison, common/, under ground, as if the lower apartments of the donjon or keep of a castle, these being used as prisons.

2. (v. t.) To shut up in a dungeon.

DUNGEON

dun'-jun. See PRISON.

2623. katakleio -- to shut up
... shut up. From kata and kleio; to shut down (in a dungeon), ie Incarcerate -- shut
up. see GREEK kata. see GREEK kleio. (katekleisa) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2623.htm - 6k

1201. desmoterion -- a prison
... prison. From a derivative of desmon (equivalent to desmeo); a place of bondage,
ie A dungeon -- prison. see GREEK desmon. see GREEK desmeo. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1201.htm - 6k

4525. masger -- a locksmith, smith, a dungeon
... 4524, 4525. masger. 4526 . a locksmith, smith, a dungeon. Transliteration:
masger Phonetic Spelling: (mas-gare') Short Definition: smiths. ...
/hebrew/4525.htm - 6k

1004. bayith -- a house
... house NASB Word Usage armory* (1), beneath (1), Beth-ashbea* (1), Beth-togarmah*
(2), between* (2), boxes (1), buildings (2), daughter (1), dungeon* (2), faced ...
/hebrew/1004.htm - 7k

953. bowr -- a pit, cistern, well
... 952, 953. bowr. 953a . a pit, cistern, well. Transliteration: bowr Phonetic
Spelling: (bore) Short Definition: cistern. cistern, dungeon, fountain, pit, well ...
/hebrew/953.htm - 5k

953a. bor -- a pit, cistern, well
... Word Origin from baar Definition a pit, cistern, well NASB Word Usage cistern (14),
cisterns (3), death (1), dungeon (3), dungeon* (2), pit (35), pits (2 ...
/hebrew/953a.htm - 5k

5470. sohar -- perhaps roundness
... prison. From the same as cahar; a dungeon (as surrounded by walls) -- prison. see
HEBREW cahar. 5469, 5470. sohar. 5471 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/5470.htm - 6k

6495. peqach-qoach -- an opening
... opening of the prison. From paqach redoubled; opening (of a dungeon), ie Jail-delivery
(figuratively, salvation for sin) -- opening of the prison. ...
/hebrew/6495.htm - 6k

7845. shachath -- a pit
... Word Origin from shuach Definition a pit NASB Word Usage destruction (1), dungeon
(1), hole (1), pit (18), undergo decay (2). corruption ...
/hebrew/7845.htm - 6k

Goodness in a Dungeon
... GENESIS GOODNESS IN A DUNGEON. 'And Joseph's master took him, and put him
into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/goodness in a dungeon.htm

In the Dungeon of Giant Discourager
... CHAPTER NINE IN THE DUNGEON OF GIANT DISCOURAGER. IN THE DUNGEON OF GIANT
DISCOURAGER ... For a long time old Despair has had me in his dungeon. ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/chapter nine in the dungeon.htm

Argument. --When the Saints were Apprehended, St. Perpetua ...
... St. Perpetua Successfully Resisted Her Father's Pleading, Was Baptized
with the Others, Was Thrust into a Filthy Dungeon. Anxious ...
/.../chapter i argument when the saints were.htm

The True Spirit of Missions.
... simple illustration. You are a captive in a foreign land, and have long
been immured in a deep, damp, and gloomy dungeon. Sorrow ...
/.../dibble/thoughts on missions/chapter i the true spirit.htm

But in the Case of those Who, after that they were Thrown into ...
... But in the case of those who, after that they were thrown into prison, and in the
dungeon, as in a place besieged, endured afflictions and nauseous odours, but ...
/.../peter/the writings of peter of alexandria/canon ii but in the.htm

The Restoration of the Jews.
... The roll destroyed."Jeremiah attempts to leave the city."The king sends for
Jeremiah."He is imprisoned."Jeremiah cast into a dungeon."The king orders ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter ix the restoration of.htm

The Martyrdom of John
... You touch a secret spring, and there yawns in the floor a gap leading down to a
dungeon. Conscience thus wakened is free from all illusions as to guilt. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/the martyrdom of john.htm

Pastoral and Personal
... Onesiphorus had difficulty in finding him (2:Tim.1:16, 17) and he was closely confined
in a common criminal dungeon (2:Tim.2:9). From this dungeon he wrote the ...
/.../sell/bible studies in the life of paul/study x pastoral and personal.htm

Happy are Ye Whose Bodies have Been Made to Shine!
... quiet waters are before you,"holy and tranquil and pleasant;"for they are not the
waters of contention"that cast Joseph into the dungeon;"nor yet are ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn viii happy are ye.htm

The Release of Saint George.
... snow, and behung the trees with crystal icicles, since the Champion Saint George,
and the faithful De Fistycuff, lay groaning in their far-off dungeon in Egypt ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter eleven the release of.htm

Dungeon (15 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To shut up in a dungeon. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. DUNGEON.
dun'-jun. See PRISON. Multi-Version Concordance Dungeon (15 Occurrences). ...
/d/dungeon.htm - 12k

Dungeon-house (1 Occurrence)
Dungeon-house. Dungeon, Dungeon-house. Dungeons . Multi-Version
Concordance Dungeon-house (1 Occurrence). Jeremiah 37 ...
/d/dungeon-house.htm - 6k

Ebed-melech (6 Occurrences)
... Melek"): An Ethiopian eunuch in the service of King Zedekiah, who interceded with
the king for the prophet Jeremiah and rescued him from the dungeon into which ...
/e/ebed-melech.htm - 9k

Ebedmelech (6 Occurrences)
... Melek"): An Ethiopian eunuch in the service of King Zedekiah, who interceded with
the king for the prophet Jeremiah and rescued him from the dungeon into which ...
/e/ebedmelech.htm - 9k

Ropes (32 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 38:6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah
the king's son, that was in the court of the guard: and they let down ...
/r/ropes.htm - 16k

E'bed-Mel'ech (6 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 38:7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king's
house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king then sitting ...
/e/e'bed-mel'ech.htm - 8k

Malchijah (15 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah was cast into his dungeon or pit (Jeremiah 38:6). The King James Version
spells "Malchiah" or "Malchijah" indifferently with "Melchiah" in Jeremiah 21 ...
/m/malchijah.htm - 14k

Cistern (21 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 38:6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah
the king's son, that was in the court of the guard: and they let down ...
/c/cistern.htm - 29k

Lowered (14 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 38:6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah
the king's son, that was in the court of the guard: and they let down ...
/l/lowered.htm - 10k

Mud (15 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 38:6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah
the king's son, that was in the court of the guard: and they let down ...
/m/mud.htm - 10k

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