Topical Bible: Prisons were Under the Care of a Keeper

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In biblical times, the concept of imprisonment and the role of a prison keeper were well-established, reflecting the societal and legal structures of ancient cultures. Prisons served as places of confinement for those awaiting trial, punishment, or execution, and they were typically under the supervision of a designated keeper or jailer.

Old Testament Context

The Old Testament provides several instances where individuals were placed in confinement under the watch of a keeper. One notable example is the account of Joseph, who was imprisoned in Egypt. Genesis 39:20-23 describes how Joseph was confined in the prison where the king's prisoners were held, and the keeper of the prison entrusted Joseph with significant responsibilities due to the LORD's favor upon him: "So Joseph’s master took him and had him thrown into the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. And the warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care, so that he was responsible for all that was done in the prison."

The role of the prison keeper was crucial, as they were responsible for maintaining order and ensuring that prisoners did not escape. The keeper's authority and responsibility are further illustrated in the account of Jeremiah, who was imprisoned by King Zedekiah. Jeremiah 37:15-16 states, "The officials were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison. So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon and remained there a long time."

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the role of the prison keeper is also evident. The Acts of the Apostles recounts several instances where the apostles were imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. In Acts 16:23-27 , Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi, and the jailer was charged with their custody: "And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely. On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks."

The narrative continues with a miraculous event where an earthquake opened the prison doors, yet Paul and Silas did not escape. The jailer, fearing the loss of his prisoners and the consequent punishment, was about to take his own life when Paul intervened, leading to the jailer's conversion to Christianity.

Cultural and Legal Implications

The presence of a prison keeper highlights the structured approach to law and order in biblical societies. The keeper's role was not only to prevent escape but also to ensure the well-being of the prisoners, as seen in the humane treatment of Joseph and the conversion of the Philippian jailer. The keeper's responsibilities were significant, as any failure could result in severe consequences, including death, as implied in Acts 12:19 when Herod ordered the execution of the guards who failed to keep Peter imprisoned.

Prisons and their keepers were integral to the administration of justice, reflecting the broader themes of authority, responsibility, and divine intervention found throughout the biblical narrative.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 39:21
But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Meditations for Household Piety.
... own person, unless thou cause all under thy charge ... 2. If every householder were thus
careful, according to ... and unchristian debates;"and the prisons would not ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/meditations for household piety.htm

Titus ii. 5-Feb
... For if under the direction of a father and mother ... deeply which proceed from those
who were well-affected ... dispositions of those who have the custody of prisons. ...
/.../homily iv titus ii 5-feb.htm

Chapter xvii.
... which temporal things He has placed under the category ... And when we were gathered
together, [417] there stood ... has had to endure not only prisons and shipwrecks ...
/.../augustine/our lords sermon on the mount/chapter xvii 2.htm

Homilies on the Gospel of John.
... 316]ib.; most received by those most under reproach, [317 ... to return good for evil,
[560]ib.; His care for His ... but not general results, [873]123; were careful to ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homilies on the gospel of.htm

Enthusiasm.
... Euroclydon, winds and tempests, seas and prisons, mockings and ... various ranks of those
bearing commission under the great ... we had many more who were bitten with ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/to the work to the work/chapter v enthusiasm.htm

Off Duty
... appeared in print"often anonymously"sometimes under her name ... Were people ever more
ready to open their ... too, of the workhouses, the prisons, the hospitals ...
/.../carpenter/the angel adjutant of twice born men/xiv off duty.htm

This HomilyWas Delivered in the Old Church of Antioch
... the saints commended for their cheerfulness under great hardships ... which thousands
of the poor were supported; and ... and constant inmates of the prisons, did not ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily i this homily was.htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... They were members of a Baptist church, under the pastoral care of John Gifford,
a godly, painstaking, and most intelligent minister, whose history is very ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... What God's word prohibits, we must take care to shun ... and so became devils, and were
tumbled down ... they are "reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm