φυλάσσω

φυλάσσω — phylássō

φυλάσσω; future φυλάξω; 1 aorist ἐφύλαξα; middle, present φυλάσσομαι; 1 aorist ἐφυλαξάμην; present passive φυλάσσομαι; from Homer down; the Sept. times too many to count for שָׁמַר, occasionally for נָצַר (etc.):

1. Active, to guard (Latincustodio); i. e., a. to watch, to keep watch: with φυλακήν, added, Luk 2:8 (see φυλακή, a.).

b. to guard or watch, have an eye upon: τινα, one, lest he escape, Act 12:4; Act 28:16; passive, Act 23:35; Luk 8:29; τί, anything, lest it be carried off: τά ἱμάτια, Act 22:20.

c. to guard a person (or thing) that he may remain safe, i. e. lest he suffer violence, be despoiled, etc., equivalent to to protect: τήν αὐλήν, Luk 11:21; ἀπό τίνος, to protect one from a person or thing, 2Th 3:3 (see πονηρός, p. 531a) (Xenophon, Cyril 1, 4, 7; Psa 140:9; cf. Buttmann, § 147, 3; (Winer's Grammar, 223 (209))); τήν παραθήκην (or παρακαταθήκην), to keep from being snatched away, preserve safe and unimpaired, 1Ti 6:20; 2Ti 1:14; with the addition of εἰς τινα ἡμέραν, i. e. that it may be forthcoming on that day, 2Ti 1:12; to guard from being lost or perishing, i. e. (with the predominant idea of a happy issue), to preserve: τινα, Joh 17:12 (where ἐφύλαξα is explained by the following οὐδείς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπώλετο (cf. τηρέω, at the end)); 2Pe 2:5; τινα with a predicate accusative, Jud 1:24; φυλάξει (opposed to ἀπολέσει) τήν ψυχήν εἰς ζωήν αἰών. i. e. will keep it with the result that lie will have life eternal, Joh 12:25; ἑαυτόν ἀπό τόν to guard oneself from a thing, 1Jn 5:21 (where cf. Westcott).

d. to guard, i. e. to care for, take care not to violate; to observe: τόν νόμον, Act 7:53; Act 21:24; Gal 6:13 (Lev 19:37, etc.; Sophocles Trach. 616; others; νόμους, Xenophon, Hell. 1, 7, 30; Plato, de rep. 6, p. 484 b.; polit., p. 292 a.); single precepts of the Mosaic law, Mat 19:20 L T Tr WH; Mar 10:20 Lachmann; Luk 18:21 L T Tr text WH; (τά δικαιώματα τοῦ νόμου, Rom 2:26); τόν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, Luk 11:28; τά ῤήματα of Jesus, Joh 12:47 L T Tr WH; apostolic directions, Act 16:4; 1Ti 5:21.

2. Middle a. to observe for oneself something to escape, i. e. to avoid, shun, flee from: by a use common in Greek writings from Aeschylus and Herodotus down, with an accusative of the object, τί, Act 21:25 (A. V. keep themselves from); τινα, 2Ti 4:15 (A. V. be thou ware of); ἀπό τίνος, to keep oneself from a thing, Luk 12:15 (Xenophon, Cyril 2, 3, 9; (Hell. 7, 2, 10)); ἵνα μή, 2Pe 3:17 (ὅπως μή, Xenophon, mem. 1, 2, 37; other examples in Passow, under the word, p. 2360{a}; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, C. II.)).

b. by a usage foreign to Greek writings but very frequent in the Sept. (cf. Winers Grammar, 253 (238)), to guard for oneself (i. e. for one's safety's sake) so as not to violate, i. e. to keep, observe: ταῦτα πάντα (the precepts of the Mosaic law), Mat 19:20 R G; Mar 10:20 R G T Tr WH; Luk 18:21 R G Tr marginal reading (Exo 12:17; Lev 18:4; Lev 20:8; Lev 20:22; Lev 26:3, and many other passages). (Compare: διαφυλάσσω. Synonym: see τηρέω, at the end.)