"a sentinel, life-guardsman, a kind of soldiers who formed the body-guard of princes, etc., one of whose duties was to put criminals to death, Mk. 6:27*"
Definition and meaning
a sentinel, life-guardsman, a kind of soldiers who formed the body-guard of princes, etc., one of whose duties was to put criminals to death, Mk. 6:27*
In the original Greek the word is written: σπεκουλάτωρ
Historical context
The Gospel of Mark moves urgently — the word "immediately" appears over 40 times. It was written for a Roman audience familiar with power and action. Jesus is portrayed as a man who acts, heals, and commands authority that the Roman world had never seen from a Jewish teacher.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of spekoulator (G4688) across the King James Bible.
And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
Refiner gives you the full lexicon entry, AI-powered verse insight, historical commentary, cross-references, and voice study — all in one place.
Free to start · Disciple $4.99/mo · Shepherd $9.99/mo
Common questions
Strong's G4688 (spekoulator) is a Greek word that means: a sentinel, life-guardsman, a kind of soldiers who formed the body-guard of princes, etc., one of whose duties was to put criminals to death, Mk. 6:27* It appears 1 times in the King James Bible.
The word spekoulator (G4688) appears 1 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4688 is spekoulator, a Greek word defined as: a sentinel, life-guardsman, a kind of soldiers who formed the body-guard of princes, etc., one of whose duties was to put criminals to death, Mk. 6:27. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
spekoulator is a Greek word found in the New Testament.