A person or persons assigned to the protection of an important person or group of persons. Both OT and NT give evidence of persons who functioned in these capacities. In the OT various royal figures are depicted as having guards (Gen 37:36; Dan 2:14; 2Kgs 25:8-21). David had an elite troop of Cherethites and Pelethites who served as his bodyguard (2Sam 8:18; 2Sam 23:23). As “foreigners” these soldiers would have had personal loyalty to their employer and would have been less influenced by competing internal political factions. The Temple area in Jerusalem also required guards (1Kgs 14:27-28; 2Kgs 11:19). During the Roman occupation of Palestine the Temple area had at least two different sets of guards. One set of Roman soldiers was stationed in the fortress of Antonia (Acts 21:30-34), and the priestly officials had levitical “security officers” as well. Roman guards watched the tomb of Jesus (Matt 27:65-28:4) and supervised the house arrest of the apostle Paul (Acts 28:16).
