Greek word · G806
ἀσφαλῶς
asphalōs
securely
Literally 'without slipping': securely, safely (of guarding a prisoner or leading someone under guard), and so, of knowledge, 'with certainty', 'beyond doubt'. The related noun ἀσφάλεια means 'security, certainty', and the adjective τὸ ἀσφαλές means 'the reliable facts'.
Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
ἀσφαλῶς
adv., [in LXX: Genesis 34:25 (בֶּטַח), Tobit 6:4, Wisdom of Solomon 18:6, Baruch 5:7, 1Ma.6:40, 3Ma.7:6 * ;]
(a) safely: Mark 14:44, Acts 16:23;
(b) assuredly: Acts 2:36.†
(AS)
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
Literally 'without slipping': securely, safely (of guarding a prisoner or leading someone under guard), and so, of knowledge, 'with certainty', 'beyond doubt'. The related noun ἀσφάλεια means 'security, certainty', and the adjective τὸ ἀσφαλές means 'the reliable facts'.
- Against the English
'Assuredly' (KJV), 'with certainty' (BSB), 'certainly' (WEB) and 'for certain' (ESV, NASB) are all accurate. What English loses is the physical picture behind the word: ground that holds firm under your feet.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Mark 14:44 and Acts 16:23 use the word of guarding prisoners 'securely'. Wisdom of Solomon 18:6 (in the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint) says Israel's ancestors knew in advance about the Passover night 'with sure knowledge' (asphalōs eidotes). Luke's own vocabulary matters most: he wrote his Gospel so that Theophilus might know 'the certainty' (τὴν ἀσφάλειαν) of what he had been taught (Luke 1:4), and in Acts Roman officials keep trying to learn 'the certain facts' (τὸ ἀσφαλές, Acts 21:34; 22:30; 25:26).
- Range of meaning
From a-sphallō, 'not to trip or fall.' The word means 'firmly, securely, without risk of failure,' and in a mental sense 'with certainty' (BDAG s.v.). The cognates are asphaleia ('security, certainty') and asphalizō ('to make secure').
- Against the English
BSB and NASB have 'securely' and NIV 'carefully.' KJV, WEB and ESV have 'safely,' which a modern reader can take as 'keep them safe from harm.' NLT spells out the real point: 'make sure they didn't escape.'
- How it drifted
In older English 'safe' and 'safely' also meant 'secure, unable to escape' (as in 'safe in custody'). Today the main sense of 'safely' is protection from danger, so 'keep them safely' can sound almost kind.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Mark 14:44: Judas tells the arresting party to lead Jesus away asphalōs, 'under guard.' Matt 27:64–66: the tomb is 'made secure' (asphalizō) with a seal and a guard. Acts 2:36: 'let all Israel know asphalōs,' with certainty. In Luke's prologue (Luke 1:4), asphaleia is the 'certainty' Theophilus is to have.
Similar words
Where it appears
Mark · 1
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Mark 14:44 ἀσφαλῶς. securely.
Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The One I kiss is the man; arrest Him and lead Him away securely.”
Acts · 2
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Acts 2:36 ἀσφαλῶς Assuredly
Therefore let all Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!”
Here: Comes first for emphasis. It describes knowledge that is firm and can't slip, the kind you could stake your life on. Peter is saying his argument from Scripture and eyewitness testimony has made the case solid.
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Acts 16:23 ἀσφαλῶς strictly
And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.
Here: 'Securely,' so that they cannot get out. It is about stopping escape, not about protecting the prisoners. The jailer's response in v. 24 uses the verb from the same root (ēsphalisato, 'he secured' their feet in the stocks).
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.