Bible Dictionary
SERJEANTS
Serjeants were officers attached to the magistrates at Philippi. Their task included carrying out orders such as scourging prisoners and releasing them.
Definition
Serjeants were officers who attended the magistrates at Philippi. The term literally means “holders of rods” and corresponds to the Roman lictors. Their duty was to execute the magistrates’ orders, including punishment and release of prisoners.
Biblical Usage
In Acts, the serjeants carried the order to scourge Paul and Silas and afterward to release them. Paul and Silas refused to be dismissed privately because they were Roman citizens.
Historical Background
The term reflects the office of Roman lictors, officials associated with magistrates and identified by the rods they carried.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>sar'-jents, -jants (rhabdouchoi): In Ac 16:35,38 the word (literally, "holders of rods," corresponding to Roman "lictors," thus the Revised Version margin) is used of the officers in attendance on the Philippian magistrates, whose duty it was to execute orders in scourging, etc., in this case in setting prisoners free. Paul and Silas, however, as Romans, refused thus to be "privily" dismissed.</p>