930. βασανιστής (basanistés) -- a torturer

Strong's Concordance

basanistés: a torturer

Original Word: βασανιστής, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: basanistés
Phonetic Spelling: (bas-an-is-tace')
Short Definition: one who tortures, a tormentor, jailor
Definition: one who tortures, a tormentor, jailor.

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 930 basanistḗs (from 928 /basanízō) – a guard in a prison "whose function was to torture prisoners as a phase of judicial examination – prison guard, torturer" (L & N, 1, 37.126). See 928 (basanizō).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 930: βασανιστής

βασανιστής, βασανιστου, ὁ (βασανίζω), one who elicits the truth by the use of the rack, an inquisitor, torturer, ((Antiphon, others); Demosthenes, p. 978, 11; Philo in Flacc. § 11 end; (de concupisc. § 1; quod omn. prob. book 16; Plutarch, an vitios. ad infel. suff. § 2)); used in Matthew 18:34 of a jailer (δεσμοφύλαξ Acts 16:23), doubtless because the business of torturing was also assigned to him.