Prison
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
—a place of confinement. Imprisonment was less prominent as a penalty in the Mosaic law than corporal punishment, restitution, exile, or death, but custody was used while a divine or judicial decision was awaited (Lev. 24:12; Num. 15:34). In Egypt Joseph was confined in “the place where the king’s prisoners were bound” under the captain of the guard, and he remained there until Pharaoh summoned him (Gen. 39:20–23; 41:1, 14).