Asir (אָסִיר) means a prisoner, captive, or one who is bound. Derived from asar (to bind), it describes anyone held in confinement or bondage — whether a literal prisoner, a captive of war, or one bound by circumstances. The word appears in Genesis 39:20 (Joseph imprisoned), Psalm 69:33, Isaiah 42:7, and other passages.
The asir — the prisoner — occupies a special place in God's redemptive concern. The LORD is described as one who "sets prisoners free" (Psalm 146:7). Isaiah's Servant Song (42:7; 61:1) announces liberation for those in bondage, directly quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18. Joseph's imprisonment becomes the very path to his exaltation — one of Scripture's clearest illustrations that God's purposes for His people run through, not around, the darkest places. Every prisoner in Scripture points toward the liberation Christ brings.