Bible Dictionary
Captive
A captive is a person taken and deported in war, often subjected to slavery or harsh treatment. Scripture also uses captivity figuratively for bondage to sin or error.
Definition
A captive is a person taken in war, forcibly deported, or made to live in a foreign land. Captives were often enslaved, sold, or treated with cruelty, though treatment varied and Israel’s civil law moderated it in comparison with heathen practice.
Biblical Usage
The Bible describes captives carried away from conquered cities and nations, including Jewish exiles. The New Testament also uses captivity figuratively for the triumph of Christ and for bondage to the devil or false teachers.
Historical Background
The frequent biblical references reflect the widespread ancient practice of forcibly removing defeated populations and settling them in foreign lands.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
One taken in war. Captives were often treated with great cruelty and indignity (1 Kings 20:32; Josh. 10:24; Judg. 1:7; 2 Sam. 4:12; Judg. 8:7; 2 Sam. 12:31; 1 Chr. 20:3). When a city was taken by assault, all the men were slain, and the women and children carried away captive and sold as slaves (Isa. 20; 47:3; 2 Chr. 28:9-15; Ps. 44:12; Joel 3:3), and exposed to the most cruel treatment (Nah. 3:10; Zech. 14:2; Esther 3:13; 2 Kings 8:12; Isa. 13:16, 18). Captives were sometimes carried away into foreign countries, as was the case with the Jews (Jer. 20:5; 39:9, 10; 40:7).
Smith's Bible Dictionary
A prisoner of war. Such were usually treated with great cruelty by the heathen nations. They were kept for slaves, and often sold; but this was a modification of the ancient cruelty, and a substitute for putting them to death Although the treatment of captives by the Jews seems sometimes to be cruel, it was very much milder than that of the heathen, and was mitigated, as far as possible in the circumstances, by their civil code.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>kap'-tiv (shebhi, galah; aichmalotos and its derivatives): The frequent references in the Old Testament to captives as men forcibly deported (from the Hebrew root shabhah) or inhabiting a land foreign to them (from Hebrew galah) reflect the universal practice of the ancient world. The treatment of captives was sometimes barbarous (2Sa 8:2) but not always so (2Ki 6:21,22).</p><p>See further under ASSIR and WAR.</p><p>Figurative: Except in Job 42:10 the figurative use of the idea is confined to the New Testament, where reference is made to the triumphal reign of the Lord Jesus (Lu 4:18; Eph 4:8), or, on the other hand, to the power of the devil (2Ti 2:26), or of false teachers (2Ti 3:6); compare also Ro 7:23; 2Co 10:5.</p><p>See CAPTIVITY.</p><p>F. K. Farr</p>