Captive
Summary
A prisoner of war taken in battle, whose treatment in ancient times ranged from enslavement to execution, subject to various laws and customs.
☩Treatment of Captives
The treatment of captives in the ancient Near East was often brutal. Victors frequently put captives to death, sometimes with great cruelty including ripping open pregnant women or torture under saws and harrows. King Amaziah of Judah cast ten thousand captives from a cliff, and David's treatment of Moabite captives was measured by line.
☩Mosaic Regulations
The law of Moses provided some protections and regulations regarding captives. When Israel conquered a city, the women, children, and livestock could be taken as plunder. If an Israelite desired to marry a captive woman, she was to be given time to mourn her family, after which she could become his wife with full marital rights. If he later was not pleased with her, she was to be set free and not sold as a slave.
☩Examples in Scripture
Lot was taken captive during the battle of the kings until Abraham rescued him. The Amalekites captured the families of David and his men from Ziklag, though David later recovered them all. The prophets often used the imagery of captives to describe Israel's condition under foreign domination and their future restoration.
Related Verses120 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Captive," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).