Encyclopedia entry
Captive
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).
Also from Smith's (1884) +−
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.
In the Bible
74
Verses where Captive is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).
- 1 Chronicles 3:17
The descendants of Jeconiah the captive: Shealtiel his son,
- 1 Chronicles 5:6
and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria carried into exile. Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites.
- 1 Kings 8:48
and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,
- 1 Kings 8:50
May You forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all the transgressions they have committed against You, and may You grant them compassion in the eyes of their captors to show them mercy.
- 1 Kings 20:39
As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, ‘Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver. ’
- 1 Samuel 30:2
They had taken captive the women and all who were there, both young and old. They had not killed anyone, but had carried them off as they went on their way.
+68 more verses naming Captive.
Scripture on Captive
72
See all 72 +−
- 2 Kings 242 Chronicles 6Isaiah 49Jeremiah 13Jeremiah 20Jeremiah 24Jeremiah 29Jeremiah 40Jeremiah 41Genesis 14Genesis 34Exodus 12Numbers 24Deuteronomy 21Joshua 10Judges 1Judges 5Judges 82 Samuel 42 Samuel 122 Kings 52 Kings 62 Kings 82 Kings 152 Kings 161 Chronicles 31 Chronicles 51 Chronicles 202 Chronicles 252 Chronicles 30Esther 2Esther 3Psalms 14Psalms 44Psalms 53Psalms 68Psalms 69Psalms 106Psalms 137Isaiah 13Isaiah 20Isaiah 51Isaiah 52Jeremiah 1Jeremiah 22Jeremiah 27Jeremiah 28Jeremiah 39Ezekiel 6Ezekiel 21Daniel 11Joel 3Amos 1Amos 6Amos 7Obadiah 1Nahum 2Nahum 3Zechariah 14Luke 21Acts 8Romans 72 Corinthians 10Ephesians 4Colossians 22 Timothy 22 Timothy 3
Entries that reference Captive
1
Voices on Captive
16
Surfaced by name match — accuracy varies by title clarity.
Sources · Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884)
Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.