Reference: Captive
Easton
one taken in war. Captives were often treated with great cruelty and indignity (1Ki 20:32; Jos 10:24; Jg 1:7; 2Sa 4:12; Jg 8:7; 2Sa 12:31; 1Ch 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; 2Ch 28:9-15; Ps 44:12; Joe 3:3), and exposed to the most cruel treatment (Na 3:10; Zec 14:2; Es 3:13; 2Ki 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).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And when they had brought out those kings unto Joshua: Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war, which came with him, "Come near and put your feet upon the necks of these kings." And they came near and put their feet upon the necks of them.
Then Adonibezek said, "Three score and ten kings having their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table wherefore as I have done so God hath done to me again." And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
And Gideon said, "Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, I will tear the flesh of you with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers."
And they girded sack cloth about their loins and put ropes about their heads, and went out to the king of Israel and said, "Thy servant Benhadad sayeth, 'I pray thee let me live.'" And he said, "Is he yet alive? He is my brother." And they took the word for good luck and hastily caught it out of his mouth, and said, "Yea, thy brother Benhadad."
But there was a prophet of the LORD's named Obed which went out to the host which came to Samaria and said to them, "See, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he delivered them into your hands. And ye have slain them with cruelness that reacheth up to heaven. And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem and to make them bondmen and bondwomen. What other thing do ye - ye unhappy - than offend the LORD your God? read more. But now hear me, and deliver the captives again which ye have taken of your brethren: for the great wrath of the LORD is upon you!" And certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, as Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum and Amasa the son of Hadlai stood up against them that came from war, and said unto them, "Ye shall not bring in the captives hither. For where we have offended the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and trespass. For our trespass is great already, and there is fierce wrath upon Israel." And upon that, the men of arms left the captives and the spoil before the lords and all the congregation. And there arose certain, appointed thereto by name, and took the prisoners and clothed all that were naked among them, of the spoil, and arrayed them and shoed them and gave them to eat and to drink and anointed them, and carried all that were feeble of them upon asses and brought them to Jericho the city of Palm trees fast by their brethren: and then returned to Samaria again.
And the writings were sent by posts into all the king's lands, to root out, to kill, and to destroy all Jews, both young and old, children and women in one day, - namely upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar - and to spoil their goods.
Their children shall be slain before their eyes, their houses spoiled, and their wives ravished.
Then shall young men's bows be knapped asunder. The Medes shall have no pity upon women with child, and their faces shall not spare the children.
Moreover, all the substance of this land, all their precious and gorgeous works, all costliness, and all the treasure of the kings of Judah, will I give into the hands of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and carry them unto Babylon.
As for the remnant of the people that were in the city, and such as were come to help them, whatsoever was left of the common sort, Nebuzaradan the chief captain carried them to Babylon. But Nebuzaradan the chief captain let the rascal people, and those that had nothing, dwell still in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and corn fields at the same time.
Now when the captains of the Host of Judah, which with their fellows were scattered abroad on every side in the land, understood that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and that man, wife and child, yea and the poor men in the land that were not led captive to Babylon should be under his Jurisdiction:
Yea, they have cast lots for my people, the young men have they set in the brothel house, and sold the damsels for wine, that they might have to drink.
yet was she driven away, and brought into captivity: her young children were smitten down at the head of every street, the lots were cast for the most ancient men in her, and all her mighty men were bound in chains.
For I will gather together all the Heathen, to fight against Jerusalem: so that the city shall be won, the houses spoiled, and the women defiled. The half of the city shall go away into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be carried out of the city.
Smith
Captive.
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.