αἰχμᾰλ-ωτίζω G0163
take captive, lead into captivity; seize as a prisoner of war, or figuratively overpower and control
Derived from αἰχμάλωτος ('prisoner of war'), this verb carries both military and metaphorical force in the NT. Jesus prophesies that Jerusalem's inhabitants will be 'led captive among all nations' (Luke 21:24) — a literal military sense. Paul uses it figuratively: indwelling sin 'takes him captive' (Rom 7:23), and apostolic ministry 'takes every thought captive' to obey Christ (2 Cor 10:5). In 2 Timothy 3:6 deceivers 'capture' vulnerable people. Spanish 'cautivan/cautivo' and French 'captiver/emmener captif' mirror this literal-to-figurative range.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Take captive, lead into captivity — to seize someone as a prisoner, whether in literal warfare or in a figurative struggle for control. Luke 21:24 uses it of the military deportation of Jerusalem's population. In Romans 7:23 Paul describes sin's law as a force that makes him a prisoner, taking him captive against his will. Second Corinthians 10:5 reverses the image strikingly: believers are to take every rebellious thought captive in obedience to Christ. In 2 Timothy 3:6 it describes false teachers who 'capture' gullible individuals and lead them astray. The multilingual evidence (spa 'cautivan,' fra 'captiver,' deu 'gefangen nehmen') spans both the military and psychological registers. 4×
AR["آسِرينَ", "سَابِيًا", "يَسْبونَ", "يُسبَونَ"]·ben["বন্দী-করছি", "বন্দী-করছে", "বন্দী-করে", "বন্দী-হবে"]·DE["gefangen-nehmen", "αἰχμαλωτισθήσονται"]·EN["capturing", "making-captive", "taking-captive", "will-be-led-captive"]·FR["captiver", "emmener-captif"]·heb["הַשּׁוֹבִים", "יִשְׁבּוּ", "שׁוֹבִים", "שׁוֹבֶה"]·HI["बंदी-बनाते-हुए", "बन्दि-बनअनेवले", "बन्दी-बनाए-जाएँगे", "बन्दी-बनानेवाली"]·ID["akan-ditawan", "memikat", "menawan"]·IT["aichmalotisthesontai", "aichmalōtizontes", "fare-prigioniero"]·jav["badhé-dipun-tawan", "nawan"]·KO["사로잡는-자들이", "사로잡아", "사로잡으며", "포로가-될-것이다"]·PT["fazendo-cativo-", "levando-cativo", "serão-levados-cativos"]·RU["-законе", "будут-уведены-в-плен", "пленяющие"]·ES["llevando-cautivo", "que-cautivan", "que-me-hace-cautivo", "serán-llevados-cautivos"]·SW["inaniteka", "kuwahadaa", "tukiteka", "watachukuliwa-mateka"]·TR["esir-alan", "esir-eden", "esir-götürülecekler", "tutsak-ederek"]·urd["قید-میں-لاتے-ہوئے", "قید-میں-لے-جائیں-گے", "قیدی-بناتی-ہے", "قیدی-بنانے-والے"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
αἰχμᾰλ-ωτίζω, take prisoner, LXX+1st c.BC+:—more frequently in middle, αἰχμαλωτίζομαιRefs 1st c.AD+: future -ίσομαιRefs: aorist ᾐχμαλωτισάμηνRefs 1st c.BC+: perfect ᾐχμαλώτισμαιRefs 1st c.AD+; also in passive sense, Refs