This noun denotes captives or prisoners of war—those seized by military force and often enslaved. Classical usage applied it to war prisoners, frequently women, and the spoils of conquest. Luke uses it in Luke 4:18 where Jesus quotes Isaiah 61:1: proclaiming "release to the captives." The term evokes Old Testament imagery of Israelites in Babylonian exile and the prophetic hope of liberation. Jesus applies this to His own mission of spiritual liberation—releasing those held captive by sin, Satan, and spiritual bondage. The physical captivity becomes metaphor for humanity's enslavement, and Christ's gospel announces freedom.