αἰχμαλωτεύω
aichmalōteúō
G162 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To take or lead away as a captive; to carry away into captivity, typically referring to the act of making prisoners in the context of warfare or conquest. In extended use, it can imply bringing under control or subjugating, especially through force.
Semantic Range
to take as a prisoner of war, to carry away into captivity, to lead captive, to bring under control or subjugate (by force), to make a captive
Root / Etymology
From the noun αἰχμάλωτος (‘captive, prisoner of war’), which itself derives from αἰχμή (‘spear, point of a spear’) and ἁλῶτος (‘taken, conquered, captured’). Thus, αἰχμαλωτεύω literally means ‘to make someone a captive (taken by the spear)’.
Historical & Contextual Notes
αἰχμαλωτεύω appears chiefly in later Greek, including the Septuagint (LXX) and New Testament, with limited occurrence in classical literature. Its usage reflects typical Greco-Roman military practice of taking prisoners during or after battle, commonly involving forced deportation or enslavement. While Standard English translations often render it as 'lead captive' or 'take captive,' these phrases may understate the violence, coercion, and loss of freedom inherent in the original term, which strongly conveys the sense of being seized as a prisoner of war. In biblical and contemporaneous literature, it is often used for Israelite or Judean prisoners being taken by foreign powers (e.g., during the Babylonian exile). The verb is related but distinct from αἰχμαλωτίζω, which more explicitly means ‘to capture or to take captive,’ often used metaphorically. The New Testament occasionally employs αἰχμαλωτεύω in a figurative sense, but always with the underlying imagery of forced captivity.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from αἰχμάλωτος; to capture (like αἰχμαλωτίζω):--lead captive.
Root Family
αἰχμαλωτεύω (aichmalōteuō) — to take captive, to lead away as prisoner, to carry into captivity
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G162-01 |
ᾐχμαλώτευσεν | echmaloteusen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
He led captive | he took captive | he took captive | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G162-01 |
Ephesians 4:8 | ᾐχμαλώτευσεν | echmaloteusen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
He led captive | he took captive | he took captive |