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αἰχμάλωτος

aichmálōtos

G164 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A person taken as a prisoner, especially as a result of armed conflict; properly, one captured in war (a war captive), but in broader contexts, anyone held in captivity or bondage. The term retains the connotation of capture by force or violence, particularly in a military context, but can also be used for a person experiencing loss of freedom more generally.

Semantic Range

prisoner taken in war, war captive, deportee, one held in captivity, metaphorically one in bondage or subjected to a hostile power

Root / Etymology

From αἰχμή ('spear') and ἅλωσις ('capture', from ἁλίσκομαι, 'to be taken/captured'). The term is a compound emphasizing one 'taken by the spear', i.e., captured in battle. The root αἰχμ- relates to a spear or weapon, and the verbal concept of capture underlines the status of forced subjection.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, αἰχμάλωτος primarily referred to prisoners taken during military conflicts—those seized with the spear. The term signified not merely detention but the specific status of someone who became a captive through martial defeat. In the Septuagint, it became the standard rendering for Hebrew words denoting exiles, deportees, or those taken in war (e.g., גּוֹלָה‎ golah, שְׁבִי shevi). In New Testament contexts (e.g., Luke 4:18, Revelation 13:10), the word continues in this sense, though with possible metaphorical extensions to spiritual or social captivity. English Bible translations typically render the word as 'captive.' However, the sense of wartime capture and forced displacement may be underappreciated in general usage. The term is contrasted with prisoners (δεσμώτης), who may not have been seized in war, and may denote a greater sense of foreignness or alienation when compared to other forms of detention. No significant shift in the word's core meaning occurred over time, but the metaphorical use increased in later literature.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from (a spear) and a derivative of the same as ἅλωσις; properly, a prisoner of war, i.e. (genitive case) a captive:--captive.

Root Family

αἰχμάλωτος (aichmálōtos) — spear, capture, war captive, one taken by force

Root αἰχμ- spear, to take captive, to capture

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G164-01 αἰχμαλώτοις aichmalotois N DAT M PL to the captives to war captives to war captives 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G164-01 Luke 4:18 αἰχμαλώτοις aichmalotois N DAT M PL to the captives to war captives to war captives
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