Captivity in Biblical History

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Schaff's Bible Dictionary

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What is Captivity?
JEW'ISH CAPTIV'ITY
Num 21:29. A term usually employed to denote an important era in the history of the Jewish people. To punish their rebellions and idolatries, God suffered them to come into frequent bondage to surrounding nations. Six of their partial and transient captivities took place at an early period of their history, of which a particular account is given in Judges. Soon after the close of Solomon's reign the kingdom was divided. Ten of the tribes took the name of "the kingdom of Israel," leaving the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to constitute the kingdom of Judah. Each of these two kingdoms suffered a distinct captivity. The Jews reckon four national captivities nthe Babylonian, the Median, the Grecian, and the Roman. Pul, b.c. 762, and then Tiglath-pileser, b.c. 740, kings of Assyria, made war upon the kingdom of Israel and carried a large number of the people (chiefly those of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh) into captivity, 2 Kgs 15:29; 1 Chr 5:26, and the residue remained under their own king, but paid tribute to the Prisoners before Sargon. (Nineveh Marbles.) Assyrian government. After the lapse of 20 years this tribute was refused, and therefore Shalmaneser besieged and (after three years) Sargon captured Samaria, the capital of the kingdom, and the great mass of the people were transported to provinces beyond the Euphrates, b.c. 721. Their fate is a frequent subject of speculation, but nothing definite can be determined. Nor was the kingdom of Judah long left unmolested. Jewish Captives before Darius. (From Ancient Bas-relief at Fersepolis. ) In Hezekiah's reign Sennacherib, king of Assyria, took the fenced cities of Judah, b.c. 713, and would have taken Jerusalem had Hezekiah not sent him a heavy tribute. 2 Kgs 18:13. His next attempt on the city, which occurred some little time after, was defeated by a miracle. 2 Kgs 19:35. Nebuchadnezzar repeatedly overran the kingdom of Judah, the first time in the third year of Jehoiakim. He carried a few captives to Babylon, among whom were Daniel and his companions, b.c. 606. 2 Kgs 24:1; Dan 1:1-4. In the tenth or eleventh year of Jehoiakim he came again, b.c. 698, 2 Chr 36:6, and a third time in the eighth year of the reign of Jehoiachin. This invasion resulted in the carrying away of 10,000 Jews. 2 Kgs 24:10-16. The 70 years' captivity began when Nebuchadnezzar, for the fourth time, invaded Judea, b.c. 588. 2 Kgs 25:1. The king, Zedekiah, was taken, his sons slain, the temple burnt and the city despoiled, and the greater part of the population carried into Babylonia. Jer 52:8-13. During this long captivity the rite of circumcision was observed, the genealogical tables filled, distinctions of rank maintained, and thus the Jews retained their nationality intact. In b.c. 536 the Jews were allowed to return from Babylon by Cyrus, as a portion of them did under Zerubbabel, Ezr 2:2, and some time afterward under Ezra, Ezr 7:7, b.c. 468, and Nehemiah, Neh 7:66, b.c. 445. Those who remained in Assyria or scattered over the Roman empire, but kept up their national distinctions, were known as "The Dispersion," John 7:36; 1 Pet 1:1; Jas 1:1, and afterward were starting-points for Christianity. Children of the Captivity, Ezr 4:1, a common figure of speech, denoting those who were in captivity, or perhaps sometimes literally their posterity. Turn again, Ps 126:1, turn away, Jer 29:14, turn back, Zeph 3:20, or bring again, Eze 16:63, the captivity, are figurative phrases, all referring to the Jewish nation in bondage and their return to Canaan. A similar expression is used in relation to individuals, as in Job 42:10. The Lord turned the captivity of Job -that is, he released him from the unusual sufferings and perplexities to which he had been in bondage, and caused him to rejoice again in the favor of God. He led captivity captive, Eph 4:8, or "he led those as his captives who had made captives of others," is a figurative allusion to the victory which our blessed Redeemer achieved over sin and death, by whom our ruined race are brought into bondage. Rom 8:21; Gal 4:24; Heb 2:15; 2 Pet 2:19.

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Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'captivity' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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