Word Study for G162 (αἰχμαλωτεύω)

aichmalōteúō /aheekh-mal-o-tew'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom αἰχμάλωτος

Meaningto capture (like αἰχμαλωτίζω)

KJV usagelead captive.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of aichmalōteúō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word aichmalōteúō, represented by G162, means to capture or lead captive. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. This term is derived from a word for a captive (αἰχμάλωτος) and is used to describe the act of taking someone prisoner, either literally or figuratively.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The word is used in two distinct contexts. In 2 Timothy 3:6, it has a negative connotation, describing how certain people "creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins." Here, the capture is a spiritual and moral one, accomplished through deception. In contrast, Ephesians 4:8 uses the term to describe Christ's triumphant ascension, stating that "he led captivity captive," signifying his victory over the forces that hold humanity in bondage.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of being led or captured:

G161 aichmalōsía (captivity): This noun, meaning the state of being a captive, is used directly with G162 in the phrase "he led captivity captive" Ephesians 4:8.
G71 ágō (to lead): This verb appears in 2 Timothy 3:6, where the women who are led captive are also described as being "led away with divers lusts," emphasizing a sense of being driven or induced by external forces.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G162 is seen in its contrasting applications:

Captivity to Sin: In 2 Timothy 3:6, the term illustrates how people can be captured by their own sins and lusts, highlighting a state of moral and spiritual weakness that makes one vulnerable to deception.
Christ's Triumph Over Captivity: The phrase in Ephesians 4:8, "he led captivity captive," is a declaration of Christ's victory. His ascension is portrayed as a triumphal procession where He subjugates the very forces, like sin and death, that once held humanity captive.

Summary

In summary, G162 is a specific verb meaning to lead captive. Though it appears only twice, its applications are powerful and contrasting. It is used to describe the insidious capture of individuals by sin 2 Timothy 3:6, as well as Christ's triumphant overthrow of captivity itself in his ascension Ephesians 4:8. The word demonstrates how scripture uses the concept of capture to explain both the human condition of bondage and the divine act of liberation.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Ephesians and 2 Timothy (1 verse each); never once in the other 25.

Ephesians

2 Timothy

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.