In the past, those taken in war were seen as deserving the death penalty, and, consequently, any treatment less terrible than this penalty.
The foot was placed on their necks (Josh. 10:24) in proof of abject subjection, which illustrates what the book of Psalms says (Ps. 110:1).
They were sold into slavery, like Joseph.
They were mutilated like Samson, Adonijah or Zedekiah.
They were stripped of all their clothing and carried away in droves as a trophy of the victor's triumph (Is. 20:4).
Large numbers of them were chosen, often measuring them with a line (2 Sam. 8:2), and killed (2 Chron. 25:12). This was sometimes done with premeditated cruelty (2 Sam. 12:31; 1 Chron. 20:3).
The conditions of captivity were so terrible that sometimes an entire town was sold into slavery, or deported.
The Romans used to tie a live captive to a corpse, and left him bound to it to perish, a practice that can be illustrated by the apostle's exclamation: "Wretched man that I am! "Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom. 7:24).
Meaning of CAPTIVES
In the past, those taken in war were seen as deserving the death penalty, and, consequently, any treatment less terrible than this penalty.
