Original Word: ζωγρέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: zógreó
Pronunciation: dzō-gray'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (dzogue-reh'-o)
KJV: take captive, catch
NASB: catching, held captive
Word Origin: [from a derivative of G2198 (ζάω - live) and G64 (ἀγρεύω - trap)]

1. to take alive (make a prisoner of war)
2. (figuratively) to capture or ensnare

take captive, catch.

From the same as zoon and agreuo; to take alive (make a prisoner of war), i.e. (figuratively) to capture or ensnare -- take captive, catch.

see GREEK zoon

see GREEK agreuo

2221 zōgréō (from zōos, "alive, living" and 64 /agreúō, "to capture") – properly, catch alive (Souter).

Word Origin
from the same as zóon and agreuó
Definition
to catch alive
NASB Translation
catching (1), held captive (1).

STRONGS NT 2221: ζωγρέω

ζωγρέω, ζώγρω; perfect passive participle ἐζωγρημενος; (ζοως alive, and ἀγρέω (poetic form of ἀγρεύω, which see));

1. to take alive (Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, others; the Sept.).

2. universally, to take, catch, capture: ἐζωγρημένοι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ (i. e. τοῦ διαβόλου) εἰς τό ἐκείνου θέλημα, if they are held captive to do his will, 2 Timothy 2:26 (others make ἐζωγρημένοι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ parenthetic and refer ἐκείνου to God; see ἐκεῖνος, 1 c.; cf. Ellicott, in the place cited); ἀνθρώπους ἔσῃ ζωγρῶν, thou shalt catch men, i. e. by teaching thou shalt win their souls for the kingdom of God, Luke 5:10.

Overview

Strong’s Greek 2221 speaks of being taken “alive” rather than slain. In biblical usage the term moves from the battlefield and the fishing boat into the arena of the soul, highlighting two sharply contrasting captivities: one saving, the other enslaving.

Occurrences in the New Testament

1. Luke 5:10 — “Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’” (ζωγρῶν)
• Spoken immediately after the miraculous catch of fish, the word reframes Peter’s vocation: instead of fish hauled up to die, people would be drawn up to life.

2. 2 Timothy 2:26 — “…and they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” (ἐζωγρημένοι)
• Here the same verb depicts the devil’s strategy of living captivity, enslaving the mind and will.

Old Testament Background and Greco-Roman Usage

• Septuagint translators employed the verb for armies capturing enemies alive (e.g., Numbers 31:9; Judges 5:12).
• Greek writers used it of hunters or generals sparing life for later use—whether for ransom, slavery, or spectacle. Thus the term naturally carried both mercy (life preserved) and menace (life controlled).

Theological Emphases

1. Salvation as Rescue to Life
• Jesus’ promise in Luke 5:10 reveals evangelism as a life-giving capture. Far from coercion, it is liberation into the kingdom of God (Colossians 1:13).

2. Bondage of the Will
• Paul’s warning to Timothy underlines that sin does not merely wound; it imprisons. The same “living capture” that saves in Christ can also enslave under Satan (John 8:34).

3. Spiritual Warfare
• The juxtaposition of the two passages frames the cosmic conflict: Christ commissions His followers to reclaim those whom the devil has already netted (Acts 26:18).

Ministry and Discipleship Significance

• Evangelistic Call

– Fishermen in Galilee used nets designed to keep fish alive until market. Likewise, gospel ministry seeks people not for destruction but for new life (John 10:10).

– The shift from commercial fishing to missionary fishing underscores a complete reorientation of purpose and identity for every believer.

• Pastoral Gentleness

– In 2 Timothy 2:24-25 Paul instructs the Lord’s servant to teach “with gentleness,” aiming at recovery, not domination. The method must match the goal: liberation, not mere debate victory.

• Counseling and Restoration

– Those ensnared by false teaching or addictive sin patterns require more than information—they require rescue from a living captivity. Prayer, patience, and the authoritative Word of God are primary means (Hebrews 4:12).

Implications for the Church

1. Missional Urgency
• The image shifts evangelism from optional activity to rescue mission. Delay leaves captives in the enemy’s net (Proverbs 24:11).

2. Doctrinal Vigilance
• False doctrine can function like baited traps. Sound teaching guards both preacher and hearer (1 Timothy 4:16).

3. Corporate Prayer and Discipline
• Congregations participate in releasing captives through intercession (Ephesians 6:18-20) and, when necessary, restorative discipline aimed at repentance (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15).

Christological Insight

Jesus Himself was “led like a lamb to slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7), yet rose, conquering death, so that His captives live. Paradoxically, those captured by Christ become “prisoners of hope” (Zechariah 9:12) and “bond-servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:18), exchanging lethal bondage for liberating service.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 2221 captures the drama of redemption and rebellion. The same verb that names Satan’s degrading captivity also names Christ’s life-giving mission. The believer’s calling is to participate in that mission—drawing souls from death into life, freeing those still ensnared, and standing firm in the liberty for which Christ has set us free.

εζωγρημενοι εζωγρημένοι ἐζωγρημένοι εζώγρησαν εζωγρήσατε εζώγρησε εζώγρησεν ζωγρήσαι ζωγρήσατε ζωγρήσετε ζωγρων ζωγρών ζωγρῶν ezogremenoi ezogreménoi ezōgrēmenoi ezōgrēménoi zogron zogrôn zōgrōn zōgrō̂nInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts