captain Summary and Overview

(1.) Heb. sar (1 Sam. 22:2; 2 Sam. 23:19). Rendered "chief," Gen. 40:2; 41:9; rendered also "prince," Dan. 1:7; "ruler," Judg. 9:30; "governor,' 1 Kings 22:26. This same Hebrew word denotes a military captain (Ex. 18:21; 2 Kings 1:9; Deut. 1:15; 1 Sam. 18:13, etc.), the "captain of the body-guard" (Gen. 37:36; 39:1; 41:10; Jer. 40:1), or, as the word may be rendered, "chief of the executioners" (marg.). The officers of the king's body-guard frequently acted as executioners. Nebuzar-adan (Jer. 39:13) and Arioch (Dan. 2:14) held this office in Babylon. The "captain of the guard" mentioned in Acts 28:16 was the Praetorian prefect, the commander of the Praetorian troops. (2.) Another word (Heb. katsin) so translated denotes sometimes a military (Josh. 10:24; Judg. 11:6, 11; Isa. 22:3 "rulers;" Dan. 11:18) and sometimes a civil command, a judge, magistrate, Arab. "kady", (Isa. 1:10; 3:6; Micah 3:1, 9). (3.) It is also the rendering of a Hebrew word (shalish) meaning "a third man," or "one of three." The LXX. render in plural by "tristatai"; i.e., "soldiers fighting from chariots," so called because each war-chariot contained three men, one of whom acted as charioteer while the other two fought (Ex. 14:7; 15:4; 1 Kings 9:22; compare 2 Kings 9:25). This word is used also to denote the king's body-guard (2 Kings 10:25; 1 Chr. 12:18; 2 Chr. 11:11) or aides-de-camp. (4.) The "captain of the temple" mentioned in Acts 4:1 and 5:24 was not a military officer, but superintendent of the guard of priests and Levites who kept watch in the temple by night. (Compare "the ruler of the house of God," 1 Chr. 9:11; 2 Chr. 31:13; Neh. 11:11.) (5.) The Captain of our salvation is a name given to our Lord (Heb. 2:10), because he is the author and source of our salvation, the head of his people, whom he is conducting to glory. The "captain of the Lord's host" (Josh. 5:14, 15) is the name given to that mysterious person who manifested himself to Abraham (Gen. 12:7), and to Moses in the bush (Ex. 3:2, 6, etc.) the Angel of the covenant. (See ANGEL T0000240.)

1. As a purely military title, "captain" answers to sar in the Hebrew army and tribune in the Roman. The captain of the guard in #Ac 28:16| was probably the prefectus pratorio. 2. Katsin, occasionally rendered captain, applies Sometimes to a military, #Jos 10:24; Jud 11:6,11; Isa 22:3; Da 11:18| sometimes to a civil command, e.g. #Isa 1:10; 3:6| 3. The captain of the temple, mentioned #Lu 22:4; Ac 4:1; 5:24| superintended the guard of priests and Levites who kept watch by night in the temple.

CAP'TAIN , an officer in the Jewish army whose rank or power was designated by the number of men under his command, as captain of fifty or captain of a thousand, and the commander or chief of the whole army was called the captain of the host. Deut 1:15 2 Sam 19:13, etc. The divisions of the army were regulated in some measure by the division of families, as the heads of families were usually officers. 2 Chr 25:5. Captains of hundreds, A Roman Captain or Centurion. or larger companies, were probably what would be called in modern phrase staff-officers, and formed the council of war. 1 Chr 13:1. The ''captain of the guard," Acts 28:16, was the commander of the Praetorian troops at Rome. See Centurion. Captain of the Temple, Acts 4:1, was the chief of the priests and Levites who kept guard around and within that sacred edifice. In this non-military sense is Christ called ''Captain" in Heb 2:10.

CAPTAIN OF THE TEMPLE (Luke 22:4; Acts 4:1; Acts 5:24): not military, but over the guard of the temple, consisting of priests and Levites (2 Kings 12:9), "the priests that kept the door" (2 Kings 25:18); they visited the posts by night, and saw that the sentries were on the alert. In Hebrews 2:10, (Greek "Prince leader of their salvation,") the antitypical Joshua who leads us into the heavenly Canaan. The same Greek in Hebrews 12:2, "the Author," rather "Prince leader of our faith." Acts 3:15, "Prince of life."