Captain @ (1.) Heb. sar ( 1Samuel:22:2; 2Samuel:23:19). Rendered "chief," Genesis:40:2Genesis:41:9; rendered also "prince," Daniel:1:7; "ruler," Judges:9:30; "governor,' kjvKings:22:26. This same Hebrew word denotes a military captain Exodus:18:21; 2Kings:1:9; Deuteronomy:1:15; 1Samuel:18:13, etc.), the "captain of the body-guard" Genesis:37:36Genesis:39:1Genesis:41:10 ; Jeremiah: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 Jeremiah:39:13) and Arioch Daniel: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 Joshua:10:24; Judges:11:6Judges:11:11Isaiah:22:3 "rulers;" Daniel:11:18) and sometimes a civil command, a judge, magistrate, Arab. _kady_, Isaiah:1:10Isaiah:3:6; Micah:3:1Micah:3:9). (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 Exodus:14:7Exodus:15:4; kjvKings:9:22; comp. 2Kings:9:25). This word is used also to denote the king's body-guard ( 2Kings:10:25; 1Chronicles:12:18; 2Chronicals: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. (Comp. "the ruler of the house of God," 1Chronicles:9:11; 2Chronicals:31:13; Nehemiah:11:11.) (5.) The Captain of our salvation is a name given to our Lord Hebrews: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" Joshua:5:14-15) is the name given to that mysterious person who manifested himself to Abraham Genesis:12:7), and to Moses in the bush Exodus:3:2Exodus:3:6, etc.) the Angel of the covenant. (See ANGEL.)
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