Dict: easton - Captain

easton:

Captain @

(1.) Heb. sar ( kjv@1Samuel:22:2; kjv@2Samuel:23:19). Rendered "chief," kjv@Genesis:40:2 kjv@Genesis:41:9; rendered also "prince," kjv@Daniel:1:7; "ruler," kjv@Judges:9:30; "governor,' kjvKings:22:26. This same Hebrew word denotes a military captain kjv@Exodus:18:21; kjv@2Kings:1:9; kjv@Deuteronomy:1:15; kjv@1Samuel:18:13, etc.), the "captain of the body-guard" kjv@Genesis:37:36 kjv@Genesis:39:1 kjv@Genesis:41:10 ; kjv@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 kjv@Jeremiah:39:13) and Arioch kjv@Daniel:2:14) held this office in Babylon. The "captain of the guard" mentioned in kjv@Acts:28:16 was the Praetorian prefect, the commander of the Praetorian troops.

(2.) Another word (Heb. katsin) so translated denotes sometimes a military kjv@Joshua:10:24; kjv@Judges:11:6 kjv@Judges:11:11 kjv@Isaiah:22:3 "rulers;" kjv@Daniel:11:18) and sometimes a civil command, a judge, magistrate, Arab. kady, kjv@Isaiah:1:10 kjv@Isaiah:3:6; kjv@Micah:3:1 kjv@Micah: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 kjv@Exodus:14:7 kjv@Exodus:15:4; kjvKings:9:22; comp. kjv@2Kings:9:25). This word is used also to denote the king's body-guard ( kjv@2Kings:10:25; kjv@1Chronicles:12:18; kjv@2Chronicals:11:11) or aides-de-camp.

(4.) The "captain of the temple" mentioned in kjv@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," kjv@1Chronicles:9:11; kjv@2Chronicals:31:13; kjv@Nehemiah:11:11.)

(5.) The Captain of our salvation is a name given to our Lord kjv@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" kjv@Joshua:5:14-15) is the name given to that mysterious person who manifested himself to Abraham kjv@Genesis:12:7), and to Moses in the bush kjv@Exodus:3:2 kjv@Exodus:3:6, etc.) the Angel of the covenant. (
See ANGEL.)