captain
This word is the translation of three different Hebrew words.
Hebrew: sar (1 Samuel 22:2; 2 Samuel 23:19)—Rendered “chief,” Genesis 40:2; 41:9; rendered also “prince,” Dan. 1:7; “ruler,” Judges 9:30; “governor,” 1 Kings 22:26.
This same Hebrew word denotes a military captain (Exodus 18:21; 2 Kings 1:9; Deuteronomy 1:15; 1 Samuel 18:13, etc.), the “captain of the bodyguard” (Genesis 37:36; 39:1; 41:10; Jeremiah 40:1), or, as the word may be rendered, “chief of the executioners” (marginal note). The officers of the king’s bodyguard frequently acted as executioners. Nebuzar-adan (Jeremiah 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.
Another word (Hebrew: katsin) so translated denotes sometimes a military (Joshua 10:24; Judges 11:6, 11; Isaiah 22:3 “rulers;” Dan. 11:18) and sometimes a civil command, a judge, magistrate, Arabic kady, (Isaiah 1:10; 3:6; Micah 3:1, 9).
It is also the rendering of a Hebrew word (shalish) meaning “a third man,” or “one of three.” The Septuagint 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 14:7; 15:4; 1 Kings 9:22; compare 2 Kings 9:25). This word is used also to denote the king’s bodyguard (2 Kings 10:25; 1 Chronicles 12:18; 2 Chronicles 11:11) or aides-de-camp.
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 Chronicles 9:11; 2 Chronicles 31:13; Neh. 11:11.)
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 3:2, 6, etc.) the Angel of the covenant. (See ANGEL.)
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