CAPTAIN. A word with obvious military connotation, and so generally used in the various VSS, though not to be understood in the modern military sense designating a particular rank in order of command. It is the tr. for various Heb. and Gr. words with such literal meanings as head, leader, chief, ruler, judge, officer, great one.

1. There are at least thirteen Heb. words tr. “captain” in KJV, though in several instances other trs. are given by ASV and RSV.

a. שַׂר, H8569, is the word most frequently used for captain, variously referring to military commander: of a host, army, forces, chariots (Gen 21:22, 32; Josh 5:15; 1 Kings 1:19; 2:32ff.; Jer 40:7ff.); of fifties, hundreds, thousands (Num 31:48, 52, 54; Deut 1:15; 2 Kings 1:9ff.; 11:9ff.; 1 Chron 27:1; 29:6; and many others); to chief of official classes, captain of the guard (Gen 37:36, chief of executioners ASVmg.), keeper of the prison (Gen 40:3ff.), to David as king (2 Sam 5:2, prince, ASV, RSV).

b. רֹאשׁ֒, H8031, head, as of an army, tribe, people (Num 14:4; Deut 29:10), of God Himself (2 Chron 13:12).

c. רַב֮, H8042, great one, esp. chief of Assyrian and Babylonian officers (2 Kings 18:17ff.; Isa 36:2ff.; Jer 39:9ff.; Dan 2:14).

d. פֶּחָה, H7068, usually rulers, governors (Isa 36:9; Jer 51:23; Ezek 23:12; Dan 3:2; 6:7).

e. שַׁלִּיט, H10718, having mastery (Dan 2:15).

f. שָׁלִישׁ֙, H8957, adjutant or officer, best explained as the third man in the chariot, BDB (Exod 14:7; 2 Kings 9:25; 15:25).

g. אַלּוּפ֮, H477, leader of a thousand (Jer 13:21—but ASV and RSV tr. friend, perhaps from אָלַפ֒, H544, cleave to, become familiar with, therefore, an intimate (BDB).

h. בָּעַל֮, H1250, owner, lord; only in Jeremiah 37:13, captain of the ward, but sentry in ASV, RSV.

i. טִפְסָר, H3261, a title of honor (Jer 51:27, where ASV and RSV tr. marshal, and Nah 3:17, scribe, RSV).

j. כַּר֒, H4119, a ram (Ezek 21:22; captain in KJV, but battering rams in ASV, RSV).

k. נָגִיד, H5592, leader (1 Sam 9:16; 10:1; 13:14, et al., prince, in ASV, RSV).

l. נָשִׂיא֒, H5954, one lifted up (Num 2:3ff., prince, and leader in ASV, RSV).

m. קָצִין, H7903, chief, ruler, commander in war (Josh 10:24; Judg 11:6-11; chief in ASV, leader in RSV).

2. In the NT there are four Gr. words tr. “captain” in KJV, with some variation in other Eng. VSS.

a. χιλίαρχος, G5941, literally commander of a thousand. The most common designation in NT for military tribune (Acts 21:31ff., 22:24ff., 23:10ff., et al.), captain (John 18:12), a Rom. military officer in charge of the garrison of Jerusalem, high, or chief captain in KJV and ASV, military tribune, ASVmg., tribune, RSV, usually commander, NEB; but in more general sense in Mark 6:21; Revelation 6:15; general RSV (Rev 19:18).

b. στρατηγός, G5130, literally commander of an army, usually in NT referring to civil governor (Acts 16:20ff.), usually magistrate in Eng. VSS. But captain of the temple (Luke 22:4, 52; Acts 4:1; 5:24, 26), the commander of the Levites who kept guard in and around the Temple.

c. ̓αρχηγός, the chief leader, captain of salvation KJV and ASVmg. in Hebrews 2:10, author, ASV, pioneer, RSV, leader, NEB. The same Gr. word is tr. author by KJV, ASV in Hebrews 12:2, indicating Jesus is the initiator or beginner (Meyer, in loc.) of our faith, though the sense of leader of faith who goes before us is not inappropriate (Thayer, in loc.), cf. captain ASVmg. and pioneer, RSV.

d. στρατοπεδάρχης, G5134, commander of a military company, captain of the guard, KJV (Acts 28:16); but the word and the phrase in which it occurs has been omitted from ASV and later VSS.