(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 body-guard" (Genesis 37:36; 39:1; 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 11:6,11; Isaiah 22:3) "rulers;" (Daniel 11:18) and sometimes a civil command, a judge, magistrate, Arab. kady,

(Isaiah 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 (Exodus 14:7; 15:4; 1 Kings 9:22) comp. (2 Kings 9:25) This word is used also to denote the king's body-guard (2 Kings 10:25; 1 Chronicles 12:18; 2 Chronicles 11:11) or aides-de-camp.

4. The "captain of the temple" mentioned in (Acts 4:1; 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,") (1 Chronicles 9:11; 2 Chronicles 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 3:2,6) etc. the Angel of the covenant.

(See ANGEL)