CAPTAIN (kAp*Iin). As a purely military title. Captain in general answers to the lie brew Sar in the Hebrew army, and )(Alamos, tribunut, in the Roman. kaw-treen', which is occasionally rendered captain. applies some times to a military (josh x•24; bldg. xi 6. t 1; Is. xxii:3; Dan. xi 18), sometimes to a civil command fe..z., Is, i to; Its radical sense is division, and hence decision without reference to the means employed. The term ilhistrat•s the double office of the Shofther, or dictrtor. (Smith. Rib. Diet.) It is a broad designation for an official, whether he be the commander-in-chief of the army (Gen. xxi :22; JUdg iv :2; I Sam XiV :50 ; 2 Sam. X :16). or the commander of a division of the army (2 Sam. xviii :2, 5). or part of a division (1 Kings xvi :9) ; an officer over 1,000 men or too men or 5o men (Num xxxi:14. 4g: t Sam xvii: 18: xviii:13; xxii:7: 2 Sam. XViii :I ; 2 Kings i:o; Is. iii:3) ; the commander of the king's body guard (Gen. xxxvii :36 ; and 2 Kings xxv :8 ; Dan.
where the word is Rob), or of a post of sentries ( Jer. xxxvii :13, in Hebrew Ba'al) (Davis, Bib. Diet.) The "captain of the temple"
mentioned by St. Luke (xxn :4; Acts iv :t: v:24), in connection with the priests, was not a military officer, but superintended the guard of priests and Levites, who kept watch by night m the Temple. The office appears to have existed from an early date (the "priests that kept the door" 2 Kings xii:o; xxv :18).
The Greek term archagos, rendered captain (Heb. :to), has no reference whatever to a military office.
Figurative. (t) In Josh. v:13-15 God is called the Captain of the Lord's host, that is, of Israel ; all Israel's battles were in his cause. Joshua and the other leaders were the deputies of the Great Captain of Salvation. Ile is also called the "Captain" or author "of salvation." (Heb. ii:to). Vet more so is Jesus, Captain of the Lord's spiritual hosts. (2) The Antichristian cap tains arc their chief rulers in church, or state, who command, direct, or excite others, to oppose the Redeemer (Rev. xix :18).