. CAPTAIN. This is the rendering in the A. V. of different Hebrew and Greek words, and denotes sometimes a military, sometimes a civil chief. It represents, [t], tv, which means chief or ruler, and is used generally to designate a military com mander (Gen. xxi. 22 ; xxxvii. 36 ; xl. 4 ; etc.) [ARmv]; but sometimes also the prefect of a city (Judg. ix, 3o), or the leader of a choir of priests Or singers (1 Chron. xxiv. 5 ; xv. 27). [2], a person of lank, used to designate a prince or king (i Kings xi. 34), the chief of a tribe (Num. ii. 3, 5), or of a family (Num. iii. 24). [3], VJtC1, pro. perly head (Num. xiv. 4. [4], 1,R, a decider, a judge, hence a prince (Prov. xxv. 15) ; a civil ruler (Is. i. to ; iii. 6) ; a Military chief ( Judg. xi. 6, it).
[5], `N:, a chief or president, hence a military chief (T Sam. ix. 16 ; xiii. 14 ; 2 Sam. v. 2. In 2 Kings xi. 4, 19, +-In is rendered captains by mis take [CARTA]. In the N. T. captaim represents
clpxn'Yas (Heb. ii. To) ; crparTrOs (Luke xxii. 4 ; Acts V. 26) ; xtMapxos (Mar. vi. 21 ; John xviii. 12 ; Rev. xix. 18). The captain of the temple' (Acts iv. 1), was not a military officer ; he was chief of the body of Levites to whom was entrusted the guardianship of the temple (2 Maccab. iii. 4 ; Joseph. Bell. Yud. ii. 12. 6; Antiq. xx. 6. 2). The captains' mentioned Luke xxii. 4, were probably his subalterns.
God is called -It, (Dan. viii. 1), not as equivalent to rilt.tay sr6R, but because he is the Head and Protector of his people. So, in the N. T., our Lord is called Captain of his people's Salva tion (Ciprryav rift our Heb. ii. To), because he is the beginner, source, and author of their salvation, the Head of his church, which he conducts with and in himself, to blessedness. W. L. A.