King James Bible Dictionary

1. Heb. sar (1 Samuel 22:2; 2 Samuel 23:19). Rendered "chief," Genesis 40:2; 41:9; rendered also "prince," Daniel 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 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 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. (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.)

Commander-in-chief:

Of an army
Deuteronomy 20:9; Judges 4:2; 1 Samuel 14:50; 1 Kings 2:35; 1 Kings 16:16; 1 Chronicles 27:34

Of the tribes
1 Chronicles 4:2

Of thousands
Numbers 31:48; 1 Samuel 17:18; 1 Chronicles 28:1

Of hundreds

General references
2 Kings 11:15
Centurion

Of fifties
2 Kings 1:9; Isaiah 3:3

Of the guard
Genesis 37:36; 2 Kings 25:8

Of the ward
Jeremiah 37:13

Signifying any commander
1 Samuel 9:16; 1 Samuel 22:2; 2 Kings 20:5

Signifying any leader
1 Chronicles 11:21; 1 Chronicles 12:34; 2 Chronicles 17:14-19; John 18:12

David's captains, or chief heroes
John 10:23; John 13:11

King appoints
1 Samuel 18:13; 2 Samuel 17:25; 2 Samuel 18:1

Angel of the Lord, called captain
Joshua 5:14; 2 Chronicles 13:12

Christ called captain
Hebrews 2:10
Armies

1. As a purely military title, "captain" answers to sar in the Hebrew army and tribune in the Roman. The captain of the guard in (Acts 28:16) was probably the prefectus pratorio .
2. Katsin , occasionally rendered captain, applies Sometimes to a military, (Joshua 10:24; Judges 11:6,11; Isaiah 22:3; Daniel 11:18) sometimes to a civil command, e.g. (Isaiah 1:10; 3:6)
3. The captain of the temple, mentioned (Luke 22:4; Acts 4:1; 5:24) superintended the guard of priests and Levites who kept watch by night in the temple.

CAPTAIN, noun

1. Literally, a head or chief officer; appropriately, the military officer who commands a company, whether of infantry, cavalry, artillery or matrosses.

2. The commander of a ship of war, or of a merchantman. But the latter is often called a master.

3. The commander of a military band, a sense that occurs in the sciptures; as a captain of fifty.

4. A man skilled in war or military affairs; as, Lord Wellington is a great captain

5. A chief commander. Shak. But in this sense rarely used, but in composition.

CAPTAIN-general, is the commander in chief of an army, or of the militia. The covernor of a state is Captain-General of the militia.

CAPTAIN-Lieutenant, is an officer, who with the rank of captain and pay of lieutenant, commands a company or troop. Thus the colonel of a regiment being the captain of the first company, that company is commanded by a Captain-Lieutenant.

CAPTAIN-Bashaw, or Capudan Bashaw, in Turkey, is the High Admiral.

CAPTAIN, adjective Chief; valiant.

CAPTAINCY, noun

1. The rank, post or commission of a captain.

2. The jurisdiction of a captain, or commander, as in South America.

CAPTAINRY, noun The power or command over a certain district; chieftainship.

CAPTAINSHIP, noun

1. The condition or post of a captain or chief commander.

2. The rank, quality or post of a captain. In lieu of this captaincy is now used.

3. The command of a clan, or government of a certain district.

4. Skill in military affairs.