χιλίαρχος (G5506) — Greek Lexicon

χιλίαρχος

chilíarchos

G5506 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Commanding officer over a military unit of approximately one thousand soldiers; in Greco-Roman administrative and military contexts, often used for a chief captain or a tribune, particularly in Roman usage where it refers to the commander of a cohort (consisting typically of six centuries, totaling about 600 men); the term reflects both the function of military command and the relative size or rank within a military hierarchy. Used more broadly for a senior military officer or chief over a large body of troops.

Semantic Range

commander of a thousand, chief captain, senior military officer, Roman tribune, leader of a large military division

Root / Etymology

From χίλιοι (chílioi, 'thousand') and ἄρχω (árchō, 'to rule, to command'). Formed as a compound denoting 'leader of a thousand.' The structure follows common Greek practices for indicating rank by number and command.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Classical Greek usage, χιλίαρχος designated a commander of a thousand troops, a title found in Hellenistic and military texts. In Roman imperial and New Testament contexts, especially in Judea, χιλίαρχος typically rendered the Latin tribunus militum, a Roman military tribune commanding a cohort, which usually numbered around 600 soldiers—hence the term is sometimes misleadingly interpreted by its etymology rather than its contextual function. In Acts and Josephus, χιλίαρχος describes officers of the Roman occupation forces stationed in Jerusalem and other administrative centers; these figures held considerable authority as chief military officers, responsible for maintaining order. English Bible translations render χιλίαρχος as 'chief captain,' 'commander,' or less precisely 'captain,' but these do not fully convey the technical rank within the Roman military. The LXX occasionally uses χιλίαρχος for the Israelite 'prince of a thousand' (e.g., אֲלֶף שָׂר, sar eleph) but primarily the NT use follows Roman administrative designations. The semantic scope thus overlaps with but is not identical to lower-ranked 'centurions' (ἑκατόνταρχος), emphasizing the higher rank and broader authority of the χιλίαρχος.

Translation Consistency

primary "commander" 1 occurrence

“Commander” is the most natural, general English term that captures the military leadership and rank implied by χιλίαρχος (chief captain, tribune, leader of a large troop). It is concise, widely understood, and covers the typical usages (chief captain/tribune/senior officer) better than awkward literal forms like “thousand-commander.” This choice ensures consistent, natural rendering across all occurrences.

Alternatives (21 occurrences):

"thousand-commander" (19x) "thousand-commanders" (1x) "chief captains" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from χίλιοι and ἄρχω; the commander of a thousand soldiers ("chiliarch"; i.e. colonel:--(chief, high) captain.

Root Family

χιλίαρχος (chiliarchos) — thousand, rule, command, military leadership

Root χιλί-ἀρχ- to rule, to command, thousand

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G5506-05`	χιλίαρχος	chiliarchos	`N NOM M SG`	commander	thousand-commander	thousand-commander	11
`G5506-01`	χιλιάρχῳ	chiliarcho	`N DAT M SG`	commander	to a thousand-commander	to a thousand-commander	4
`G5506-04`	χιλίαρχον	chiliarchon	`N ACC M SG`	commander	thousand-commander (accusative singular)	the thousand-commander	4
`G5506-03`	χιλιάρχοις	chiliarchois	`N DAT M PL`	high captains	to the thousand-commanders	chief captains	2
`G5506-02`	χιλίαρχοι	chiliarchoi	`N NOM M PL`	chief captains	commanders of a thousand	commanders of a thousand	1

Occurrences in Scripture

22 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G5506-03`	Mark 6:21	χιλιάρχοις	chiliarchois	`N DAT M PL`	high captains	to the thousand-commanders	to the thousand-commanders
`G5506-05`	John 18:12	χιλίαρχος	chiliarchos	`N NOM M SG`	commander	thousand-commander	thousand-commander
`G5506-01`	Acts 21:31	χιλιάρχῳ	chiliarcho	`N DAT M SG`	commander	to a thousand-commander	to a thousand-commander
`G5506-04`	Acts 21:32	χιλίαρχον	chiliarchon	`N ACC M SG`	chief captain	thousand-commander (accusative singular)	the thousand-commander
`G5506-05`	Acts 21:33	χιλίαρχος	chiliarchos	`N NOM M SG`	commander	thousand-commander	thousand-commander
`G5506-01`	Acts 21:37	χιλιάρχῳ	chiliarcho	`N DAT M SG`	commander	to a thousand-commander	to a thousand-commander
`G5506-05`	Acts 22:24	χιλίαρχος	chiliarchos	`N NOM M SG`	commander	thousand-commander	thousand-commander
`G5506-01`	Acts 22:26	χιλιάρχῳ	chiliarcho	`N DAT M SG`	commander	to a thousand-commander	to a thousand-commander
`G5506-05`	Acts 22:27	χιλίαρχος	chiliarchos	`N NOM M SG`	chief captain	thousand-commander	thousand-commander
`G5506-05`	Acts 22:28	χιλίαρχος	chiliarchos	`N NOM M SG`	chief captain	thousand-commander	thousand-commander
`G5506-05`	Acts 22:29	χιλίαρχος	chiliarchos	`N NOM M SG`	commander	thousand-commander	thousand-commander
`G5506-05`	Acts 23:10	χιλίαρχος	chiliarchos	`N NOM M SG`	commander	thousand-commander	thousand-commander
`G5506-01`	Acts 23:15	χιλιάρχῳ	chiliarcho	`N DAT M SG`	commander	to a thousand-commander	to a thousand-commander
`G5506-04`	Acts 23:17	χιλίαρχον	chiliarchon	`N ACC M SG`	commander	thousand-commander (accusative singular)	the thousand-commander
`G5506-04`	Acts 23:18	χιλίαρχον	chiliarchon	`N ACC M SG`	commander	thousand-commander (accusative singular)	the thousand-commander
`G5506-05`	Acts 23:19	χιλίαρχος	chiliarchos	`N NOM M SG`	commander	thousand-commander	thousand-commander
`G5506-05`	Acts 23:22	χιλίαρχος	chiliarchos	`N NOM M SG`	chief captain	thousand-commander	thousand-commander
`G5506-05`	Acts 24:7	χιλίαρχος	chiliarchos	`N NOM M SG`	chief captain	thousand-commander	thousand-commander
`G5506-05`	Acts 24:22	χιλίαρχος	chiliarchos	`N NOM M SG`	commander	thousand-commander	thousand-commander
`G5506-03`	Acts 25:23	χιλιάρχοις	chiliarchois	`N DAT M PL`	chief captains	to the thousand-commanders	chief captains
`G5506-02`	Revelation 6:15	χιλίαρχοι	chiliarchoi	`N NOM M PL`	chief captains	commanders of a thousand	commanders of a thousand
`G5506-04`	Revelation 19:18	χιλιάρχων	chiliarchon	`N GEN M PL`	of captains	thousand-commander (accusative singular)	the thousand-commander

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