Original Word: χιλίαρχος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: chiliarchos
Pronunciation: khil-ee'-ar-khos
Phonetic Spelling: (khil-ee'-ar-khos)
KJV: (chief, high) captain
NASB: commander, commanders, military commanders
Word Origin: [from G5507 (χίλιοι - thousand) and G757 (ἄρχω - began)]

1. the commander of a thousand soldiers ("chiliarch"), i.e. colonel

commander, captain

From chilioi and archo; the commander of a thousand soldiers ("chiliarch"; i.e. Colonel -- (chief, high) captain.

see GREEK chilioi

see GREEK archo

Word Origin
from chilioi and archos (leader)
Definition
a chiliarch, a commander of a thousand
NASB Translation
commander (18), commanders (3), military commanders (1).

Overview

Strong’s Greek 5506 (χιλίαρχος) designates a senior Roman military officer—variously rendered “commander,” “tribune,” or “chief captain.” In the imperial army a tribune normally led a cohort (about six hundred soldiers) and functioned as a key link between the legion’s legate and the centurions. Within the New Testament the term embodies the intersection of civil authority and divine providence, repeatedly illustrating how God directs governmental power for the advance and protection of the gospel.

Historical Context

Under Caesar Augustus the legion contained six military tribunes, each enjoying senatorial or equestrian rank and tasked with discipline, administration, and field command. In Judea the tribune stationed at the Antonia Fortress (north-west of the Temple Mount) commanded Roman forces in Jerusalem and reported to the provincial governor in Caesarea. His presence in Acts explains how Rome maintained order during volatile Jewish festivals.

Occurrences in the New Testament

The term appears twenty-two times:

• Narrative focus—Acts (21:31-24:22) supplies eighteen of the occurrences, centering on Claudius Lysias, whose decisions repeatedly spare Paul’s life and facilitate his witness before Jews and Romans alike.
• Passion focus—John 18:12 records a tribune present at Jesus’ arrest: “Then the band of soldiers, the commander, and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.”
• Royal court—Mark 6:21 notes military commanders at Herod Antipas’ birthday feast.
• Eschatological focus—Revelation 6:15 and 19:18 portray tribunes among the great and mighty brought low at the Lamb’s judgment.

Portrait of Claudius Lysias

Acts paints Lysias as a composite of Roman justice and worldly expedience:

– Acts 21:33 “Then the commander came up and arrested him and ordered that he be bound with two chains.”

– Acts 22:28 reveals his purchased citizenship, contrasting sharply with Paul’s birthright Roman status.

– Acts 23:17-35 depicts the tribune’s strategic protection of Paul—moving him by night with two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen—to ensure a fair hearing before Felix.

Through Lysias Luke displays God’s sovereign use of secular authority: without this tribune Paul would likely have died in the temple riot or at the hands of the forty sworn assassins (Acts 23:12-15).

The Tribune in the Passion Narrative

John alone mentions a tribune at Gethsemane, underscoring Rome’s complicity in Christ’s arrest and foreshadowing the cross as a meeting point of Jewish hostility and Gentile power. Even so, Jesus asserts ultimate reign: “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19:11).

Eschatological Echoes

Revelation elevates the word from historical description to prophetic warning:

– Revelation 6:15 lists tribunes among those who cry for mountains to fall on them when the Lamb opens the sixth seal.

– Revelation 19:18 includes tribunes in the “great supper of God,” where birds feast on the flesh of the defeated. Military rank affords no refuge when Christ appears in glory.

Theological Reflections

1. Divine sovereignty over earthly powers: God turns the decisions of a Roman tribune into means of gospel advance (Acts 22:30; 23:24).
2. Citizenship and stewardship: Paul’s respectful yet courageous invocation of legal rights before the tribune models wise engagement with civil structures (Acts 22:25-29).
3. Equality at judgment: Revelation reveals that rank—tribune or slave—stands level before Christ’s throne.

Practical Ministry Application

• Christians may appeal to legitimate governmental processes without compromising faithfulness.
• Military and law-enforcement personnel occupy positions God can use for justice and protection; believers serving in such roles may view their authority as stewardship under Christ (Romans 13:1-4).
• The gospel speaks to every echelon of society—from tribunes in palaces to prisoners in chains—encouraging comprehensive evangelistic vision.

Summary

The χιλίαρχος threads through the New Testament as a witness to God’s governance of history. Whether shielding Paul, standing at Jesus’ arrest, or falling under end-time judgment, the tribune’s presence proclaims that Christ is Lord over armies and empires alike, and that no human authority can thwart His redemptive purposes.

χιλιαρχοι χιλίαρχοι χιλιαρχοις χιλιάρχοις χιλιαρχον χιλίαρχον χιλιαρχος χιλίαρχος χιλιάρχους χιλίαρχους χιλιαρχω χιλιάρχω χιλιάρχῳ χιλιαρχων χιλιάρχων chiliarcho chiliarchō chiliarchoi chiliárchoi chiliárchōi chilíarchoi chiliarchois chiliárchois chiliarchon chiliarchōn chiliárchon chiliárchōn chilíarchon chiliarchos chilíarchosInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts