Captain of Fifty

Biblical Texts

The captain of fifty often appears alongside the captain of thousands, the captain of hundreds, and the captain of tens. The title occurs in the following passages:

• Exodus 18:13-26: Moses heard the people's cases (disputes brought to him for judgment) by himself. Seeing this, his father-in-law Jethro advised him to choose men who feared God, were truthful, and hated unjust gain. These men were to be appointed "rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens" (Exodus 18:21). Thereafter Moses judged the hard cases, while these men judged the small matters (Exodus 18:26).
• Deuteronomy 1:9-18: Looking back on this event, Moses says that he took wise men of the tribes and made them "captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers" (Deuteronomy 1:15).
• 1 Samuel 8:11-12: In this passage Samuel warns the people, who were asking for a king, about the ways of the king who would reign over them. The king, he says, would take their sons and appoint them "captains over thousands, and captains over fifties."
• 2 Kings 1:9-15: Ahaziah, king of the northern kingdom of Israel, three times sent a captain of fifty with his fifty men to bring Elijah. The first two companies were consumed by fire from heaven. The third captain of fifty fell on his knees and begged that his life be spared, and Elijah went down with him to the king.
• Isaiah 3:1-3: When God takes away from Jerusalem and Judah that on which they rely, the captain of fifty is listed among those to be removed, along with the mighty man, the judge, the prophet, and others.

Background and Terminology

The Hebrew expression is śar haḥămiššîm, meaning "chief of fifty." The word śar broadly denotes an official, chief, or commander.

Although the title is the same, its duties differ from passage to passage. In Exodus 18 it designates an administrative office for judging and governing the people. In 1 Samuel 8 and 2 Kings 1 it designates a military commander in the king's service.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

The title "captain of fifty" does not appear in the New Testament. The chief captains (commanders of thousands) and centurions mentioned in the New Testament are Roman military ranks.

Nevertheless, several New Testament passages are read in connection with Old Testament texts that mention the captain of fifty.

• Feeding of the Five Thousand: Jesus had the crowd sit down in groups of fifty (Mark 6:39-40; Luke 9:14). Some interpreters see this scene as recalling the organization of Israel in the wilderness.
• The Samaritan village incident: When a Samaritan village would not receive Jesus, James and John wished to call down fire from heaven to consume it, and Jesus rebuked them (Luke 9:54-55). This scene is commonly read against the background of 2 Kings 1. Some manuscripts add the words "even as Elias did" in this verse.

Interpretation and Issues

• Meaning of the numbers: Some interpreters take the figures thousand, hundred, fifty, and ten as actual headcounts. Others regard them as names of organizational units and hold that the number of people did not necessarily match the figure.
• The fire in 2 Kings 1: Interpretations differ regarding the deaths of soldiers who were merely following orders. Many commentaries read the event as a judgment on the king and his messengers for despising God's prophet. They also note the contrast between the humble attitude of the third captain of fifty and that of the first two.

In the Korean Church

The system of captains of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens in Exodus 18 is frequently cited in Korean church preaching to illustrate the principle of appointing leaders and delegating responsibility. It is sometimes presented in connection with appointing district leaders or small group leaders.