Commander - Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament Words
Usage Number: 1
Strong's Number: H8269
Original Word: sar
Usage Notes: "official; leader; commander; captain; chief; prince; ruler." This word, which has an Akkadian cognate, appears about 420 times in biblical Hebrew. The word is often applied to certain non-Israelite "officials or representatives of the king." This meaning appears in Gen. 12:15, its first biblical appearance: "The princes also of Pharoah saw her [Sarah], and commended her before Pharaoh…." In other contexts sar represents "men who clearly have responsibility over others"; they are "rulers or chieftains." Sar may mean simply a "leader" of a profession, a group, or a district, as Phichol was the "commander" of Abimelech's army (Gen. 21:22) and Potiphar was "an officer of Pharaoh's and captain of the [body]guard" (Gen. 37:36). In such usage, "chief" means "head official" (cf. Gen. 40:2). Sarîm (plural) were "honored men" (Isa. 23:8). Sar is used of certain " notable men" within Israel. When Abner was killed by Joab, David said to his servants (palace officials), "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel" (2 Sam. 3:38; cf. Num. 21:18). Joab, Abishai, and Ittai were "commanders" in David's army (cf. 2 Sam. 23:19). "Local leaders in Israel" are also called sarîm: "And the princes of Succoth said …" (Judg. 8:6). In several passages, sar refers to the task of "ruling." Moses tried to break up a fight between two Hebrews and one of them asked him, "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us" (Exod. 2:14). In such a context, sar means "leader," "ruler," and "judge": "Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens …" (Exod. 18:21). The "commander" of Israel's army was called a sar (1 Sam. 17:55).
In Judg. 9:30, sar represents a "ruler" of a city. Any government official might be called a sar (Neh. 3:14). "Religious officiants" who served in the temple of God were also called sarîm (Jer. 35:4).
The "leaders" or "chiefs" of the Levites (1 Chron. 15:16) or priests (Ezra 8:24) are sarîm. In 1 Chron. 24:5, the word appears to be a title: "Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary [sarîm qodesh], and governors of the house of God [sarîm ha’elohîm], were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar" (nasb, "officers of the sanctuary" and "officers of God"). In the Book of Daniel, sar is used of "superhuman beings" or "patron angels." Thus, Michael is the "prince" of Judah (Dan. 10:21; cf. Josh. 5:14). Daniel 8:25 speaks of a king who will arise and "stand up against the Prince of princes" (i.e., the Messiah).