"commander of a thousand men; hence, genr. a commander, military chief, Mk. 6:21; Rev. 6:15; 19:18; spc. a legionary tribune, Acts 21:31, 32, 33, 37; the prefect of the temple, Jn. 18:12"
Definition and meaning
commander of a thousand men; hence, genr. a commander, military chief, Mk. 6:21; Rev. 6:15; 19:18; spc. a legionary tribune, Acts 21:31, 32, 33, 37; the prefect of the temple, Jn. 18:12
In the original Greek the word is written: χιλίαρχος
Historical context
The Gospel of Mark moves urgently — the word "immediately" appears over 40 times. It was written for a Roman audience familiar with power and action. Jesus is portrayed as a man who acts, heals, and commands authority that the Roman world had never seen from a Jewish teacher.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of chiliarchos (G5506) across the King James Bible.
And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;
Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,
And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.
Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done.
And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?
The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
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Common questions
Strong's G5506 (chiliarchos) is a Greek word that means: commander of a thousand men; hence, genr. a commander, military chief, Mk. 6:21; Rev. 6:15; 19:18; spc. a legionary tribune, Acts 21:31, 32, 33, 37; the prefect of the temple, Jn. 18:12 It appears 22 times in the King James Bible.
The word chiliarchos (G5506) appears 22 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G5506 is chiliarchos, a Greek word defined as: commander of a thousand men; hence, genr. a commander, military chief, Mk. 6:21; Rev. 6:15; 19:18; spc. a legionary tribune, Acts 21:31, 32, 33, 37; t. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
chiliarchos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.