English · KJV
H2951

טִפְסַר

ṭiphçar /tif-sar'/ Ask about this word
Rootof foreign derivation
Meaninga military governor
KJV usagecaptain.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ṭiphçar — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ṭiphçar, represented by H2951, is of foreign derivation and refers to a military governor or captain. It appears only 2 times in 2 unique verses, making it a highly specific term used within prophetic military contexts.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The word's usage is confined to prophecies of judgment against powerful nations. In Jeremiah, God commands nations to prepare for war against Babylon, instructing them to "appoint a captain against her" as part of a massive army likened to a swarm of "rough caterpillers" Jeremiah 51:27. In this context, the captain is an agent of divinely orchestrated destruction. In Nahum's prophecy against Nineveh, the city's captains are compared to "great grasshoppers" that camp in hedges on a cold day but flee when the sun rises Nahum 3:17, illustrating the temporary and unreliable nature of their military leadership in the face of judgment.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the role and context of the ṭiphçar:

  • H6485 pâqad (to visit, oversee, appoint): This is the action verb used to "appoint" the captain in Jeremiah's prophecy. It signifies a charge or commission given, highlighting that the captain's authority is designated for a specific purpose Jeremiah 51:27.
  • H1462 gôwb (grasshopper, great): In Nahum, the captains are compared to "great grasshoppers," emphasizing their vast numbers yet fleeting presence. This imagery serves to diminish the perceived strength of Nineveh's military command Nahum 3:17.
  • H4467 mamlâkâh (kingdom, reign, royal): The appointment of a captain in Jeremiah is part of a larger mobilization involving multiple kingdoms called together to act against Babylon, placing the captain's role within a grand-scale military and political conflict Jeremiah 51:27.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H2951 is seen in its specific prophetic applications:

  • Instrument of Divine Judgment: The captain is not an independent actor but is appointed as part of God's plan to bring judgment upon a nation. This is clear when God commands the kingdoms to "appoint a captain" against Babylon Jeremiah 51:27.
  • Transience of Human Power: The comparison of Nineveh's captains to grasshoppers that flee illustrates the ultimate futility and impermanence of human military might when confronted by divine will. Their power is conditional and temporary Nahum 3:17.
  • Mobilization for War: Both uses of ṭiphçar occur within calls to war, associated with blowing the trumpet, raising a standard, and gathering nations for battle, framing the captain's role squarely within the context of military conquest.

Summary

In summary, H2951 ṭiphçar is a rare term for a military leader used exclusively in prophetic literature. Though it denotes a position of authority, its scriptural usage powerfully contrasts the appointed agent of God's judgment with the fleeting and unreliable nature of purely human power. The word serves as a reminder that earthly captains and kingdoms are ultimately subject to divine command and purpose.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • טַפְסְרַיִ
  • טִפְסָר

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H6485 פָּקַד a primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, de H1462 גּוֹב from גּוּב; the locust (from its grubbing as a larvae); grasshopper, [idiom] great. H4467 מַמְלָכָה from מָלַךְ; dominion, i.e. (abstractly) the estate (rule) or (concretely) the country (realm); kingdom, king's, reign,

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah and Nahum (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

1
Jeremiah
1
Nahum

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.