ADJUTANT

The Hebrew word sha·lishʹ (third man, referring to the third warrior in a war chariot) has been translated in various Bible versions as “captain,” “chariot-leader,” “lord,” “warrior,” “adjutant.”

Some monumental inscriptions illustrating “Hittite” and Assyrian war chariots show three men: one, the driver; another, the fighter with the sword, lance, or bow; and a third, the carrier of the shield. Though Egyptian monuments usually do not show three-manned chariots, the term is used at Exodus 14:7 with respect to Pharaoh’s charioteers. The third chariot warrior, usually the one carrying the shield, was an assistant commander in the war chariot, an adjutant. The English word “adjutant” literally means “one that helps; assistant.”