In the Bible, “captains,” “commanders” and “chiefs”, and the armies they lead, represent large collections of spiritual desires and large collections of spiritual ideas. The leaders represent the first and foremost desires or ideas in these collections - the ones that summarize and bring together all the others.

Captains and rulers in Jeremiah 51:23 signify principal evils and falsities.

Captains and rulers in Ezekiel 33:6 signify principal truths.

See Chief Captains.

8150. 'And there were tertiary commanders over them all' means having been arranged into order under general headings. This is clear from the meaning of 'tertiary commanders' as general headings under which come particular aspects. The reason why 'tertiary commanders' has this meaning is that 'three', which lies behind the term 'tertiary', means something completed and entire, 2788, 4495, 7715, and commanders' means the things that rank first. And these together with the particular aspects constitute general wholes, for every single component of a series is arranged into order under a general heading. This arrangement into order under general headings enables individual aspects to act in unison, have form, and at the same time possess a particular quality. Regarding general headings, that they have particular aspects under them, and specific details under these, see 920, 2384, 3739, 4325 (end), 4329, 4345, 4383, 5208, 5339, 6115, 6146.