Leader's title
The Tartan was a high-ranking Assyrian military commander who led campaigns against Ashdod and Jerusalem.
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Also known as supreme commander · chief
The Tartan is mentioned in 2Ki.18.17 and Isa.20.1 as a title of a high-ranking Assyrian military commander. In 2 Kings, the Tartan, along with the Rabsaris and the Rabshakeh, was sent by King Sennacherib of Assyria to Jerusalem to intimidate King Hezekiah and demand his surrender. In Isaiah, the Tartan was sent by Sargon king of Assyria to attack the city of Ashdod. The Tartan was likely second in command to the king and led major military campaigns. The title is of Akkadian origin and refers to the commander-in-chief of the Assyrian army.
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An Assyrian word, meaning “the commander-in-chief.” (1.) One of Sennacherib’s messengers to Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:17). (2.) One of Sargon’s generals (Isa. 20:1).
which occurs only in (2 Kings 18:17) and Isai 20:1 Has been generally regarded as a proper name; like Rabsaris and Rabshakeh, it is more probably an official designation, and indicates the Assyrian commander-in-chief.
a general (official title)
TAR'TAN. 2 Kgs 18:17. It is the name of an office - commander-inchief of an army - not a proper name.
TAR'TAN. 2 Kgs 18:17. It is the name of an office - commander-inchief of an army - not a proper name.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
2 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H8661
Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh, along with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They advanced up to Jerusalem and stationed themselves by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Laundererʼs Field.
Before the year that the chief commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it,
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.