H4397 Messenger of Yehovah 5×214

מַֽלְאָךְ malak (H4397) angel, messenger

2 Chronicles 35:21

²¹ But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with you, you king of Judah?  Not against you this day, but against the house wherewith I have war.  For Redeemer commanded me to make haste.  Forbear you from Redeemer,  who with me, that He destroy you not.

Ambassadors comes from the Hebrew word מַֽלְאָךְ malak (H4397).  It is in the Bible 214 times.  מַֽלְאָךְ malak (H4397) is translated angel 111 times, messenger 98 times, ambassadors 4 times and variant 1 time.  מַֽלְאָךְ malak (H4397) refers to someone sent over a great distance by an individual or by a community in order to communicate a message.  Many times, it is God sending the messenger.  It can be a human or angelic.  Too often the assumption is that it is angelic, when it is actually a human.

The 4 instances where מַֽלְאָךְ malak (H4397) is translated ambassadors should have been translated messengers.  Ambassadors denote something more than a messenger.  As such, 2 Chronicles 35:21 should have been translated:

²¹ But he sent messengers (ambassadors) to him, saying, What have I to do with you, you king of Judah? Not against you this day, but against the house wherewith I have war.  For Redeemer commanded me to make haste.  Forbear you from Redeemer,  who with me, that He destroy you not.

As mistranslations are identified, this variant page will be updated.  The former word is in parentheses.

Psalm 78:49

⁴⁹ He cast upon them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil messengers (angels).

This is referring to more than angels.  It refers to nations that came against His people, both physical and spiritual Israel.

Isaiah 30:4

⁴ For his princes were at Zoan, and his messengers (ambassadors) came to Hanes.

Isaiah 33:7

⁷ Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without.  The messengers (ambassadors) of peace shall weep bitterly.

Ezekiel 17:15

¹⁵ But he rebelled against him in sending his messengers (ambassadors) into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people.  Shall he prosper?  Shall he escape that does such?  Or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

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