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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia · 1915

Messenger

mes'-en-jer:

The regular Hebrew word for "messenger" is mal'akh, the Greek aggelos. This may be a human messenger or a messenger of God, an angel. The context must decide the right translation. In Haggai 1:13 the prophet is called God's messenger; Job 33:23 changes the King James Version to "angel" (margin "messenger"); and Malachi 3:1 margin, suggests "angel" instead of "messenger." Malachi 2:7 and Malachi 3:1 (twice) have caused a great deal of comment. See MALACHI. The Greek apostolos, "apostle," is rendered "messenger" in 2 Corinthians 8:23; Philippians 2:25; 1 Samuel 4:17 translations literally, from Hebrew basar, "to tell good news," "he that brought the tidings." Genesis 50:16 reads "message" instead of "messenger."

A. L. Breslich

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Orr, general editor (Chicago: Howard-Severance, 1915). Public domain. Text as published by biblestudytools.com. From the Encyclosphere, the open network of encyclopedias run by the Knowledge Standards Foundation. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: links to 1, 2, and 3 John that our source pointed at the Gospel of John corrected; our source’s section marks set as headings.