The Hebrew word mishlachath, represented by H4917, denotes a mission or a sending. It appears only 2 times in 2 unique verses, carrying a specific meaning in each context. Its base definition includes concepts ranging from a favorable release or discharge to the unfavorable dispatch of an army.
The two uses of H4917 illustrate its distinct applications. In Psalms 78:49, it refers to an act of divine judgment, where God's anger is expressed through the sending of evil angels. This is a mission of wrath. Conversely, in Ecclesiastes 8:8, the word is translated as discharge, highlighting a human limitation. The verse states that in the war against death, there is no discharge, meaning no one has the power to gain a release from it.
Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H4917 is used:
- H4397 mălʼâk (messenger; angel): This word is the object of the "sending" in Psalms 78:49, where God sends evil angels as an instrument of his wrath.
- H2740 chârôwn (a burning of anger; fierce(-ness)): This term appears with H4917 in Psalms 78:49 to describe the fierceness of God's anger that accompanies the sending of trouble.
- H4422 mâlaṭ (to escape; deliver): In Ecclesiastes 8:8, it is stated that wickedness cannot deliver those who practice it, reinforcing the theme that there is no escape or discharge from death.
- H7989 shallîyṭ (potent; that hath power): This word is used in Ecclesiastes 8:8 to emphasize that man has no power over the day of his death, making a discharge impossible.
The theological weight of H4917 is found in its contrasting applications of a "mission":
- A Mission of Divine Judgment: In Psalms 78:49, the "sending" is an active delegation of God's judicial anger. It is a dispatched force comprising his fierceness H2740, wrath H5678, indignation H2195, and trouble H6869.
- The Impossibility of Human Release: The concept of "discharge" in Ecclesiastes 8:8 speaks to the finality of the human condition. In the ultimate conflict with death, there is no mission of release that one can obtain; it is an inescapable reality.
In summary, H4917 is a rare but potent term. Though used only twice, it powerfully conveys the idea of a "mission" or "sending" from two different perspectives. It illustrates God's sovereign authority to dispatch His wrath through a mission of angels Psalms 78:49 while also defining the human inability to secure a discharge or release from the inescapable reality of death Ecclesiastes 8:8.
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