### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
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**.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
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.
### Related Words & Concepts
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.
### Theological Significance
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.
### Summary
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]].
TRV