Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

DESTROYER

The manifestation of Yahweh’s power as the angel of death. For the final plague upon Egypt, Yahweh promises to slay the firstborn sons of the Egyptians (Exod. 11:4-8). As the agent of divine destruction passes through the land (Exod. 12:29), the Israelites avoid calamity by following Yahweh’s command to smear lamb’s blood on their door lintels (vv. 21-23). A destroying angel performs other acts of punishment following David’s census (2 Sam. 24:16-17) and among the Assyrian camp during the siege of Jerusalem in Hezekiah’s reign (Isa. 37:36). In the OT the destroyer (Heb. mašḥîṯ, šōḏēḏ) also refers to human agents employed as instruments of Yahweh’s power (Job 15:21; Isa. 21:2; Jer. 4:7; 48:8, 15, 18).

In the NT, Paul commands the Corinthians not to complain as the Israelites did in the wilderness when Yahweh loosed the destroyer (Gk. olothreutḗs) upon them (1 Cor. 10:10; cf. Num. 16:13-14, 41-50). It is not clear whether Paul identifies the destroyer as Satan or as a specific angel. The latter identification represents the view in rabbinic literature.

William D. Matherly

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

DESTROYER

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)