H4917 H4917
discharge (from military service) or sending (of angels); release or delegation
This feminine noun carries two distinct but related meanings. In Ecclesiastes, it refers to military discharge—there is no release from the warfare of this life, no way to escape the battles one faces. In Psalm 78, it describes a 'sending' or delegation of destroying angels as instruments of divine judgment. Both senses involve movement away from a source: soldiers released from duty, or messengers dispatched on a mission.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Appears in Psalm 78:49 (a delegation or band of destroying angels) and Ecclesiastes 8:8 (no discharge from warfare). The multilingual evidence reflects both nuances: English 'discharge'/'band', Spanish 'licencia'/'misión', French 'envoi', showing the term encompasses both release from obligation and purposeful sending on assignment. 2×
AR["إِرْسَالَ", "وَلَيْسَ"]·ben["ছুটি", "প্রেরিত"]·DE["[משלחת]", "ein-band-von"]·EN["a-band-of", "discharge"]·FR["de-envoi", "משלחת"]·heb["משלחת"]·HI["छुट्टी", "दल"]·ID["pembebasan", "utusan"]·IT["[משלחת]", "discharge"]·jav["kaidin", "utusan"]·KO["면제", "보냄-을"]·PT["dispensa", "uma-missão"]·RU["освобождения", "послание"]·ES["licencia", "misión-de"]·SW["kuachiliwa", "ujumbe-wa"]·TR["salıverme", "serbest-birakilma"]·urd["دستہ", "رخصت"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מִשְׁלַ֫חַת n.f. 1. discharge; 2. deputation, sending;— 1. abs. אֵין מ׳ בַּמִּלְח׳ Ec 8:8 three is no discharge in war. 2. cstr. מ׳ מַלְאֲכֵי רָעִים ψ 78:49 a deputation (or sending) of angels of evil.