Bible Dictionary: Ambassador

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Smith's Bible Dictionary

Ambassador

a person of high rank employed by a government to represent it and transact its business at the seat of government of some other power. The earliest examples of ambassadors employed occur in (Numbers 20:14; 21:21; Judges 11:7-19) afterwards in that of the fraudulent Gibeonites, (Joshua 9:4) etc., and in the instances of civic strife mentioned (Judges 11:12) and Judg 20:12 Ambassadors are found to have been employed not only on occasions of hostile challenge or insolent menace, (1 Kings 20:2,6; 2 Kings 14:8) but of friendly compliment, of request for alliance or other aid, of submissive deprecation and of curious inquiry. (2 Kings 14:8; 16:7; 18:14; 2 Chronicles 32:31) Ministers are called ambassadors of Christ.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

In the Old Testament the Hebrew word tsir, meaning "one who goes on an errand," is rendered thus (Joshua 9:4; Proverbs 13:17; Isaiah 18:2; Jeremiah 49:14; Obadiah 1:1). This is also the rendering of melits, meaning "an interpreter," in 2 Chronicles 32:31; and of malak, a "messenger," in 2 Chronicles 35:21; Isaiah 30:4; 33:7; Ezek. 17:15. This is the name used by the apostle as designating those who are appointed by God to declare his will (2 Corinthians 5:20; Ephesians 6:20).

The Hebrews on various occasions and for various purposes had recourse to the services of ambassadors, e.g., to contract alliances (Joshua 9:4), to solicit favours (Numbers 20:14), to remonstrate when wrong was done (Judges 11:12), to condole with a young king on the death of his father (2 Samuel 10:2), and to congratulate a king on his accession to the throne (1 Kings 5:1).

To do injury to an ambassador was to insult the king who sent him (2 Samuel 10:5).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(n.) Alt. of Embassador.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

AMBASSADOR

am-bas'-a-dor (mal'akh, "messenger"; 'luts, "interpreter"; tsir, "to go"; hence a messenger; presbeuo, "to act as an ambassador," literally, to be older): An ambassador is an official representative of a king or government, as of Pharaoh (Isaiah 30:4); of the princes of Babylon (2 Chronicles 32:31); of Neco, king of Egypt (2 Chronicles 35:21); of the messengers of peace sent by Hezekiah, king of Judah, to Sennacherib, king of Assyria (Isaiah 33:7). The same Hebrew term is used of the messengers sent by Jacob to Esau (Genesis 32:3); by Moses to the king of Edom (Numbers 20:14). For abundant illustration consult "Messenger" (mal'akh) in any concordance. See CONCORDANCE. The inhabitants of Gibeon made themselves pretended ambassadors to Joshua in order to secure by deceit the protection of a treaty ("covenant") (Joshua 9:4).

In the New Testament the term is used in a figurative sense. As the imprisoned representative of Christ at Rome Paul calls himself "an ambassador in chains" (Ephesians 6:20); and in 2 Corinthians 5:20 includes, with himself, all ministers of the gospel, as "ambassadors. on behalf of Christ," commissioned by Him as their sovereign Lord, with the ministry of reconciling the world to God. The Bible contains no finer characterization of the exalted and spiritual nature of the minister's vocation as the representative of Jesus Christ, the King of kings, and Saviour of the world.

Dwight M. Pratt

Greek

4243. presbeuo -- to be the elder, to take precedence
... precedence. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: presbeuo Phonetic Spelling:
(pres-byoo'-o) Short Definition: I am aged, act as an ambassador Definition: I am ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4243.htm - 7k

652. apostolos -- a messenger, one sent on a mission, an apostle
... From apostello; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a
commissioner of Christ ("apostle") (with miraculous powers) -- apostle ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/652.htm - 7k

4242. presbeia -- age, seniority
... an ambassador. From presbeuo; seniority (eldership), ie (by implication) an embassy
(concretely, ambassadors) -- ambassage, message. see GREEK presbeuo. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4242.htm - 6k

4246. presbutes -- an old man
... of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: presbutes Phonetic Spelling:
(pres-boo'-tace) Short Definition: an old man Definition: an old man, an ambassador. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4246.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

3887. luts -- ambassador, have in derision, interpreter, make a ...
... luts. 3888 . ambassador, have in derision, interpreter, make a mock, mocker.
Transliteration: luts Phonetic Spelling: (loots) Short Definition: ambassador. ...
/hebrew/3887.htm - 6k

2831. chashman -- ambassador
... 2830, 2831. chashman. 2832 . ambassador. Transliteration: chashman Phonetic
Spelling: (khash-man') Short Definition: envoys. Word ...
/hebrew/2831.htm - 5k

6735. tsiyr -- an envoy, messenger
... an envoy, messenger. Transliteration: tsiyr Phonetic Spelling: (tseer) Short Definition:
ambassador. ambassador, hinge, messenger, pain, pang, sorrow ...
/hebrew/6735.htm - 5k

4397. malak -- a messenger
... ambassador, angel, king, messenger. From an unused root meaning to despatch
as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of God, ie An ...
/hebrew/4397.htm - 6k

6737. tsayar -- to act as envoy
... make as if. A denominative from tsiyr in the sense of ambassador; to make an errand,
ie Betake oneself -- make as if...had been ambassador. see HEBREW tsiyr. ...
/hebrew/6737.htm - 6k

Library

After this He Again Slanders the Ambassador of Christianity...
... Chapter LXXIII. After this he again slanders the ambassador of Christianity�
After this he again slanders the ambassador of Christianity ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lxxiii after this he.htm

A Letter, by the Rev. James Arminius, DD &C. &C. To his Excellency ...
... &c. TO HIS EXCELLENCY, THE NOBLE LORD, HIPPOLYTUS A COLLIBUS, AMBASSADOR, FROM THE
MOST ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE, THE ELECTOR PALATINE, TO THE SEVEN UNITED DUTCH ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/a letter by the rev.htm

How Antiochus Made a League with Ptolemy and How Onias Provoked ...
... Euergetes sent an ambassador to Jerusalem, and complained that Onias did not pay
his taxes, and threatened, that if he did not receive them, he would seize ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 4 how antiochus made.htm

Appendix B: Forgery Procured by Mary of Guise
... {280b} On January 28, the Regent writes from Scotland to de Noailles, then the French
Ambassador to England, bidding him to mention this submission to Elizabeth ...
/.../lang/john knox and the reformation/appendix b forgery procured by.htm

God's Ambassadors.
... Ambassadors. If I had an ambition to be the ambassador of this country to our
mother-country, there would be two essential things involved. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on prayer/gods ambassadors.htm

To the Rev. A. Brandram
... or radical party, and many of their friends are bigoted papists; nevertheless,
influenced by the pressing applications of the British Ambassador and being ...
/.../borrow/letters of george borrow/to the rev a brandram 13.htm

The Treasure of Grace
... It happened once that the Spanish ambassador, in the haleyon days of Spain, went
on a visit to the French ambassador, and was invited by him to see the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/the treasure of grace.htm

Apostles To-Day?
... However, this is not all. The name of apostle may be taken (1) in the sense
of being called directly by Jesus as an ambassador for. ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxii apostles to-day.htm

The Preparatory Service; Sometimes Called the Confessional Service ...
... for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead,
be ye reconciled to God." If we would see how this ambassador exercised his ...
/.../chapter xvi the preparatory service.htm

The Papacy
... severely from the unfriendly and high-handed action of Louis XIV., who despatched
an army to the Papal States to revenge an insult to his ambassador, the Duc ...
/.../chapter ix the papacy.htm

Thesaurus

Ambassador (5 Occurrences)
... To do injury to an ambassador was to insult the king who sent him (2 Samuel 10:5).
Noah Webster's Dictionary. (n.) Alt. ... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. AMBASSADOR. ...
/a/ambassador.htm - 11k

Embassy (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) The public function of an ambassador; the charge or business entrusted to
an ambassador or to envoys; a public message to; foreign court concerning ...
/e/embassy.htm - 7k

Envoy (5 Occurrences)
... minister accredited to a foreign government. An envoy's rank is below that
of an ambassador. 2. (n.) An explanatory or commendatory ...
/e/envoy.htm - 8k

Rumour (13 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 49:14 I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto
the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up ...
/r/rumour.htm - 10k

Ambassadors (9 Occurrences)

/a/ambassadors.htm - 9k

Quintus
... Polybius (xxxi.18) mentions a Quintus and a Canuleius as sent to Egypt, 162 BC,
and again (xxxiii.15) the same Quintus as sent as an ambassador to Rhodes, 153 ...
/q/quintus.htm - 7k

Jason (5 Occurrences)
... 1 Maccabees 8:17; Josephus, Ant, XII, x, 6), and perhaps to be identified with
(2). (2) The father of Antipater who went as ambassador of Jonathan to Rome in ...
/j/jason.htm - 12k

Therein (269 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV DBY). Ephesians 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein
I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (KJV WBS). Philippians 1:18 What then ...
/t/therein.htm - 36k

Receive (350 Occurrences)
... To give admittance to; to permit to enter, as into one's house, presence, company,
and the like; as, to receive a lodger, visitor, ambassador, messenger, etc. ...
/r/receive.htm - 36k

Recall (11 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To call back; to summon to return; as,
to recall troops; to recall an ambassador. 2. (vt) To revoke ...
/r/recall.htm - 9k

Bible Concordance

Ambassador (5 Occurrences)

Ephesians 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Philemon 1:9 yet for love's sake I rather beg, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
(See RSV)

Proverbs 13:17 A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY YLT)

Jeremiah 49:14 I have heard news from Yahweh, and an ambassador is sent among the nations, saying, Gather yourselves together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY YLT)

Obadiah 1:1 The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Lord Yahweh says about Edom. We have heard news from Yahweh, and an ambassador is sent among the nations, saying, "Arise, and let's rise up against her in battle.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY YLT)

Subtopics

Ambassador

Related Terms

Embassy (2 Occurrences)

Envoy (5 Occurrences)

Rumour (13 Occurrences)

Ambassadors (9 Occurrences)

Quintus

Jason (5 Occurrences)

Therein (269 Occurrences)

Receive (350 Occurrences)

Recall (11 Occurrences)