Lexical Summary olothreuó: To destroy, to annihilate, to utterly ruin Original Word: ὀλοθρεύω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance destroy. From olethros; to spoil, i.e. Slay -- destroy. see GREEK olethros NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom olethreuó; probably from olethros Definition to destroy, ruin. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3645: ὀλεθρεύωὀλεθρεύω (Lachmann in Hebrews 11:28), see ὀλοθρεύω. STRONGS NT 3645: ὀλοθρεύωὀλοθρεύω and, according to a preferable form, ὀλεθρεύω (Lachmann; see Bleek, Hebrew-Br. ii. 2, p. 809; cf. Delitzsch, Commentary on Hebrews, as below; (Tdf. Proleg., p. 81; WH's Appendix, p. 152)); (ὄλεθρος); an Alex. word (Winers Grammar, 92 (88)); to destroy: τινα, Hebrews 11:28. (Exodus 12:23; Joshua 3:10; Joshua 7:25; Jeremiah 2:30; Haggai 2:22, etc.; (Philo, alleg. 2:9).) (Compare: ἐξολοθρεύω.) The solitary New Testament appearance of ὀλοθρεύω (Hebrews 11:28) occurs in the sweeping catalogue of faith. Here, the writer recalls Moses “By faith … kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch their firstborn” (Hebrews 11:28). The participial form ὀλοθρεύων personifies the dreaded agent of judgment that struck Egypt yet spared the Hebrews. Its placement in Hebrews serves a dual aim: to exemplify persevering faith and to highlight God’s unbroken pattern of salvation through substitutionary blood. Old Testament Background Hebrews 11:28 deliberately echoes Exodus 12:23: “The LORD will pass through to strike down the Egyptians … He will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses”. In the Exodus text the agent is unnamed; the Septuagint supplies ὀλοθρεύων, the same participle used in Hebrews, binding the Testaments together. Additional echoes surface in 2 Samuel 24:16 and 1 Chronicles 21:15, where a destroying angel executes judgment upon Israel, and in 1 Corinthians 10:10, where Paul warns against grumbling “as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer”. Collectively these passages establish a consistent pattern: when God’s righteousness demands judgment He may commission a heavenly messenger to carry it out, yet He simultaneously provides atonement for the faithful. Theology of Divine Judgment and Mercy The term underscores two inseparable divine attributes. First, God’s justice is uncompromising; unrepentant sin invites real, historical judgment. Second, His mercy is always present: blood on the doorposts diverts wrath, prefiguring the Son’s sacrifice (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:19). Thus the “destroyer” motif magnifies both the severity of sin and the sufficiency of substitution. Christological Typology Hebrews employs Passover typology to direct attention to Jesus Christ, “our Passover Lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Just as literal blood shielded Israel from the destroying angel, Christ’s blood shields believers from eternal condemnation (Romans 5:9). The once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10) means that no further fear of the destroyer remains for those in Christ (Romans 8:1). The historical event becomes a theological lens: deliverance is grounded in faith-appropriated atonement. Pastoral and Practical Implications 1. Assurance of Salvation. The Passover pattern instructs believers to rest in the finished work of Christ, not in personal merit. Historical Reception Early church fathers such as Athanasius drew on the Passover narrative to defend the incarnation: only the divine-human Mediator could provide blood potent enough to avert the destroyer’s sword. The Puritans often invoked Hebrews 11:28 in sermons on assurance, urging congregations to “keep the Passover” by clinging to Christ. In hymnody, lines like “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” derive directly from this theological heritage. Related New Testament Parallels Though different vocabulary is used, several texts resonate with the same concept: These passages underline that ὀλοθρεύων is not an isolated phenomenon but part of a broader biblical doctrine of angelic participation in divine justice. Summary Strong’s Greek 3645 appears only once in the New Testament yet opens a panoramic vista of redemptive history. It spotlights a righteous Judge who sends a destroyer, a faithful remnant protected by blood, and a Messiah who fulfills Passover in Himself. For preaching, teaching, and personal devotion, Hebrews 11:28 therefore calls the church to steadfast faith, profound gratitude, and unrelenting proclamation of the Lamb whose blood forever silences the destroyer. Englishman's Concordance Hebrews 11:28 V-PPA-NMSGRK: μὴ ὁ ὀλοθρεύων τὰ πρωτότοκα KJV: lest he that destroyed the firstborn INT: not the destroyer of the firstborn |
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