ὀλοθρευτής

From the study of 1 Corinthians 10:10

Range of meaning

"Destroyer, one who destroys." It comes from the verb ὀλεθρεύω / ὀλοθρεύω, "to destroy, ruin" (manuscripts spell it with either -ε- or -ο-). The noun is very rare and may first appear here. The participle "the one destroying" is more common.

Against the English

KJV, WEB, YLT, NASB and ESV have "the destroyer", and some capitalise it as a title. BSB and NIV say "the destroying angel" and NLT "the angel of death". These add "angel", which is a reasonable inference but not in the Greek. "Angel of death" in particular brings in later Jewish folklore about a death-angel.

How it drifted

"Destroying angel" and "angel of death" turn a short, ominous title into a defined figure. That is an interpretation, though one supported by Exod 12:23 and 1 Chr 21:15.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exod 12:23 (Hebrew hammashḥit, "the destroyer"; Septuagint τὸν ὀλεθρεύοντα), which strikes Egypt's firstborn at God's command; Heb 11:28 (ὁ ὀλοθρεύων) refers to the same event. 2 Sam 24:16 and 1 Chr 21:12–15 speak of "the angel who destroyed" Jerusalem with plague. Wisdom of Solomon 18:20–25 retells the wilderness plague of Num 16 and says Aaron stood between the living and the dead until "the destroyer" (ὁ ὀλεθρεύων) drew back. This is probably the nearest background to Paul's phrase. Later rabbinic texts speak of destroying angels (mal'akhei ḥabbalah).