King James 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; Ezekiel 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).

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 Judges 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.

AMBAS'SADOR, noun [This is the more common orthography; but good authors write also embassador; and as the orthography of embassy is established, it would be better to write embassador. See Embassador.]

Sent by Moses:

To Edom
Numbers 20:14

To the Amorites
Numbers 21:21

By Gibeonites to the Israelites
Joshua 9:4

By Israelites to various nations
Jude 11:12-28

Hiram to David
2 Samuel 5:11

Hiram to Solomon
1 Kings 5:1

Ben-Hadad to Ahab
1 Kings 20:2-6

Amaziah to Jehoash
2 Kings 14:8

Ahaz to Tiglath
2 Kings 16:7

Hoshea to So
2 Kings 17:4

Sennacherib through Rab-Shakeh to Hezekiah
2 Kings 19:9

Berodach to Hezekiah
2 Kings 20:12; 2 Chronicles 32:31

Zedekiah to Egypt
Ezekiel 17:15

Other references to
Proverbs 13:17; Isaiah 18:2; Isaiah 30:4; Isaiah 33:7; Isaiah 36:11; Isaiah 39:1-2; Luke 14:32

Figurative
Job 33:23; Obadiah 1:1; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Ephesians 6:20