A divine agent sent to carry out a sentence of destruction. The destroyer killed Egypt's firstborn. This ended the plagues and freed the Hebrews from slavery (Exodus 12:23; compare Hebrews 11:28). The apostle Paul used the term for God’s judgment on the rebellious Israelites in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:10; compare Numbers 16:44–50).
In plural form, “destroyers” implies a group that causes destruction, either angels or humans (Job 33:22; Jeremiah 22:7).
More broadly, the "destroyer" is any agent that causes destruction (Job 15:21; Jeremiah 4:7).
Samson was called a destroyer by the Philistine who held him captive (Judges 16:24).
The Destroyer
This term has multiple meanings in the Bible:
From Tyndale Bible Dictionary, adapted by Mission Mutual. CC BY-SA 4.0.