The Greek term apostolos (“apostle”) translates the Hebrew šāliaḥ, which means “an envoy” or “a commissary.” The legal institution of a šāliaḥ, which resembles that of “power of attorney,” is well explained by the Mishnah: “a man’s šāliaḥ is like the man himself” (Berakot 5:5). A šāliaḥ could act on someone else’s behalf—for example, to contract an engagement or marriage, manage a divorce proceeding,or slaughter the Passover lamb. There is no evidence that this legal institution was in place I the first century, but the idea of an authorized deputy is frequently reflected in the use of the verb apostellō (“to send”) in the Septuagint (Gen 19:13; 38:20; 42:16; 46:28; Exod 3:10; 23:20; Num 13:2; 16:28; 22:15; Deut 1:22; 2:26; 34:11; Josh 2:1; Judg 3:15 etc.). This understanding is more clearly expressed in the New Testament (Mark 6:7; 9:37 parr.; Luke 4:18; John 3:17; 10:36; 17:18; 20:21).