Angel of the Lord
Encyclopedia
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
(also: Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
) used for an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
. The Biblical name for angel, מלאך mal'ach, which translates simply as "messenger," obtained the further signification of "angel" only through the addition of God's name, as ("angel of the Lord," or "angel of God", Zech. 12:8).
Hebrew Bible
In the Hebrew Bible the noun malak "messenger" is used 214 times of which approximately (according to translations in the King James Version) 103 times concern human messengers and 111 times concern heavenly messengers. In English versions the term malak YHWH is often transcribed with small capsSmall caps
In typography, small capitals are uppercase characters set at the same height and weight as surrounding lowercase letters or text figures...
"angel of the ."
Septuagint
In the Greek Old Testament, the term "angel of the Lord" is used, aggelos Kyrios, prefiguring usage in the New Testament. The Hellenistic Jewish philosopher PhiloPhilo
Philo , known also as Philo of Alexandria , Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, Yedidia, "Philon", and Philo the Jew, was a Hellenistic Jewish Biblical philosopher born in Alexandria....
identified the Angel of the Lord (in the singular) with the Logos
Logos
' is an important term in philosophy, psychology, rhetoric and religion. Originally a word meaning "a ground", "a plea", "an opinion", "an expectation", "word," "speech," "account," "reason," it became a technical term in philosophy, beginning with Heraclitus ' is an important term in...
.
Examples of the term "Angel of the Lord" in the Hebrew Bible
The term angel of the Lord occurs 65 times in the Hebrew Bible (always singular), whereas the term angel of God occurs 12 times (2 of which are plural).- Genesis 16:7-14. The Angel of the Lord appears to a woman named HagarHagar (Bible)Hagar , according to the Abrahamic faiths, was the second wife of Abraham, and the mother of his first son, Ishmael. Her story is recorded in the Book of Genesis, mentioned in Hadith, and alluded to in the Qur'an...
. The Angel speaks as GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
in the first-person, and in verse 13 Hagar identifies the visitor as God. - Genesis 22:11-15. The Angel of the Lord appears to AbrahamAbrahamAbraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
and, again, refers to God in the first-person. - Exodus 3:2-4. The Angel of the Lord appears to MosesMosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
in a flame in verse two, and God speaks to Moses from the flame in verse four. - Numbers 22:22-38. The Angel of the Lord meets the prophet BalaamBalaamBalaam is a diviner in the Torah, his story occurring towards the end of the Book of Numbers. The etymology of his name is uncertain, and discussed below. Every ancient reference to Balaam considers him a non-Israelite, a prophet, and the son of Beor, though Beor is not so clearly identified...
on the road. In verse 38, Balaam identifies the Angel who spoke to him as God. - Judges 2:1-3. The Angel of the Lord appears to IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and identifies Himself as God. - Judges 6:11-23. The Angel of the Lord appears to Gideon. In verse 14 the Angel refers to Himself as God; in verse 21 the Angel allows Gideon to sacrifice to Him as to God ("Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight."), and in verse 22 Gideon fears for his life because he was in the presence of God.
- Judges 13:3-22. The Angel of the Lord appears to ManoahManoahManoah is the father of Samson. Manoah means rest or quiet in Judges 13:1-23 and 14:2-4 of the Hebrew Bible.Manoah was of the tribe of Dan, and lived in the city of Zorah. He and his wife were childless, but an angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah's wife and told her that she would give birth to a...
and his wife, and, in verse 22, is identified as God.
Examples of the term "Angel of God" in the Bible
- Genesis 31:11. The Angel of God calls out to JacobJacobJacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
in the dream, Where Jacob answered, ‘Here I am.’" And the Angel tells him "I am the God of BethelBethelBethel was a border city described in the Hebrew Bible as being located between Benjamin and Ephraim...
". - Exodus 14:19. The Angel of God leads the camp of Israel, and also follows behind them, with the pillar of firePillar of Fire (theophany)A Pillar of Fire was one of the manifestations of the presence of the God of Israel in the Torah. According to Exodus, the pillar of fire provided light so that Jews could travel by night during the Exodus from Egypt . The pillar of fire is traditionally paired with the manifestation of the divine...
. This is the same "angel" referred to in Exodus 23:20-23, whose voice God instructs the Israelites to "obey", and who will "pardon transgressions", because God says that His Name is "within him." - Judges 13:9. The Angel of God approached the wife of ManoahManoahManoah is the father of Samson. Manoah means rest or quiet in Judges 13:1-23 and 14:2-4 of the Hebrew Bible.Manoah was of the tribe of Dan, and lived in the city of Zorah. He and his wife were childless, but an angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah's wife and told her that she would give birth to a...
while she was out in the field, after the Lord heard Manoah, but Manoah was not with her.
When a biblical character sees an angel identified as the angel of the Lord, this is often interpreted as a theophany
Theophany
Theophany, from the Ancient Greek , meaning "appearance of God"), refers to the appearance of a deity to a human or other being, or to a divine disclosure....
.
In the Hebrew Bible the term malak YHWH (Hebrew for "messenger of Yahweh", in English KJV "angel of the " with small caps
Small caps
In typography, small capitals are uppercase characters set at the same height and weight as surrounding lowercase letters or text figures...
) occurs only in the singular, usually with the definite article
Definite Article
Definite Article is the title of British comedian Eddie Izzard's 1996 performance released on VHS. It was recorded on different nights at the Shaftesbury Theatre...
, and often signifies a special self-manifestation of God (see Gen. 31:11-13, where the angel of God says, "I am the God of Beth-el"; Ex. 3:2-6, where the angel of the Lord who appeared to Moses in the flame of fire says, "I am the God of thy father"; compare Gen. 22:11; Judges 6:11-22).
At times the Angel of the Lord speaks in such a way as to assume authority over previous promises (see Gen. 16:11 and 21:17). Though appearing in human form (see Gen. 18:2 et seq., 32:25; compare Hosea 12:5), the Angel of the Lord may or may not have individuality.
However, there are subsequent passages that narrow the individuality by referencing man's ability or willingness to see or hear the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit respectively. In the Old Testament, human servants of God and angels did receive homage from people. (Daniel 2:46; 8:16,17) However, after the ascension of Christ, angels specifically request that man not worship them (see Rev. 19:10, 22:9) while the Angel of the Lord and the angel of God make no such request.
The identity of the Angel of the Lord, is elsewhere comparable to "hammal'ak haggoel", "the redeeming Angel" or "the Angel the Redeemer" (see Gen. 48:16); "mal'ak panaiv", "the Angel of God's presence" (see Isaiah 63:9); and "mala'k habberith", "the Angel of the Covenant" (Malachi 3:1). These are also generally considered to be the same in identity with what the Septuagint calls "megas boule aggelos", "the Angel of the Great Counsel" (Isaiah 9:6), the one that is said to redeem man and fill the earth with righteousness.
Within the Hebrew Bible, there is no uniform conception of angels. In Jacob's
Jacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
dream they ascend and descend the ladder (Gen. 28:12); in the vision of Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
(6:2) they are six-winged seraphim; in Ezekiel
Ezekiel
Ezekiel , "God will strengthen" , is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Ezekiel is acknowledged as a Hebrew prophet...
the cherubim and living creatures (ḥayyot) have the likeness of a man, are winged, and have feet (Ezek. 1:5-7, 10:19-21). As guests of the biblical patriarch Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
, they eat (Gen. 18:8); in the house of Manoah the angel refuses to eat (Judges 13:16). Whether in the popular mind these angels took the place of the powers of nature deified by the heathen nations elsewhere, or whether the psychological process was a different one, the monotheism of Israel necessitated the assumption of beings representing a heavenly hierarchy ready to mediate between man and God.
Angel of his Presence
A related term is "angel of his Presence" used just once, in Isaiah 63:9. There it says that throughout the history of Israel, God has lovedLove of God
Love of God are central notions in monotheistic and polytheistic religions, and are important in one's personal relationship with God and one's conception of God ....
and been merciful
Mercy
Mercy is broad term that refers to benevolence, forgiveness and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social and legal contexts.The concept of a "Merciful God" appears in various religions from Christianity to...
to that nation and shared in its distresses, saving Israel with "the angel of his presence". Some theologians believe that the Septuagint emphasizes that "Angel of the Presence" is simply a way of referring to God, not a regular or created angel. In the Pseudepigrapha, in the Book of Jubilees
Jubilees
The Book of Jubilees , sometimes called Lesser Genesis , is an ancient Jewish religious work, considered one of the pseudepigrapha by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches...
, the Angel of the Presence explains to Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
the history of Israel. Jubilees depicts this entity as one of God's special agents and does not provide him with a specific name. In the Testament of Judah, Judah states that he has received blessing from the Angel of the Presence. The Second Book of Enoch
Second Book of Enoch
The Second Book of Enoch is a pseudepigraphic of the Old Testament. It is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature. Late 1st century CE is the dating often preferred...
identifies Uriel
Uriel
Uriel is one of the archangels of post-Exilic Rabbinic tradition, and also of certain Christian traditions...
as the Angel of the Presence or else as one of the Angels of the Presence.
New Testament
In the New TestamentNew Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
the Greek phrase ἄγγελος Κυρίου (aggelos kyriou - "angel of the Lord") is found in , , , , ; , ; , , , . None of these are citations from the Old Testament. The "angel of the Lord" of Luke 1:11 identifies himself as Gabriel in .
Christian views
The KJV and NKJV capitalize "AngelAngel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
", possibly to indicate that it is a specific angel. Most versions, including NASB
New American Standard Bible
The New American Standard Bible , also informally called New American Standard Version , is an English translation of the Bible....
, RSV
Revised Standard Version
The Revised Standard Version is an English translation of the Bible published in the mid-20th century. It traces its history to William Tyndale's New Testament translation of 1525. The RSV is an authorized revision of the American Standard Version of 1901...
, ESV
English Standard Version
The English Standard Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. It is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version...
, etc., do not capitalise angel of the Lord.
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907) treats the Angel of the Lord as an angel bearing the name of God. The view is that this angel was probably Christ, "the Only-begotten Son, the Angel of great Counsel."Eastern Orthodox
Most Eastern Fathers followed the line of thought that the "Angel of the Lord" was "the Word of God", who was "foreshadowing the sublime character in which He is one day to reveal Himself to men", and that his appearances in the Old Testament were preludes to the Incarnation.Protestant and Evangelical Christianity
During the ReformationReformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
the Angel of the Lord was usually considered a general representative of God the Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
, due to several verses stating that no one can look upon the face of YHWH and live.
In Evangelical Christianity, some commentators interpret the phrase "Angel of the Lord" in the Hebrew Scriptures to refer to a pre-human appearance of Jesus Christ or Christophany
Christophany
A Christophany is an appearance, or non-physical manifestation, of Christ.Traditionally the term refers to visions of Christ after his ascension such as the bright light of the Damascus Christophany....
. Others comment the functions of the Angel of the Lord prefigure Christ, and there is no clear mention in the New Testament because the Messiah himself is this person.
Jehovah's Witnesses
The official position of Jehovah's witnessesJehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
is that the "Angel of the Lord" who led the Israelites in the wilderness, and who had "God's Name within him", and who would pardon transgressions, was the pre-existent Christ. They believe that the Angel of the Lord is also the Archangel Michael, the Prince of Israel, who is mentioned in Daniel. They teach that this was "God's first-begotten Son".
Further reading
- P.E. Kretzmann. The Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament. Theological Monthly 2(2) pp. 33–36.
- Vogel, Heinrich. The Angel Of The Lord
- A Messianic Jewish Perspective: An Angel You Ought to Know. Who is the Messenger?