Names of angels and their meanings

isthmus nekoi

Just a quick (?) newbie question, apologies if this is in the incorrect forum...

I was wondering what were the meanings of names Raphael, Gabriel, Michael and Uriel? The "el" I believe is "god", but I'm not sure about the prefixes.
 

Grigori

The first part of the names is a little letter game taken from Exodus. You arrange the verses 19, 20 and 21 in three rows (each verse having 72 letters, so you get 72 columns of 3 letters). Verse 19 from Left to Right, verse 20 from Right to Left, and verse 21 from Left to right.

Then if you read from top to bottom you get the names of the 72 angels minus the "el" or the "ah" at the end. The "el"s are the vengeful angry type angels, and the "ah"s are the fluffy cuddly ones. Not sure how the division is worked out though... I can't see a pattern in it. They don't alternate or anything obvious like that.

I assume the meanings of the names comes from the interpretatio of those 3 letters rather than the other way around.
 

jmd

Michael - he who is alike to God
Gabriel - son (or man or warrior/hero) of God [various renditions of the meaning are also given]
Raphael - healer of God
Uriel - fire (or flames) of God​

These are amongst the more common renditions.
 

Rosanne

Just as a little aside from the main question-
Uriel, Raphael,Gabriel,Mikhael,Nuriel Their first letters URGMN prnounced argaman means purple. El means both 'God' and the direction 'toward'. The names are as jmd said Uriel is the angel of Light, Raphael is the angel of healing, Gabriel the angel of power and virility, Mikhael is the angel close to God, and Nuriel is the angel of Fire. So their names depend on their origin or their mission. In Hebrew the word angel is 'Malakh' which means 'has a function' or 'doing work' Angels have only one mission of work. So Uriel's job of work I guess is to bring/give Light. Hope that helps. ~Rosanne
 

firecatpickles

similia said:
The first part of the names is a little letter game taken from Exodus. You arrange the verses 19, 20 and 21 in three rows.

Which Chapter? In the King James Version?
 

jmd

In the Torah in Hebrew.
 

kwaw

Gabriel = GBR-AL"warrior of God" or "man of God" [strong number 1403]
1. an archangel; the angel God used to send messages of great importance to man; sent to Daniel, to Zacharias, and to Mary
From root GBR meaning:
1. to prevail, have strength, be strong, be powerful, be mighty, be great
a. (Qal)
1. to be strong, mighty
2. to prevail
b. (Piel) to make strong, strengthen
c. (Hiphil)
1. to confirm, give strength
2. to confirm (a covenant)
d. (Hithpael)
1. to show oneself mighty
2. to act proudly (toward God)
1. man, strong man, warrior (emphasising strength or ability to fight) [strong number 1388]
2. man, man (of uprightness) [Stong number 1399]

Michael = MYK-AL = Who is like God from:
MY = who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever + K [lprefix indicating likeness, similarity, comparison]
Uriel = AVR-AL"God (El) is my light" or "Flame [fire] of God" from:
AVR = flame, light of fire

Raphael = "healed of God" or God's healer or physician, from:
1. RFA= to heal, make healthful
a. (Qal) to heal
1. of God
2. healer, physician (of men)
3. of hurts of nations involving restored favour (fig)
4. of individual distresses (fig)
b. (Niphal) to be healed
1. literal (of persons)
2. of water, pottery
3. of national hurts (fig)
4. of personal distress (fig)
c. (Piel) to heal
1. literal
2. of national defects or hurts (fig)
d. (Hithpael) in order to get healed (infinitive)
but RFA also root of:
ghosts of the dead, shades, spirits
dead, 3; departed spirits, 4; spirits of the dead, 1;

Suffix Al/el meaning:
1. god, god-like one, mighty one
a. mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes
b. angels
c. god, false god, (demons, imaginations)
d. God, the one true God, Jehovah
2. mighty things in nature
3. strength, power

These archangel names are different to the 72 names of power or angelic names or names of god, called the ShemHaphoresh, derived from exodus.

Kwaw
 

isthmus nekoi

Thanks for your informative responses everyone. :)

Any good books that might elabourate on this topic (e.g. the names of god, angels etc.)?
 

wizzle

I have "A Dictionary of Angels" by Gustav Davidson and it's great, although I believe out of print. You can learn neat things like that Inias is one of 7 angels reprobated at the church council in Rome in 745 C.E. The book is not limited to Hebrew angels. There are lots from Vedic lore, Babylon, Chaldea, goetia, etc.

If you are exorcising Wax (and you know how often we all need to do that) you call on Menor. Very useful book. And it has a huge bibliography if you want to pursue additional information.
 

sprite

there is a really good book but it focuses on dark angels and its has alot of names of the angles and a little about them its called fallen angels and spirits of the dark buy robert masello. maybe something you want to look into to. i found it in barnes and noble in the inspirational section with all the religous stuff