“The Angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a fire blazing from the middle of a bush. He looked and saw that although the bush was flaming with fire, yet the bush was not being burned up.”-Exodus 3:2
So Moses is at Mount Horeb (in the Arabian Peninsula) with his sheep when he sees a burning bush.
However, there is something peculiar about this bush.
It continues to maintain its green color and shape in spite of being engulfed in flames.
Well, this is a real attention-grabber, so curious, Moses decides to take a closer look.
At that moment a voice calls out to Moses from the burning bush.
Most Bible translations will tell us that it was the “Angel of the Lord” that appeared to Moses.
Although not necessarily incorrect, this is a bit misleading.
First, a bit of a review is in order here.
If you were reading the Bible in Hebrew, you would encounter one of the two following Hebrew expressions:
MALACH
or
MALACH YAHWEH
Now the problem we encounter is that the phrase “Angel of the Lord” can seem to mean BOTH MALACH and MALACH YAHWEH.
However, there is a world of difference in meaning between “MALACH” and “MALACH YAHWEH”.
“MALACH” simply means a “messenger“.
Whether it is a divine messenger (an angel) or just a regular human being, like the mailman who stops by your home to deliver a letter, all depends on the context.
On the other hand, MALACH YAHWEH means a manifestation of the Almighty God Himself.
In order to make a proper distinction between the two in English, I think MALACH YAHWEH should be rendered as “the Angel of Yahweh” and MALACH should be rendered as “an Angel of the Lord” in the case of a divine messenger and something like “a man sent from God“ or “a human messenger sent from God” in the case of an earthly messenger.
I actually revised the Scriptural excerpt from the Complete Jewish Bible I placed at the top of this post from “Angel of the Lord” to the “Angel of Yahweh”.
Alright, in case you’re confused, just remember the following three points.
POINT ONE:
MALACH can refer to either a divine messenger (an angel) OR an earthly messenger. I think it would be good to translate it to “Angel of the Lord” in the case of a divine messenger and something like “a man sent from God“ or “a human messenger sent from God” in the case of an earthly messenger. Context lets us know whether we are dealing with an angel or an earthly authority.
POINT TWO:
MALACH YHVH only refers to a manifestation of God Himself and in English should be translated as “The Angel of YHVH” to make a clear distinction that it is NOT a MALACH or just “an Angel of the Lord”.
POINT THREE:
In Exodus 3:2, the original Hebrew is MALACH YHVH and thus should be translated as “The Angel of YHVH” to let us know that there isn’t any question we are dealing with a manifestation God Almighty. However, in spite of this, many Bibles including both the King James Version and the NIV use what I believe to be the misleading term “The Angel of the Lord”.
Different English phrases should be used to show whether we are dealing with just an angel or a manifestation of the Almighty Himself.
I’m done.
if we use christian terminology, then yes , there is a difference..there is a hierarchal system around ‘God’ for lack of a better term…Melchizedek, Enoch, Seraphims, Cherubims, etc have validity..throne room of the Ancient of Days(revelation), merkaba technology(jewish mysticism )is also quite compatible to these quaint obscure terms in any version of the bible…No one could prove to the church 2000 years ago that the earth was not the center of the solar system, so briefly, terms can be experienced, or understood fully, but not by intellectual study alone….there is a vehicle, because it is a journey nonetheless…this vehicle is mentioned in Job and the price for the ticket on this vehicle is given as well to the seeker, inconspicuous to the casual reader…..
Not quite sure I understood everything in your comment but I think I got the thrust of it. Yes, our understanding of the Scriptures cannot be restricted to mere head knowledge alone but must also be experienced as the Spirit directs. Thanks for sharing. Shalom!
Can you please provide references in the Torah where “malach adonai” is used as well?
Hello there and thanks for reading. Your question caused me to do quite a bit of research and I must admit I made a mistake. As far as I can tell, there is no phrase “malach adonai” in the Scriptures. Only “malach YHVH”. Any confusion that arises is between the two phrases “malach YHVH” and “malach”. I have practically rewritten this whole post to reflect the new research I have done. Thanks for keeping me on my toes. Shalom.