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Question on Hebrew and Gender of Angels

March 7th, 2015

We could use some help from our Hebrew scholars.
I am having difficulty determining whether or not the word/words for Angel in Hebrew are masculine or neuter, and whether that actually indicates gender. Also, whether the pronouns used of angels (when they are not being visibly observed as “men,” but just as angels) are masculine or neuter. Or, does Hebrew, like Greek and English, use the masculine pronoun as also the neuter pronoun?
Our office is Greek-heavy and rather Hebrew-poor, so we’d appreciate your help!

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  • Stuart Mattfield In Genesis 16:7, the word for Angel (Malek, meaning messenger) is masculine (מַלְאַ֧ךְ). The word Seraphim in Isaiah 6:2 is masculine (שְׂרָפִ֨ים). Not sure that’s the case in every inference of angel in the OT.
    March 5 at 3:42pm · Like
  • Vincent Trigili Stuart Mattfield, Does the gender of the word actually reflect the gender of the being? I am not completely convinced angels have any gender at all – but can appear in either gender as they wish. But I would not die on a hill to defend that thought, its just what I think might be correct.
    March 5 at 4:14pm · Like
  • Dwight Payne I have personally heard two different real-life stories about people seeing angels just before they died and their telling family members in the room with them about the presence of the angels. What intrigues me is that in both instances, the angels were described as being “women” although, as we know, there is no account in the Bible of any female angels.
    March 5 at 4:19pm · Like
  • Stuart Mattfield Let me amplify my previous statement (as Vincent Trigilibrings up a good point and I should have read the question being asked a little more closely)… The words in Hebrew are masculine, but that should not imply gender. Scripture is not clear on the gender. I was merely stating that the word is masculine. Just as the Spanish word for pencil (lapiz) is masculine and the word for pen (pluma) is feminine), neither is assigned gender based on the gender of the word. Sooooooooo…I think the word for angel in the OT is predominantly masculine. I think angels are a distinctly different creature than man, and I have no idea if gender is assigned (nor am I sure it matters).
    March 5 at 4:24pm · Like · 2
  • Stuart Mattfield Also, pronouns in Hebrew are only masculine or feminine. There are no neuter pronouns.
    March 5 at 4:26pm · Like
  • Vincent Trigili Thanks Stuart Mattfield – I thought that is what I remembered from Seminary, but my Hebrew so so rusty now it is holy.
    March 5 at 4:27pm · Like · 1
  • Sarah Van Baale And then there is Genesis 6, which makes the whole situation even more difficult and confusing if angels do indeed have a gender.
    March 5 at 4:51pm · Like
  • Kristi-Joy Matovich and Dwight Payne – I have heard similar stories, two of which I believe quite firmly. it is an interesting topic.
    March 5 at 4:54pm · Like · 1
  • Marc Weiss German is like that as well – the word Dog is masculine, which even applies for a female dog. We don’t have it in English, so it is gets complicated.

    I know little about the study of angels, I just believe maybe they could manifest themselves up until the flood; and God said ‘no more’. That is the only way I can reconcile it.
    March 5 at 9:12pm · Like
  • Steve Ray Webb Zechariah 5:9-11 appears to present two angels as being female. Also, notable, is that they had wings. I picture some very glorious creatures.
    Yesterday at 8:04am · Like
  • Steve Ray Webb It may also be significant that physical creation, as we know it, is pretty well divided into male and female, i.e. part and counterpart. This duality may be an intrisic quality of God’s creation that extends to the angels. It is going to be fascinating to find out.
    Yesterday at 10:13am · Like

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