מִיכָאֵל
Mikael, the name of an archangel and of nine Israelites
Definition
Michael is a Hebrew personal name meaning 'Who is like God?' In the Old Testament, it is borne by several human figures, including a prince of the tribe of Asher (Numbers 13:13) and various men in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles. Its most significant usage is for the archangel Michael, who appears in the book of Daniel as a celestial prince and protector of Israel (Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1). This heavenly role is expanded in later Jewish tradition and the New Testament (Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7), establishing him as a chief angelic warrior.
Biblical Usage
The name Michael is used 13 times in the Hebrew Bible. It primarily identifies human individuals, often in genealogical lists within the books of Numbers and 1 Chronicles (e.g., Numbers 13:13; 1 Chronicles 5:13-14; 1 Chronicles 12:20). Its most distinctive usage is in the prophetic book of Daniel, where Michael is uniquely described as 'one of the chief princes' and 'your prince' who contends for and protects God's people (Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1), setting a pattern for his later depiction as an archangel.
Etymology
Derived from the rhetorical question מִי כָאֵל (mî kāʼēl), 'Who is like God?' It is a compound of the interrogative pronoun מִי (mî, 'who?'), the preposition כְּ (kə, 'like'), and the noun אֵל (ʼēl, 'God'). The name is a theophoric name, common in Semitic cultures, that praises God's incomparability. Its meaning is a declaration of God's unique majesty.
Semantic Range
Michael is a key figure in biblical angelology and eschatology. His role in Daniel establishes the concept of angelic 'princes' contending over nations, highlighting the spiritual dimension behind earthly conflicts. His title 'who is like God' serves as a polemic against idolatry, affirming God's absolute sovereignty. In Daniel 12:1, he is linked to the final deliverance of God's people, a theme developed in the New Testament where he is the archangel who contends with Satan (Jude 1:9) and leads heavenly armies (Revelation 12:7).
In ancient Israel, names were often descriptive or expressed a theological truth about God. 'Michael' functioned as a statement of faith in Yahweh's supreme power. The development of Michael from a human name to a specific, powerful archangel reflects the post-exilic growth of Jewish angelology, where certain angels gained distinct identities and roles as heavenly intermediaries and warriors in the divine court.
Gabriel (Gavriʼel, H1403) — Another named archangel who functions primarily as a messenger (Daniel 8:16; 9:21), whereas Michael is depicted as a protector and warrior prince.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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