Gabriel

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

GABRIEL (‘man of God’). In the first rank of the innumerable hosts of the heavenly hierarchy (  Daniel 7:10 ) there are seven who occupy the first place the seven archangels; of these Gabriel is one. In   Daniel 8:15 ff. Gabriel is sent to explain to Daniel the meaning of the vision of the ram and the he-goat; in   Daniel 9:21 ff. he tells Daniel of the seventy weeks which are ‘decreed’ upon the people and the holy city. This is the only mention of Gabriel in the OT. In post-Biblical literature the name occurs more frequently. He appears twice in the NT as God’s messenger. He is sent to announce to Zacharias that Elisabeth will bear a son; he also tells the name that the child is to bear (  Luke 1:8-20 ). In   Luke 1:26-38 he appears to the Virgin Mary and announces the birth of a son to her; here again he says what the name of the child is to be: ‘Thou shalt call his name Jesus.’

In the Babylonian and Persian angelologies there are analogies to the seven archangels of the Jews, and the possibility of Jewish belief having been influenced by these must not be lost sight of.

W. O. E. Oesterley.

Bridgeway Bible Dictionary

Angels, or messengers of God, feature frequently in the Bible record, but only rarely does the Bible give their names. One of those whom it names is Gabriel.

In the time of Judah’s captivity, Gabriel made an appearance to Daniel as a man-like figure and explained the meaning of one of Daniel’s visions ( Daniel 8:15-17). Later he appeared again, this time to bring God’s answer to Daniel’s prayer of confession on behalf of the nation. He assured Daniel that God would now restore the Jews to their land and bring his age-long purposes to fulfilment with the coming of the Messiah ( Daniel 9:20-27).

Centuries later, Gabriel was again used by God to reveal developments of these divine purposes. He announced to Zechariah the coming birth of the Messiah’s forerunner ( Luke 1:11-20), and then to Mary the coming birth of the Messiah himself ( Luke 1:26-38). (See also Angels .)

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

("hero of God".) ( Daniel 8:16;  Daniel 9:21;  Luke 1:19;  Luke 1:26). As Michael represents the angels in their might in conflict with evil, so Gabriel in ministering comfort and sympathy to man in dark times. Thus, Gabriel explains to Daniel the appalling prophecy concerning the ram and he-goat, and cheers him with the prophecy of Messiah's advent within the "70 weeks," in answer to his prayer; and in New Testament announces to Zacharias the glad tidings of the birth of John the forerunner, and of Messiah Himself to the Virgin ( Luke 1:19;  Luke 1:26). There is in his manifestations a simplicity and absence of terror, corresponding to his character as a comforter.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

one of the principal angels of heaven. He was sent to the Prophet Daniel, to explain to him the visions of the ram and goat, and the mystery of the seventy weeks, which had been revealed to him,  Daniel 8:15;  Daniel 9:21;  Daniel 11:1 , &c. The same angel was sent to Zechariah, to declare to him the future birth of John the Baptist,  Luke 1:11 , &c. Six months after this he appeared to a virgin, whose name was Mary, of the city of Nazareth, as related  Luke 1:26 , &c.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

The angel who was sent to Daniel to explain the vision he had seen of the ram and the he-goat, and to reveal to him the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks. Daniel calls him 'the man Gabriel,' and one that had 'the appearance of a man.'  Daniel 8:15;  Daniel 9:21 . He was also sent to Mary the mother of Jesus, and to Zacharias the father of John the Baptist, to foretell the birth of their sons. To Zacharias he said, "I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God."  Luke 1:19,26 .

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Gabriel ( Gâ'-Bri-El ), Man Of God. An angel specially charged with the message to Zacharias respecting the birth of John, and to Mary respecting the birth of Christ.  Luke 1:19-26. At an earlier period he was sent to Daniel to unfold a vision.  Daniel 8:16;  Daniel 9:21. See Angel.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A principal angel. He was sent to the prophet Daniel to explain his vision; also to Zacharias, to announce to him the future birth of John the Baptist,  Daniel 8:16   9:21   Luke 1:11,19 . Six months afterwards, he was sent to Nazareth, to the Virgin Mary,  Luke 1:26-38 .

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

The messenger sent to Daniel, and to Zacharias, and to the Virgin Mary. ( Daniel 9:21;  Luke 1:11-26) His name is compounded of Gaber, strength; and I-ei, my God.—Man of God, or God is my strength.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Daniel 8:16 Daniel 9:21-27

He announced also the birth of John the Baptist ( Luke 1:11 ), and of the Messiah (26). He describes himself in the words, "I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God" (1:19).

Holman Bible Dictionary

 John 8:15-27 John 9:20-27 Luke 1:8-20 Luke 1:26-38

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Gabriel', גִּבְרַיאֵל , Champion Of God; Sept. and N.T. Γαβριήλ ), a word which is not is itself distinctive, but merely a description of the angelic offices used as a proper name or title to designate the heavenly messenger who was sent to Daniel to explain the vision of the ram and the he-goat (Daniel 7), and to communicate the prediction of the Seventy Weeks ( Daniel 9:21-27). Under the new dispensation he was employed to announce the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zechariah ( Luke 1:11), and that of the Messiah to the Virgin Mary (  Luke 1:26). (See Annunciation). (It is also added in the Targums as a gloss on some other passages of the O.T.) In the ordinary traditions, Jewish and Christian, Gabriel is spoken of as one of the archangels (q.v.). In Scripture he is set forth only as the represenstative of the angelic nature, not in its dignity or power of contending against evil, (See Michael), but in its ministration of concert and sympathy to man. His prominent character, therefore, is that of a "fellow-servant" of the saints on earth; and there is a corresponding simplicity, and absence of all terror and mystery, in his communications to men; his own words, "I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God" ( Luke 1:19), are rather in favor of the notion of his superior dignity. (See Angel).

In the Book of Enoch, "the four great archangels, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel," are described as reporting the corrupt state of mankind to the Creator, and receiving their several commissions. To Gabriel he says, "Go, Gabriel, against the giants, the spurious ones, the sons of fornication, and destroy the sons of the watchers from among the sons of men" (Greek Fragment of the Book of Enoch, preserved by Syncellus in Scaliger's notes as the Chronicon of Eusebius, Amstel. 1658, page 404). In the Rabbinical writings Gabriel is represented as standing in front of the divine throne, near the standard of the tribe of Judah (Buxtorf, Lex. Talmud. col. 46). The Rabbins also say that he is the Prince of Fire, and appointed to preside over the ripening of fruit; that he was the only one of the angels who understood Chaldee and Syriac, and taught Joseph the seventy languages spoken at the dispersion of Babel; that he and Michael destroyed the host of Sennacherib, and. set fire to the Temple at Jerusalem (Eisenmsenger's Entd. Judenthums, 2:365, 379, 380, 383). By the Mohammedaes Gabriel is regarded with profound veneration. To him, it is affirmed, a copy of the whole Koran was committed, which he imparted in successive portions to Mohammed. He is styled is the Koran the Spirit of Tauthi and the Holy Spirit. In his hands will be placed the scales in which the actions of men will be weighed at the last day (D'Herbelot, Bibliotheque Oriaentale, s.v. Gebrail).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

gā´bri - el ( גּבריאל , gabhrı̄'ēl , "Man of God"; Γαβριήλ , Gabriḗl ): The name of the angel commissioned to explain to Daniel the vision of the ram and the he-goat, and to give the prediction of the 70 weeks ( Daniel 8:16;  Daniel 9:21 ). In the New Testament he is the angel of the annunciation to Zacharias of the birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary of the birth of Jesus ( Luke 1:19 ,  Luke 1:26 ). Though commonly spoken of as an archangel, he is not so called in Scripture. He appears in the Book of Enoch (chapters 9, 20, 40) as one of 4 (or 6) chief angels. He is "set over all powers," presents, with the others, the cry of departed souls for vengeance, is "set over the serpents, and over Paradise, and over the cherubim." He is prominent in the Jewish Targums, etc. See Angel .

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Ga´briel (the mighty one [or ] of God), the heavenly messenger who was sent to Daniel to explain the vision of the ram and the he-goat (Daniel 8), and to communicate the prediction of the Seventy Weeks . Under the new dispensation he was employed to announce the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zechariah , and that of the Messiah to the Virgin Mary . Both by Jewish and Christian writers, Gabriel has been denominated an archangel. The Scriptures, however, affirm nothing positively respecting his rank, though the importance of the commissions on which he was employed, and his own words 'I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God' , are rather in favor of the notion of his superior dignity. But the reserve of the Inspired Volume on such points strikingly distinguishes its angelology from that of the Jews and Muhammadans, and we may add, of the Fathers and some later Christian writers. In all the solemn glimpses of the other world which it gives, a great moral purpose is kept in view. Whatever is divulged tends to elevate and refine: nothing is said to gratify a prurient curiosity.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

An angel, one of the seven archangels, "the power of God," who is represented in the traditions of both the Jews and the Moslems as discharging the highest functions, and in Christian tradition as announcing to the Virgin Mary her election of God to be the mother of the Messiah; he ranks fully higher among Moslems than Jews.