Genesis 16 (WEB)

Messenger (מַלְאָך, malak)

Word Study· Israel Loken
מֲלְאָךְ mălʼâk ·Strong's H4397

This word has the inherent meaning of “one sent with a message.” The term is found more than two hundred times in the Old Testament, where it is used to identify human messengers, angelic messengers, and even the divine Messenger (i.e., the Angel of the Lord; cf. Gen 16:7; Exod 3:2; Judg 13:21). In Mal 3:1, two different messengers are described. The first messenger is a human messenger. Jesus identified this messenger as John the Baptist (Matt 11:10; Luke 7:27; cf. Mark 1:2). The title “My messenger” is a play on Malachi’s personal name. The second messenger is a divine Messenger, the Messiah Himself. Here He is identified as the “Messenger of the Covenant,” a probable reference to the New Covenant. This title appears nowhere else in the Old Testament.

Genesis 16 (WEB)

1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. 4He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my servant into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, she despised me. May Yahweh judge between me and you.”

6But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.

7Yahweh’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur. 8He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?”

She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.”

9Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.” 10Yahweh’s angel said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will not be counted for multitude.” 11Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. 12He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposed to all of his brothers.”

13She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?” 14Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Messenger (מַלְאָך, malak)