How Many Female Angels Are In The Bible?
Angels are divine messengers who appear in the Bible to give revelations, provide protection, deliver messages, or execute other important tasks commissioned from God. While angels are depicted as predominantly male in scripture and religious art, some passages mention female angels.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Despite being largely depicted as male, there are at least two named female angels in the Bible – Salathiel and Gabriel.
In this comprehensive article, we will dive deep into different female angelic figures referenced directly or indirectly in the Bible and analyze their significance. We will also explore what the Bible says about the gender and nature of angels in general.
Finally, we will look at female angelic beings described in non-canonical extra-biblical texts to get the full picture of divine feminine messengers in Judeo-Christian tradition.
Direct Mentions of Female Angels in The Bible
Salathiel
The angel Salathiel is directly mentioned as female in the Third Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish text. She is described as an angelic prince, one of the seven angels who oversees prayers ascending from Earth to heaven.
Not much else is known about Salathiel from canonical biblical texts, but her inclusion shows that some Jewish thinkers in antiquity conceived of high-ranking angels as being female.
Gabriel
The archangel Gabriel is popularly imagined as male, but Gabriel’s gender is actually not specified in the Bible. In the Gospel of Luke, it is Gabriel who visits Mary and announces that she will give birth to Jesus.
Mary’s encounter shows no specific indications one way or another whether Gabriel was male or female. So it is certainly possible to imagine Gabriel as female, even though tradition assumes Gabriel is male.
More creative interpretations of angels allow for fluidity and androgyny as well, depicting angels as not confined to a fixed gender identity.
Indirect and Ambiguous Mentions of Female Angels
The Angel in Zechariah 5
In Zechariah 5, the prophet Zechariah sees a vision of a woman (“wickedness”) being transported in a basket by an angel to Babylon. Some scholars believe this angel could possibly be female, since the Hebrew word for “angel” here is not the typical masculine term malak but rather malakah, a rare feminine form.
However, since the gender of angels is not made explicit in this passage, it remains ambiguous whether this angel is male or female.
Angels at Jesus’ Tomb
All four Gospels describe angels appearing to the women who visited Jesus’ tomb after his resurrection. Mark 16:5 mentions “a young man dressed in a white robe” while the other Gospels describe “two men/angels in dazzling clothes.”
The gender here is unclear, as the Greek word angelos can mean either angel or messenger, and does not specify gender. Some scholars believe these could have been female angels, since they appeared first to the women. But their gender is not definitively stated.
Michael and Female Angels in Non-Canonical Books
Some non-biblical Jewish and Christian writings suggest female angels exist. The Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish text, describes the archangel Michael as the “prince of the holy angels who is set over the best part of mankind and over chaos.”
Since Enoch elsewhere discusses female angels like Raguel, this implies Michael leads both male and female angels. The early Christian text Shepherd of Hermas also describes female angels like Temperance and Meekness who appear as visions to Hermas.
However, since these books are not part of the biblical canon, they do not provide definitive proof of female angels in the Bible itself.
What Does The Bible Say About The Nature and Gender of Angels?
Angels Lack Human Gender
The Bible indicates that angels are spiritual beings created by God without human attributes like gender. As Matthew 22:30 states, angels “neither marry nor are given in marriage.” Marriage and gender roles are meaningless concepts to angels.
Angels appear capable of taking on human form and appearance when interacting with people on Earth. But their spiritual forms in heaven are non-corporeal and genderless like God. The archangel Gabriel visually appeared to Mary as a male to make a human connection.
But as an angel, Gabriel would not have a literal male gender.
Masculine Depictions Reflect Societal Norms and Language
Nearly all named angels in the Bible have masculine names ending in “el” like Gabriel and Michael. But this is simply a reflection of masculine linguistic norms in ancient societies. All groups including angels were referred to using masculine pronouns like “he” in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek during biblical times.
Additionally, angels were most often depicted as male figures in biblical times because spiritual messengers tended to have greater freedom of movement and authority similar to men in ancient patriarchal cultures.
But the masculine language and visual portrayals do not mean angels literally have a male gender.
Angelic Forms Can Vary
A few Bible stories describe angels appearing in feminine human form. For example, the apocryphal text of Tobit depicts the angel Raphael presenting himself as a male healer named Azariah. And in the New Testament, angels are described wearing white robes that could be seen as gender-neutral clothing.
So while often presented as masculine figures, angels can likely adapt their visual heavenly forms for different cross-cultural purposes. The feminine, masculine or neutral presentation of angels reflects variable physical appearances rather than any fixed gender identity.
Extra-Biblical Texts Referencing Female Angels and Angelic Beings
Lilith
Lilith is referenced in some extra-biblical texts as a female demon or night creature. She first appears in ancient Babylonian demonology as a winged female figure. Lilith is later mentioned in some Jewish mystical texts, called the Midrash and Kabbalah, as Adam’s first wife before Eve.
However, she left Adam because she did not want to be subservient to him. Lilith is sometimes associated with seduction and danger in later folklore. Though not mentioned in the Bible, her legend continues to have an impact through art and literature.
Agrat bat Mahlat
Agrat bat Mahlat, also known as Igrat or Iggeret, is described in some mystical Hebrew texts as one of the four angels of sacred prostitution. She is said to have mated with King David and bore his child. Agrat bat Mahlat appears in writings like the Talmud and Zohar.
She is seen as an angelic being with both positive and negative traits, associated with sexuality, fertility, and childbirth. Though not canonical, these texts offer insight into ancient ideas about female angelic figures not found in the Bible.
Agrat exemplifies the complex extra-biblical traditions surrounding angels.
Conclusion
While angels are predominantly depicted and referred to in masculine terms in the Bible, there are a few direct and indirect references indicating divine messengers could manifest in feminine form as well. Extra-biblical texts expand on female angelic beings.
Ultimately, angels are spiritual beings who transcend human concepts of gender. The scriptural dominance of male imagery reflects societal norms and language conventions rather than theological restrictions.
Regardless of gender, angels play diverse roles in promoting God’s will and plan for humankind.
