The angel Gabriel

- Gabriel and Daniel in the Citadel by Ted Larson

An interesting post at The Bible and Interpretation - Gabriel Blow Your Horn! - A Short History of Gabriel within Jewish Literature. Here's just a small bit ....

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[...] The angel Gabriel, whose name means “God is my warrior,” appears for the first time in Daniel 8-9 (and probably 10-12 as well) where he is sent to interpret the various visions of Daniel. In general, the depiction of Gabriel within the Book of Daniel should be seen as a development from previous biblical traditions, both consistent with and distinct from those traditions. For example, in Daniel 8:15 he appears in the “likeness of man” and in Daniel 9:21 he is referred to as “the man Gabriel.” Such anthropomorphic descriptions of an angel are consistent with previous and subsequent descriptions of angels (cf. Genesis 19:5 and Acts 12:15). However, distinct from previous traditions is the remarkable appearance of Gabriel. For example, in Daniel 8:16-17, in his first encounter with Gabriel, the prophet Daniel is struck with fear and falls upon his face. The text reads, “Then I heard the voice of a man beside the Ulai and he said, ‘Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.’ Then he came to where I was standing and when he came I was terrified and I fell upon my face.” Similarly, in Daniel 9:21, Gabriel is said to approach Daniel “in swift flight” (NRSV), presumably, by means of wings .........

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