Is there an angel named Ariel in the Bible?

Answer

The only angels mentioned in the Bible are Gabriel and Michael (Daniel 8:16; Daniel 9:21; Daniel 10:13; 12:1). Nowhere in the Bible is there an angel named Ariel.

The book of Tobit, an apocryphal text excluded from the Hebrew Bible and the Protestant canon, introduces a heroic angel named Raphael. In another non-canonical text, the book of Enoch, seven archangels are named: Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Sariel, Gabriel, and Jerahmeel.

The concept of Ariel as the angel of nature originates from Gnostic teachings and the ancient Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah. In Kabbalistic, apocryphal, and occult writings, Ariel is often mistaken for Uriel from the book of Enoch. In one apocryphal text, Ariel is portrayed as an angel who punishes demons. The Gnostic text Pistis Sophia links Ariel with the punishment of the wicked. In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Ariel is depicted as a sprite. Ariel was also the name of a minor angel in John Milton’s seventeenth-century poem, Paradise Lost.

Although an angel named Ariel is not mentioned in Scripture, the term “Ariel” is used in various contexts in the Bible. One example is found in two Old Testament passages: “And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen” (2 Samuel 23:20; ESV; see also 1 Chronicles 11:22). The precise meaning of “ariel” in this context is uncertain. Some Bible versions interpret it as a proper noun, identifying Benaiah’s victims as two “sons of Ariel.” Other translations consider “ariel” as a common noun, suggesting that Benaiah defeated “two champions.”

In the Bible, the term “ariel” is mentioned in different contexts. In the book of 2 Samuel, it refers to the “lion-like men of Moab” (NLT) or “Moab’s two mightiest warriors” (NIV).

The original meaning of the term “ariel” is uncertain. It could have meant “lion (or lioness) of God,” “victorious under God,” or “altar hearth.”

Upon Ezra’s return to Jerusalem, he called upon a group of trusted Levites to serve in the temple. Ariel is among these leaders: “So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning” «Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding. », (Ezra 8:16).

Another mention of “ariel” in the Bible is in the book of Ezekiel. Here, it is translated as “altar hearth” in Ezekiel 43:15–16: “Above that, the altar hearth is four cubits high, and four horns project upward from the hearth. The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide.” This altar hearth was where burnt offerings were presented, symbolizing Israel’s strength.

In the book of Isaiah, there is a prophecy about the siege and preservation of Jerusalem. Ariel is symbolically applied to Jerusalem four times: “Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled! Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on” (Isaiah 29:1;see verses 2 and 7 also). The significance of this title is “victorious under God.” Given that Jerusalem housed Israel’s main altar, this designation may have been chosen for a reason.