英語angel一詞源於古英語engel(重音在 g 上)和古法語angele[6],這兩詞都出自於晚期拉丁語(英语:Late Latin)angelus(字面意义“使者”),該拉丁單詞又是借自晚期希臘語 ἄγγελος aggelos[7][8]。
根據 Robert S. P. Beekes 的說法,ángelos 可能“有其東方起源,像是 ἄγγαρος(ángaros,‘波斯語 mounted courier’)”[9]。該單詞最早的形式是以邁錫尼希臘語線形文字 B書寫𐀀𐀐𐀫(a-ke-ro)[10][11]。七十士譯本以希臘語 ángelos 作為希伯來語「使者」מַלְאָךְ(mal'akh) 一詞的對譯語。
拉斐爾(Raphael,It is God who heals)出現於《以諾書》和天主教、東正教的《多俾亞傳》,名稱意為「神治癒了」,是猶太教、基督教及伊斯蘭教信仰中一位天使長的名字。據傳祂行使一切治癒的神跡。
烏列爾
烏列爾(Uriel, God is my light),名字的意思是「神之光」,是猶太教及基督教信仰中一位天使長的名字。不包括在正典書籍及不被羅馬天主教官方認可,但在猶太教神祕文學中祂是一位重要的天使長。在《衣索比亞語以諾書》(The Ethiopic Book of Enoch)、《以斯拉二書》中,名字有被提及。和米迦勒、加百列及拉斐爾同為基督教的四大天使。
雷米尔(Ramiel,God has thundered),《以諾書》所記載的七大天使之一,並在第7章中提到祂也是20位守护天使之一[24]。守护天使们违背了上帝的诫谕娶了人类女性为妻,从而创造了邪恶的巨人族。这一罪条导致祂们因背离上帝的教导,最终沦为了堕天使。雷米尔的名字寓意是「神的雷霆」[25][26]。英國神學家罗伯特·亨利·查尔斯所翻译的《以诺书》第6章《守望者之书》中记载,雷米尔等20位守护天使(英语:Watcher (angel)),祂们原本是受上帝之命统领200名守护人间受造物的天使们的领袖,但后来却因为同人类女性交配以及擅自传授禁忌的知识,而变成了堕落天使。雷米尔作为20位守护天使领袖之一,排名第六位[27]。
亞茲拉爾 (Azrael,One Whom God Helps)亦作Azrail、Ashiriel、Azriel,伊斯兰教的四大天使之一。在伊斯兰教中,亞茲拉爾即手操生死簿的「死亡天使」,伊斯兰教最初真主(阿拉)派米卡爾(米迦勒)、吉布列(加百列)、伊斯拉菲爾和亞茲拉爾四位天使創造人類,而亞茲拉爾最先作出人類而授權得到記錄人類生死的天使。他在末日審判是吹響第二支喇叭的天使,也將是最后一位死的天使。
亞茲拉爾將世間所有人的名字都寫在神座后生命之樹的葉子上,當一個人將死時,寫著名字的葉片即枯落,當亞茲拉爾拾起念出名字后,這個人在四十天后就會死亡。成語「the Wings of Azrael」的意思就是指死亡即將來臨。四顏四翼的天使,身體上披滿了毛皮,毛皮下是無數眼睛,這些眼睛每一個都注視著世間每一個人,當眼睛閉上的時候,也就是人要死亡的時刻。
^Theology: ANGELS. dgmedhanealem.org. [2019-04-23]. (原始内容存档于2020-11-30) (英语). The notable seven Archangels are: St. Mikael, St. Gebriel, St. Rufael, St. Uriel, St. Ramuel, St. Phanuel, St. Raguel.
^The Ethiopic Book Of Enoch., Knibb, Michael A., Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1978, repr. 1982.
^Devotions: The Invocation of Angels. ethiopianorthodox.org. [19 April 2019]. (原始内容存档于2019-09-17). Devoutly are kept the feasts of all Angels including St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael. […] Uriel, Regel, Remiel and Phanuel are other revered angels.
^The Ethiopic Book Of Enoch (1978), Knibb, Michael A., Oxford: Clarendon Press, repr. 1982.
^Robert Eisen Associate Professor of Religious Studies George Washington University The Book of Job in Medieval Jewish Philosophy 2004 p120 "Moreover, Zerahfiiah gives us insight into the parallel between the Garden of Eden story and the Job story alluded to ... both Satan and Job's wife are metaphors for the evil inclination, a motif Zerahfiiah seems to identify with the imagination."
^Do Jews Believe in Satan?. MJL Staff. [2017-11-13]. (原始内容存档于2021-02-25). In Tractate Bava Batra, Reish Lakish says that Satan, the yetzer hara and the Angel of Death are all one. Maimonides, the medieval Jewish philosopher, endorses this position in his Guide for the Perplexed. The word Satan, Maimonides writes, derives from the Hebrew root for “turn away.” Like the evil inclination, Satan’s function is to divert human beings from the path of truth and righteousness. Maimonides seems not to believe Satan actually exists, but rather that he is a symbol of the inclination to sin.....in the Hebrew Bible at least, Satan is ultimately subordinate to God, carrying out his purpose on earth. Or that he isn't real at all, but is merely a metaphor for sinful impulses. The kabbalistic and Hasidic literature complicate this view, offering a closer parallel to Christian eschatology. Both the kabbalistic/Hasidic and Christian traditions describe the forces of the holy and the demonic as locked in a struggle that will culminate in God's eventual victory.
^Scott B. Noegel, Brannon M. Wheeler The A to Z of Prophets in Islam and Judaism Scarecrow Press 2010 ISBN978-1-461-71895-6 page 295
^Stephen J. Vicchio & Biblical Figures in the Islamic Faith,第184 ps.= Jinn here, designates a group of angels, the origin of their name came from "Jannah", because they were it's keeper. Should not be confused with the "Jinn" as a spiritual entity on earth頁. sfn error: no target: CITEREFStephen_J._VicchioBiblical_Figures_in_the_Islamic_Faith (help)
^Stephen J. Vicchio Biblical Figures in the Islamic Faith Wipf and Stock Publishers 2008 ISBN978-1-556-35304-8 page 184