Bible dictionaries

Gabriel

What Bible dictionaries say about “Gabriel”, one article after the other.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary & Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Gabriel - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

Champion of God, used as a proper name to designate the angel who was sent to Daniel (8:16) to explain the vision of the ram and the he-goat, and to communicate the prediction of the seventy weeks (Dan. 9:21-27).

He announced also the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:11), and of the Messiah (26). He describes himself in the words, "I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God" (1:19).

Matthew George Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary; Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language (1828)

The article in Easton + Webster 1828

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE 1915)

ga'-bri-el (gabhri'-el, "Man of God"; Gabriel):

The name of the angel commissioned to explain to Daniel the vision of the ram and the he-goat, and to give the prediction of the 70 weeks (Da 8:16; 9:21).

In the New Testament he is the angel of the annunciation to Zacharias of the birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary of the birth of Jesus (Lu 1:19,26).

Though commonly spoken of as an archangel, he is not so called in Scripture. He appears in the Book of Enoch (chapters 9, 20, 40) as one of 4 (or 6) chief angels. He is "set over all powers," presents, with the others, the cry of departed souls for vengeance, is "set over the serpents, and over Paradise, and over the cherubim." He is prominent in the Jewish Targums, etc.

See ANGEL.

James Orr

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia — James Orr, general editor and contributors; CrossWire SWORD module ISBE 2.2

The article in ISBE 1915

Smith’s Bible Dictionary

(man of God), an angel sent by God to announce to Zacharias the birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary the birth of Christ. He was also sent to Daniel to explain his visions. (Daniel 8:16; 9:21)

William Smith; revised by F. N. Peloubet and M. A. Peloubet; CrossWire SWORD module Smith 1.3

The article in Smith

Translation Words

Definition

Gabriel is the name of one of God’s angels. He is mentioned by name several times, in both the Old and New Testaments.

  • God sent Gabriel to tell the prophet Daniel the meaning of a vision he had seen.
  • Another time, while Daniel was praying, the angel Gabriel flew to him and prophesied about what would happen in the future. Daniel described him as a “man.”
  • In the New Testament it is recorded that Gabriel came to Zechariah to prophesy that his aged wife Elizabeth would have a son, John.
  • Sixth months after that, Gabriel was sent to Mary to tell her that God would miraculously enable her to conceive a child who would be the “Son of God.” Gabriel told Mary to name her son “Jesus.”

(Translation suggestions: How to Translate Names)

(See also: angel, Daniel, Elizabeth, John (the Baptist), Mary, prophet, Son of God, Zechariah (NT))

Bible References

Word Data

The original work by unfoldingWord is available from https://www.unfoldingword.org/utw. Bible Strong converted the Markdown and resource links to its dictionary schema and normalized Bible references.

The article in Translation Words