Bible Verses About the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament
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30 December 2023
Compiled by Mr. Whitney V. Myers
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"Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.'" (Judges 6:11-12)
This page provides 22 Bible references about the angel of the Lord and other Christophanies in the Old Testament. This lesson is a companion to the lesson, "Who Is the Angel of the Lord?"
The Bible verse references below are linked to the English Standard Version on the Bible Gateway website (Ref. 1).
The Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament
Genesis 22:9-18 -- The angel of the Lord, Abraham, and Isaac
Exodus 3:1-15 -- The angel of the Lord, Moses, and the burning bush
Numbers 22:1-35 -- The angel of the Lord, Balaam, and the donkey
Judges 2:1-5 -- The angel of the Lord rebukes Israel.
Judges 6:11-24 -- The angel of the Lord and Gideon
Judges 13:1-24 -- The angel of the Lord, Manoah, and his wife
1 Kings 19:1-8 -- The angel of the Lord strengthens Elijah before his long journey.
2 Kings 1:1-17 -- The angel of the Lord instructs Elijah what to say to king Ahaziah.
2 Kings 1:1-17 -- The angel of the Lord instructs Elijah what to say to king Ahaziah.
1 Chronicles 21:1-27 -- The angel of the Lord comes to destroy Jerusalem (parallel passage - 2 Samuel 24:1-25).
Isaiah 37:14-20, 33-37 -- The angel of the Lord, in response to Hezekiah's prayer, destroys 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians (parallel passage - 2 Kings 19:4-19, 32-36).
Zechariah 1:7-13 -- The angel of the Lord mediates between God and Jerusalem.
Zechariah 3:1-10 -- The angel of the Lord says to Joshua the high priest, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you" (v. 4), "I will bring my servant the Branch" (v. 8), and "I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day" (v. 9).
Other Appearances of the Lord ("Christophanies") in the Old Testament
The above appearances of the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament are "Christophanies," where the preincarnate Christ, the Son of God, appeared visibly and temporarily. In addition to the above scriptures about the angel of the Lord, the Old Testament describes several additional appearances where the One appearing is identified as "the Lord" or "God," and the text does not mention the title, "the angel of the Lord." Note that Colossians 1:15 says of Christ, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." Jesus Christ, the second person of the trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- is the One who makes the invisible God visible.
Genesis 3:8-24 -- The Lord comes walking in the garden seeking Adam and Eve after they had sinned.
Genesis 18:1-33 -- The Lord appears to Abraham.
Genesis 32:22-32 -- Jacob wrestles with God.
Exodus 33:9-11 -- The Lord speaks face to face with Moses.
Joshua 5:13-15 -- The "commander of the army of the Lord" appears to Joshua. He accepts worship from Joshua (Joshua 5:14). (A "regular angel" would not accept worship - Revelation 22:-8-9, Hebrews 1:13-14). The presence of the Lord makes the ground holy (Joshua 5:15, Exodus 3:4-5).
Genesis 3:8-24 -- The Lord comes walking in the garden seeking Adam and Eve after they had sinned.
Genesis 18:1-33 -- The Lord appears to Abraham.
Genesis 32:22-32 -- Jacob wrestles with God.
Exodus 33:9-11 -- The Lord speaks face to face with Moses.
Joshua 5:13-15 -- The "commander of the army of the Lord" appears to Joshua. He accepts worship from Joshua (Joshua 5:14). (A "regular angel" would not accept worship - Revelation 22:-8-9, Hebrews 1:13-14). The presence of the Lord makes the ground holy (Joshua 5:15, Exodus 3:4-5).
