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גַּבְרִיאֵל

𐤂𐤁𐤓𐤉𐤀𐤋

Gaveriel

H1403 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גבר to be strong, to prevail, to be mighty, to be manly

Definition

Gabri'el is a personal name meaning 'El (God) is a mighty man' or 'El is strong man.' In the Hebrew Bible, it refers specifically to a supernatural messenger—Gabri'el—who appears in the books of Daniel as a figure imparting divine revelation. The name, by its structure, is a theophoric compound: gaber ('strong man, valiant man, warrior') + 'el ('El, God'). The word is only used as a proper name in biblical literature, never as a common noun or appellative.

Semantic Range

personal name; celestial messenger in vision; never a common noun or title; exclusively refers to the angelic figure in the book of Daniel

Root / Etymology

גַּבְרִיאֵל is a compound of גֶּבֶר (geber, 'man, mighty man, warrior') and אֵל ('el, 'God, El'). The root ג-ב-ר means 'to be strong, mighty.' The name thus expresses the idea of 'man of El (God)' or 'El is a mighty man.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Gabri'el appears as a named celestial messenger (mal'akh) in later sections of the Hebrew Bible, specifically Daniel 8:16; 9:21. Unlike earlier angelic appearances (often anonymous), the later biblical literature provides names for specific angelic beings, likely reflecting both Persian-era influences and evolving Hebrew angelology. Gabri'el, alongside Michael, is addressed not as a generic messenger but as a distinctive figure with interpretive and communicative roles. In Second Temple period literature (e.g., 1 Enoch, intertestamental writings), Gabri'el's role and personality become further developed, but in the Hebrew Bible itself the term functions only as a personal name. The translation of Gabri'el as 'archangel' is non-biblical, derived from later traditions. While KJV and some English Bibles render Gabri'el simply as 'Gabriel,' this obscures the original theophoric meaning. The name is neither a general term for an angel nor used for human individuals in the Hebrew Bible. There is no indication of a connection between the personal name and earlier Israelite priestly or prophetic traditions, nor is there evidence that 'man of God' was intended as a title like 'ish ha-Elohim' or 'ish ha-El.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from גֶּבֶר and אֵל; man of God; Gabriel, an archangel; Garbriel.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גבר (g-b-r) — to be strong, to prevail, to be mighty, to be manly

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1368 גִּבּוֹר the mighty ones
H1369 גְּבוּרָה in mighty strength
H1370 גְּבוּרָה and the might
H1376 גְּבִיר mighty master
H1377 גְּבִירָה the ruling lady

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1403-01 גַּבְרִיאֵ֕ל gaveriel HNp Gabriel Mighty-Man of El 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1403-01 Daniel 8:16 גַּבְרִיאֵ֕ל gaveriel HNp Gabriel Mighty-Man of El
H1403-01 Daniel 9:21 גַּבְרִיאֵ֡ל gaveriel HNp Gabriel Mighty-Man of El
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