ἀρχάγγελος

ἀρχάγγελος — archángelos

ἀρχάγγελος, ἀρχαγγέλου, ὁ (from ἀρχι, which see, and ἄγγελος), a Biblical and ecclesiastical word, archangel, i. e. chief of the angels (Hebrew שַׂר chief, prince, Dan 10:20; Dan 12:1), or one of the princes and leaders of the angels (הָרִאשֹׁנִים הַשָּׂרִים, Dan 10:13): 1Th 4:16; Jud 1:9. For the Jews after the exile distinguished several orders of angels, and some (as the author of the Book of Enoch, 9:1ff; cf. Dillmann at the passage, p. 97f) reckoned four angels (answering to the four sides of the throne of God) of the highest rank; but others, and apparently the majority (Tob 12:15, where cf. Fritzsche; Rev 8:2), reckoned seven (after the pattern of the seven Amshaspands, the high est spirits in the religion of Zoroaster). See under the words, Γαβριήλ and Μιχαήλ.