Meaning of the Name Michael
Michael comes from the Hebrew form "Mikha'el." The name means "Who is like God?" and is commonly understood as a rhetorical expression that highlights God's incomparability. Its etymology is generally clear.
Origin
The name Michael is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Michael in the Bible?
Michael is a heavenly being identified in Scripture as an archangel. In Daniel he appears as a protector who contends for God's people, and in the New Testament he is remembered as a leading angelic figure. The name is associated primarily with this angelic personage rather than with human characters.
The story of Michael in the Bible
Michael is a name the Bible links with the heavenly world rather than with human characters; its best-known bearer is the celestial figure called an archangel. In the book of Daniel he appears as one of the chief heavenly princes: the messenger sent to Daniel says that only Michael helped him in his struggle against the prince of Persia. At the end of the same book Michael is the great prince who watches over Daniel's people, destined to arise in a time of great distress when everyone whose name is written in the book will be delivered. In the New Testament, the letter of Jude names him an archangel and preserves a striking detail: even while disputing with the devil over the body of Moses, he did not pronounce an insulting judgment but left judgment to the Lord. In Revelation, Michael and his angels fight the dragon. Throughout Scripture he protects God's people while keeping all authority in God's hands, matching the question his name poses: who is like God?
Is Michael mentioned in the Quran?
The name Michael is also mentioned in the Quran; in Islamic tradition he is known as one of the great angels. In the Bible he appears in the book of Daniel as the prince who watches over God's people, and in the New Testament as the archangel.
Verses where Michael appears
- Daniel 10:13 —
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me: and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
- Daniel 12:1 —
“At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that…
- Jude 1:9 —
But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!”