The 72 Angels
Kabbalists (Jewish mystics) composed 72 groups of Hebrew letters in order to form a 216 letter name for God. Each of these groups of three letters is comprised of the name of an angel, or as some teach, an intelligence. These 72 angels that bear the name of God are known as Schemhamphorae, or Shemhamphorasch. This word is often used in place of the 72 word name for God for the sake of brevity and to avoid desecrating the name.
The 72 angel names for God were taken from Exodus 14, verses 19-21. These three verses each are composed of 72 Hebrew letters, which when written in a certain form with the second line reversed and grouped in columns of three, the 72 names of the angels that are believed to form one name of the deity can be found.
The word "angels" means "messengers." In Kabbalastic teaching, the 72 angels that bear the name of God are taught to be guardian angels or guiding angels. Some view these angels as being our connection to the energy emanating from the Divine, namely God. In this light, angels can be viewed as various natures of the Divine Spirit found within us.
Verses of Exodus 14:19-21
וַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים הַהֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵי מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּלֶךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּסַּע עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן מִפְּנֵיהֶם וַיַּעֲמֹד מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם׃
"And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them"
וַיָּבֹא בֵּין ׀ מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם וּבֵין מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְהִי הֶעָנָן וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ וַיָּאֶר אֶת־הַלָּיְלָה וְלֹא־קָרַב זֶה אֶל־זֶה כָּל־הַלָּיְלָה׃
"And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness, but it gave light by night: so that the one came not near the other all the night."
וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת־יָדֹו עַל־הַיָּם וַיֹּולֶךְ יְהוָה ׀ אֶת־הַיָּם בְּרוּחַ קָדִים עַזָּה כָּל־הַלַּיְלָה וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־הַיָּם לֶחָרָבָה וַיִּבָּקְעוּ הַמָּיִם׃
"And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry and the waters were divided."
The following is a list of the seventy-two angel names that together bear the name of God:
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Vehuiah |
Aniel |