Angels are neither masculine nor female in how humanity perceives and understands gender. The word “angel,” as translated in the Bible, is always used in the masculine form. In addition, when angels appeared to humankind, they were invariably portrayed in the Bible as men. They were also always given manly names.
We must weigh two critical pieces of information before deciding whether angels are male or female. We could start by examining the Bible’s pronouns to refer to angels. Second, just like humans, we may determine if angels are male or female by exploring their nature.
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Are Angels Male Or Female?
There are no references in the Bible to female angels or the existence of angelic gender. Originally, angels were always given masculine names in the Bible.
However, it does not follow that the angels were male. According to God’s plan, men are given authority in the household and the church. Angels most likely have male names to denote their position of power as God’s agents.
The Bible only uses the masculine gender when discussing angels. In English grammar, there are three genders: neuter (it, its), feminine (she, her, hers), and masculine (he, him, his). The Greek word for “angel” in the New Testament is “angelos.” When referring to angels, only the masculine gender has ever been used.
The creation of half-human, half-angelic offspring by some fallen angels is mentioned in Genesis 6:1–4. They are then flung into the abyss because they disobey God’s order. The innumerable times that angels appear in the Bible are never referred to as “she” or “it”; whenever they do, they are always depicted as human males. No angel is ever pictured in feminine form in the Bible.
Some cite Zechariah 5:9 as proof that there are female angels: “Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings.” They raised the basket between heaven and earth with wings resembling a stork.
On the other hand, angels also choose to appear as men rather than women. Since angels are meant to serve God as messengers and servants rather than for sexual reproduction, some scholars argue that there are also no female demons[1].
The issue is that this prophetic vision’s “women” are not classified as angels. They are called nashiym (“women”). The word used to refer to the angel Zechariah was speaking to, Malak, is entirely different and means “angel” or “messenger.”
Although the fact that the women in Zechariah’s vision have wings may cause us to think of angels, we must be careful not to extrapolate from what the text states. Consider the enormous flying scroll Zechariah sees earlier in the same chapter (Zechariah 5:1–2) to illustrate how a vision does not always represent actual beings or objects.
Although popular culture portrays angels as female, neither male nor female in human form, the Bible regularly refers to angels as men.
How Many Female Angels Are There In The Bible?
Often referred to as God’s messengers or servants, angels’ primary duties include communicating with humans and carrying out God’s plan. The Bible does not specify the gender of the angels it names, such as Michael and Gabriel.
The masculine word Malak and masculine pronouns describe the angel speaking with the prophet Zechariah. Confusingly, two women with wings flying off with the basket of wickedness in the prophecy have caused perplexity. Although not called angels, the women are portrayed as having stork-like wings (an unclean bird).
Readers are not obligated to take the analogies literally because this prophecy is replete with imagery. This prophecy uses imagery to describe the effects of Israel’s continued transgression. The Cambridge commentary states there is no need to interpret this verse’s specifics. They only communicate that wickedness was quickly expelled from the land using images consistent with the vision.
Who Is The Female Angel In The Bible?
Zechariah 5:9 may imply that while angels frequently take the form of men in the Bible, this is not always the case. Although the two women referenced in this chapter aren’t officially referred to as angels, they are unmistakably representatives of God or, as some people hold, forces of Satan.
The woman’s (wickedness) fate is depicted as her removal from the land. It appears better to view the two ladies as divinely selected emissaries, even though some see them as agents of evil. They would, therefore, show that the removal was all God’s doing, along with the wind (which is also one of God’s instruments, Psalms 104:3–4).
The symbolic reference to “wings like those of a stork” suggests that the wind could carry the winged woman, enabling her to transport the woman (representing wickedness) in the basket over a significant distance. The key argument is that Scripture does not identify them as angels, and it would be challenging to use this verse to support the idea that angels occasionally take the form of women.
However, Matthew 22:30 does draw attention to a crucial and frequently disregarded element of this debate. Since angels are not humans, we shouldn’t presume they behave and live similarly to us. The Bible explicitly describes angels as masculine, although that depiction may be a concession to our limited knowledge. Angels might exist in a way that defies our conceptions of gender.
Christian theology does not generally accept these interpretations, and the biblical text must support them. Some people have theorized about the possibility of female angels or have interpreted particular texts to promote female angels.
Conclusion
We would be wise to accept the Scripture’s message. God nearly exclusively speaks of Himself in male pronouns. The only exceptions are a few metaphors and phrases where, in grammatical agreement with the neuter noun pneuma (“spirit”), the Holy Spirit is referred to with a neuter intense pronoun.
Similarly, angels are spiritual beings that God sends to carry out His will. In the Bible, they are often described in masculine language, and while the Bible has never said anything about female angels, knowing and loving the Lord of the Angels is what matters most, whether or not angels are male or winged women.