SAMAEL: Who he was, in the Bible, meaning and more

Mentioned in manuscripts, works, texts, sacred books and also in popular culture, Samael is considered the archangel of death, a figure who can do good or bad depending on the task entrusted to him.

Learn a little more about everything related to this ancient and feared character by reading the following information.

Who was Samael?

Samael, also known as Smil, Samil or Samiel, was known as the archangel of death, head of the Fifth Heaven and one of the seven rulers of the world.

He had millions of angels under his command in the Seventh Heaven, Araboth or Geburah, until he decided to rebel against God.

This archangel in some traditions, such as the Talmudic tradition, has been considered a character who can be good and bad. In this Hebrew writing he was considered the guardian angel of Esau, patriarch of the Edomite peoples and eldest son of Isaac.

Therefore, Samael was considered the patron of Edom, located in the Mediterranean Levant, south of Judea and southeast of the Dead Sea.

Meaning

This name of Jewish origin, etymologically means blindness of god either poison of god

It is also known by other names: Sammael, Smil, Samil or Samiel. In Hebrew it is written: סַמָּאֵל.

Samael in the Bible

It is very important to note that the name of Samael is mentioned only in manuscripts and texts of some beliefs, but is not mentioned in the Bible.

Certainly Samael is related to Esau and is said to be his guardian angel, however in the biblical texts his name is not mentioned in the stories of this son of Isaac.

On the other hand, although many religions and beliefs affirm that an angel of death exists, this figure is not present in the Bible.

The angel of death is known and even venerated in different beliefs, for example:

Judaism, where it is known as Samael, Sariel or Azrael Islam called Malak Almawt. Hinduism where he is known as Yama or Yamaraj In popular culture or fiction as the grim reaper or the scythe.

In some mythologies, it is imagined and described as a skeletal figure with a hood and a sickle, a beautiful woman or child.

Certainly, although the characters and details vary, the main idea is that there is a being that the moment of death, whether natural or caused by it, arrives to take the soul of that person to the world of the deceased.

However, in the Bible it is not taught, contemplated or mentioned that this particular figure exists and has that mission.

The angels respond to the call of the Lord and follow his orders as described in different verses of these sacred scriptures, however, there is no mention of an angel, in this case Samael, who is specifically in charge of death.

Some of the texts, books and writings where this figure is mentioned are: the Talmud, the Apocalypse of Moses, the Testament of Moses, among others. (See article: Astaroth)

In religious beliefs

Many beliefs in the world affirm the existence of this archangel, mentioning him in many of their most important texts. Let’s get to know some of them:

The Judaism

Considered an accuser, seducer and destroyer, Talmudic texts indicate that he is part of the heavenly host and that in some cases he performs destructive tasks, such as being the archangel of death.

Talmudic texts are those grouped in a work known as Talmud, which is defined as a kind of code, civil and religious, where discussions and dissertations of rabbis regarding Jewish laws, traditions, customs, stories, parables and legends are collected.

It is said that while the archangel Michael protected and defended Israel, Samel was in charge of tempting them to fall into sin and that was one of his tasks.

In these traditions this archangel is one of Yahweh’s servants and resides in the seventh heaven, a place where there are special beings of light, angels who, due to their hierarchy and importance, must be very close to Jesus and God the Father.

However, he is mentioned as one of the seven main archangels of the fifth heaven, called the refuge because it is where a large part of the angels live, having millions of them under his command.

In the Testament of Moses, a book that contains secret prophecies revealed by Moses to Joshua before giving him the command and leadership of the Israelite people, the existence of Samael and his presence in the seventh heaven is indicated:

In the last heaven Moses saw two angels, each five hundred-pasarangs in height, wrought from chains of black fire and red fire, the angels Af, (Wrath) and Hemah (Fury), whom God created at the beginning of the world, to execute his will.

Moses was uneasy when he looked towards them, but Metatron embraced him, and said, “Moses, Moses, you are God’s favorite, do not be afraid, and do not be afraid,” and Moses calmed down.

There was another angel in the seventh heaven, of a different appearance from all the others, and of a frightful appearance. His height was so great, that it would have taken him five hundred years to cover a comparable distance, and from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet he was studded with glowing eyes, in full view of the beholder he fell prostrate in fear. .

This – said Metatron, addressing Moses – is Samael, who takes the soul of man.

Where are you going now? – asked Moses, and Metatron answered: To extract the soul of Job the pious.

Therefore, Moses prayed to God in these words: Oh be your will, my God and the God of my fathers, do not let me fall into the hands of this angel. (See article: Cherubs)

In the Sacred Kabbalah

Kabbalah is a discipline or academy that focuses its teaching on esoteric thoughts, which in turn are handled by Hasidic Judaism and the Essenes.

In Kabbalah Samael is described as:

The gravity of God.
The fifth of the archangels of the world of Beri’ah or the second of the celestial worlds on the Tree of Life. It is considered that there are four worlds. The serpent that tempted and led Eve to sin.

They further indicate that he became the consort of Adam’s first wife, Lilith. It is noted that she is a demon created alongside Adam, originally for the function carried out by Eve.

According to Samael, he created demon children with her, including a son, Asmodeus (Sword of Samael).

In Gnosticism

Gnosticism is known as the philosophical and religious currents that for some centuries were closely related to Christianity, and later were considered heretical or a heresy.

This philosophy contemplates the idea that human beings can achieve salvation through deep and internal knowledge of the divine, since faith alone is not enough.

Their beliefs and ideas are dualistic and indicate the existence of a demiurge, an entity driving the universe.

In the text of Gnostic teachings known as the Apocryphal Gospel of John, Samael is mentioned as the third name of the demiurge, along with Yaldabaoth and Saklas.

In this text his name means the blind god and is described as a snake with the face of a lion.

Prayer to Samael

When we address the archangels it should be with the greatest respect and fully trusting that we will be heard and they will bring strength, wisdom, abundance, protection and love to our lives.

Some people perform rituals and offerings with the intention of giving strength to their prayers and requests. In this case there is a prayer that allows you to request his goodness and blessings from Archangel Samael:

Samael, God of Lightning.

Samael, God of Fire.

Samael, God of Strength,

Oh! Great incarnation of the Supreme Will, grant me that your infinite power may be the sword of my will, to separate from me everything useless and everything unnecessary that prevents my conscious fusion with the essential unity of my life.

Oh! Your Glorious Samael, you who also experienced this painful human journey, lend me help.

Through my chastity and my good works, so that your powers gathered in me, give me the strength to destroy all unhealthy influence and to overcome all my defects, until I am worthy and capable of fighting for the triumph of the Spirit in all orders.

Oh! Great Logos Samael, descend upon me so that my Spirit never fails in the real purpose of my life and my affections are equitable like the sword of Cosmic Justice.

So be it, so be it, so be it.

like demon

These texts mention him as an archangel who acts as his mission requires, be it good or evil, others have associated him with evil.

However, there are certain very dubious associations, which allow us to suspect that a mistaken identity was attributed to him over time.

It is believed that Samael may have been confused with Azazel, who in Zoharistic tradition is a demon. Likewise the similarity with the name of Camael, an archangel of God whose meaning is like God.

It is also presumed that the Baal Shem, the Jewish rabbi who is called the founder of Hasidic Judaism, and whose name designates all practitioners of Judaism who perform miraculous acts using the hidden names of God, once invoked Samael, to perform his work.

On the other hand, in some interpretations of the Ascension of Isaiah, a text of Judeo-Christian origin, it is associated with the figure of:

Malkira, king of evil, king of the wicked Malach ra, messenger of evil, angel of iniquity. Belkira, lord of the wall. Bechira, the chosen one of evil or chosen by evil.

These epithets were terms with which they referred to the false prophet sent by Belial, to accuse and point out Isaiah as a traitor.

There are also midrashic works, which have been dated to the stage in which the expansion of Islam occurred, where Samael is the serpent in Genesis, like Satan; It is assumed that this work may have influences from the Koran.

There are many stories and stories where it is stated that there is a mention or reference to Samael, however, in many it is presumed that there are confusions or translation errors associating him with demons and sometimes with other archangels.

There are some believers of Samael as a demon and there are those who consider him as a figure of worship, performing rituals and prayers to achieve his favors.

Samael tattoos

Taking into account all the stories and versions that exist about the existence of Samael, where he is described as an important angel, who later lost his power in heaven when he rebelled against God and became a demon, he can be tattooed in different ways.

The tattoos on him are summarized as an angel or a demon. Like the first, they are usually bright, full of peace and love, which is why they are generally represented with a lot of color and frequently accompanied by a name or phrase in Hebrew.

However, when it is tattooed as a demon, it is usually a harder image with an absence of bright colors, accompanied by some symbol of this type of dark arts.

It all depends on the belief you are involved with, however some people such as sailors and travelers had angels tattooed for protection, without necessarily belonging to any cult.

The truth is that there are different ways to have this image tattooed on your skin and you must be very careful which one you choose and who…