The Angel/Messenger of the LORD; a figure who appears throughout the OT as God's special envoy.
Malak means messenger or angel. When combined with YHWH (the divine name), it creates a unique figure distinct from ordinary angels. This figure appears to Hagar (Gen 16), Abraham (Gen 22), Moses (Exod 3), Balaam (Num 22), Gideon (Judg 6), and Manoah (Judg 13). In most of these encounters, the Angel speaks as God in first person, accepts worship, and is identified as God by the humans who encounter him. Yet the Angel is also described as sent by God, creating a tension between identity and distinction that is central to the debate.