What Does First-Person Divine Speech in the Old Testament Reveal About Ancient Near Eastern Agency and Representation?
When reading the Old Testament, one often encounters scenes where a figure—sometimes identified as the angel of the Lord—speaks directly in the first person as God. This figure says “I will bless you,” or “I brought you out of Egypt,” using divine self-identification that leaves little distinction between the messenger and Yahweh Himself. Such moments raise an important question: What does this kind of first-person divine speech reveal about how agency and representation functioned in the ancient Near Eastern world—and what does it tell us about God’s own self-revelation?
Scholars have long debated whether these instances represent direct theophanies (God Himself appearing in visible form) or mediated encounters through an angelic representative. Both views reflect real aspects of the ancient world’s understanding of divine agency, but the biblical evidence shows something unique: the Old Testament allows for divine representation that both honors agency and preserves divine presence. In doing so, it anticipates the mystery later revealed in the incarnation of the Word.
1. Agency and Representation in the Ancient Near East
In the ancient Near Eastern context, a ruler’s messenger functioned as an authorized extension of his sender’s authority. Whatever the envoy said in the name of the king carried the same weight as the king’s own speech. To reject the messenger was to reject the monarch himself. In this sense, representation was more than mere symbolism—it carried real, legal, and personal authority.
This cultural background helps explain why Scripture sometimes blurs the line between messenger and sender. When the angel of the Lord speaks, he does not merely report God’s message but speaks as God: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). The one speaking bears full divine authority. Yet the text also distinguishes him as “the angel of the Lord” (Exodus 3:2).
This duality reflects a well-understood concept in the ancient world: the agent’s identity overlaps with the one who commissions him. However, the Old Testament takes this further than its Near Eastern counterparts—it allows the messenger to share in God’s very identity, not merely His authority.
2. The Angel of the Lord: Messenger or Manifestation?
The debate over the angel of the Lord typically falls between two major interpretive theories:
The Representation Theory – The angel is a distinct being who speaks and acts fully on Yahweh’s behalf. His first-person divine speech reflects complete authorization but not ontological identity.
The Identity Theory – The angel of the Lord is Yahweh in visible or embodied form, a preincarnate manifestation of the divine Son who reveals God personally to humanity.
Biblical narratives sustain the tension between these views. In Genesis 16, the angel of the Lord tells Hagar, “I will surely multiply your offspring” (v. 10), a promise only God can fulfill. Hagar responds, “You are a God of seeing” (v. 13), recognizing divine presence, not merely representation. Similarly, in Judges 6, Gideon fears he will die because he has “seen the angel of the Lord face to face” (v. 22), to which the Lord replies, “Peace be to you; do not fear, you shall not die.”
The language of these passages makes it difficult to separate the messenger from Yahweh Himself. The angel speaks in the first person, receives worship, forgives sins, and performs divine acts—all functions that, within Israel’s theology, belong exclusively to God.
This pattern strongly suggests that first-person divine speech is not a rhetorical device but a genuine theophany—a visible manifestation of God’s presence through an intermediary form.
3. Parallels in the Ancient World and Israel’s Distinction
In Ugaritic and Mesopotamian texts, messengers of gods often deliver messages with first-person divine speech. A deity might send an emissary who speaks as though he were the god himself, reflecting the same cultural understanding of agency. Yet, there is a key distinction: in those systems, the messenger was never mistaken for the deity.
The Old Testament departs sharply from that convention. The angel of Yahweh not only speaks for God but is addressed as God. Those who encounter him fear death because they believe they have seen God. The text never corrects their conclusion. Instead, God confirms it, validating the encounter as a genuine revelation of His presence.
This indicates a theological innovation within Israel’s monotheism: divine presence could be both mediated and personal, both distinct and identical. The “angel of the Lord” is not an independent deity but a manifestation of Yahweh’s being within the created order—a way for the infinite God to make Himself known without compromising His transcendence.
4. First-Person Divine Speech and the Multiplicity Within Yahweh’s Identity
These appearances create a pattern of divine self-expression within the Old Testament that hints at internal plurality in Yahweh’s being. For example, in Genesis 19:24, “The Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.” The text distinguishes between two “Lords” acting simultaneously. Similarly, in Exodus 23:20–21, God promises to send an angel in whom His name dwells—an ancient concept indicating shared essence and authority.
These passages demonstrate that Yahweh can manifest His presence in more than one way at once. The angel or messenger bears His name, speaks His word, and acts by His power. This reflects the theological foundation later clarified in the doctrine of the Word and the Spirit—God revealing Himself through personal expressions without dividing His unity.
The personified Word of the Lord (as discussed in passages like 1 Samuel 3:21 or Jeremiah 1:4) and the personified Wisdom of God (Proverbs 8:22–31) also share in this dynamic. They act, speak, and create in concert with God while maintaining a distinct identity within His activity.
Thus, first-person divine speech functions as a window into the mystery of God’s internal self-communication—a theme that will ultimately find fulfillment in the incarnation.
5. From Divine Speech to the Word Made Flesh
The Gospel of John identifies the eternal Word (Logos) with God’s self-expression and creative power: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Word who created all things (John 1:3) and appeared in history through divine encounters now becomes flesh (John 1:14).
When viewed through the lens of Old Testament first-person divine speech, this is not a theological novelty but the culmination of a long trajectory. The same divine agency that spoke through the angel of the Lord and revealed God’s presence in burning bushes, pillars of fire, and theophanic encounters now takes on human nature to dwell among us.
The incarnation of the Word reveals the continuity between Yahweh’s Old Testament self-disclosures and His New Testament revelation in Christ. God’s speech, which once came through prophets and intermediaries, now speaks personally and definitively in the Son (Hebrews 1:1–2).
The divine speech that once thundered from heaven now speaks in the language of humanity—calling, redeeming, and reconciling. The messenger has become the message.
Conclusion: Divine Speech and the Mystery of Representation
First-person divine speech in the Old Testament reveals more than ancient literary convention—it unveils a theology of presence and mediation. While the ancient Near Eastern framework explains the cultural logic of representation, the biblical text transforms that logic into revelation.
The angel of the Lord is not a mere envoy but a manifestation of Yahweh Himself, a visible and personal revelation of the invisible God. Through this pattern of divine speech, the Old Testament anticipates the coming of the Word made flesh, where God’s communication with humanity becomes incarnate reality.
In this sense, the first-person speech of Yahweh through His messengers was always pointing toward a greater mystery—the God who would one day speak not through another, but as one of us.
Bible Verses About Divine Speech and Representation
Genesis 16:10–13 – “The angel of the Lord said to her, ‘I will surely multiply your offspring.’”
Exodus 3:2–6 – “The angel of the Lord appeared… and God called to him from the bush.”
Judges 6:21–23 – “Gideon said, ‘Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.’”
Exodus 23:20–21 – “My name is in him.”
Genesis 19:24 – “The Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”
Isaiah 63:9 – “The angel of his presence saved them.”
Zechariah 3:1–2 – “The Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, O Satan.’”
1 Samuel 3:21 – “The Lord revealed himself… by the word of the Lord.”
John 1:1–14 – “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Hebrews 1:1–2 – “In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.”
