Ophaniel is associated with the Ophannim and the moon in 3 Enoch. Odeberg’s edition uses forms including Ophphanniel. Chapter 25 describes the prince of the Ophannim, while 17:5 names the prince appointed over the lunar globe. The editor explicitly connects these occurrences of the name.
The Ophannim’s prince
Chapter 25 describes a many-faced, many-winged prince of extraordinary power. His duties include attending to the Ophannim, arranging their stations and dwellings, increasing their dignity and making them diligent in praising their Creator. This service continues by day and night.
The description’s numbers require care. The translated text gives sixteen faces, a hundred wings on each side and 8,466 eyes. Odeberg’s notes identify difficulties in the eye count and compare variant readings and possible calendrical explanations. The printed number should therefore not be presented as a securely established calculation of the hours in a solar year.
Ophaniel and the moon
In 17:5, the lunar prince is accompanied by 88 angels who move the moon’s globe. The preceding verse assigns the sun’s globe to Galgaliel. These neighboring entries provide a direct comparison between the solar and lunar offices in this chapter.
The celestial wheels and the moon’s globe give the name related but distinguishable settings. Chapter 25 concerns the care and praise of an angelic order; chapter 17 organizes heavenly rulers and astronomical movements. Reading both preserves the text’s range without reducing Ophaniel to a modern list of lunar powers or treating uncertain numbers as settled astronomy.
Explore related entries
Read Galgaliel, Kerubiel, Rahatiel, the angel names A–Z index, or the guide to source traditions.