Hasmal appears in John Calvin’s commentary on Ezekiel as a term whose meaning was disputed. In discussing Ezekiel 1:4, Calvin reports interpretations that identify it with an angel or an unknown phantom. He rejects those readings and understands it as a remarkable color or electrum associated with the radiance of the vision.
Calvin’s discussion, on printed page 68 of the English edition, also considers Jerome’s use of electrum. He describes a mixture of gold and silver and disputes the claim that it is more valuable than either metal. His concern is the appearance conveying divine majesty, rather than the biography of a named heavenly messenger.
This account therefore preserves an important distinction: Calvin acknowledges an angelic interpretation without endorsing it. The name’s appearance in an angel catalogue should not erase that disagreement.
Explore related entries
Compare the orders of angels, Chayyliel and the guide to source traditions.
Sources and further reading
John Calvin, Commentaries on the First Twenty Chapters of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, English edition, vol. 1, printed p. 68. Digital facsimile, PDF page 82.