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Image of Phanuel

Anonymous · betmas

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machine-draft · no human review 3 passages · 529 words

Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

The Image of Phanuel is an anonymous Geʿez malkǝʿ (image) poem, a genre of encomiastic verse that praises an angel or saint through stanzas beginning with “malkǝʿa” (image of). The sole known witness is the manuscript underlying the betmas edition; no other copies or recensions are recorded. No colophon or internal date survives, and the malkǝʿ genre flourished from the 15th century onward, but this text cannot be more precisely dated without external evidence. Phanuel is a prominent angel in Ethiopic tradition, appearing in the Book of Enoch and in liturgical prayers. The poem likely served a devotional or liturgical function, but its specific use is unattested. The edition provides no translation or commentary; the Geʿez text alone is given.

The Image of Phanuel is significant as a rare witness to the malkǝʿ genre focused on an angel, highlighting the devotional and liturgical role of angels in Ethiopic Christianity. Its mention of Phanuel, an angel from the Book of Enoch, and the unusual title 'Chief of priests' offer insights into angelological and liturgical traditions. The poem's survival in a single manuscript underscores the fragility of such texts.

Historical context

The work is a malkǝʿ poem, a genre of Geʿez encomiastic verse that praises an angel or saint through a series of stanzas each beginning with “malkǝʿa” (image of). The sole known witness is the manuscript underlying the betmas edition; no other copies or recensions are recorded in standard catalogues. No colophon or internal date survives. The malkǝʿ genre flourished from the 15th century onward, but this text cannot be more precisely dated without external evidence. Phanuel is a prominent angel in Ethiopic tradition, appearing in the Book of Enoch and in liturgical prayers. This poem likely served a devotional or liturgical function, but its specific use is unattested. The edition provides no translation or commentary; the Geʿez text alone is given. Readers without Geʿez must rely on the malkǝʿ structure for interpretation. The poem's reference to the Trinity and the title 'Chief of priests' for Phanuel reflect Trinitarian theology and a possible liturgical or visionary role equating angelic intercession with priestly mediation.

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

18 commentary units 4 term3 structure3 background3 reception2 scripture2 parallel1 caution 0 derived notes 6 open questions 3 narrative
What the kinds mean

Pipeline notes

  • limitThe English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve.
  • registerRegister: poetry in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
  • structurePassages: 3 narrative.
  • sourceSource edition: betmas — CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC

Term index

CopticRenderingCountFirst
no glossary terms recorded
LIT6491MalkeaFanuel:1 · narrativehigh
Source
The following text is taken from . ሰላም፡ ለተፈጥሮትከ፡ ምስለ፡ መላእክት፡ ኅቡረ፨ እንዘ፡ ኢትከውን፡ ቅድመ፡ ወእንዘ፡ ኢትዴኀር፡ ድኅረ፨ ሰዳዴ፡ ሰይጣናት፡ ፋኑኤል፡ እምላዕለ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወትረ፨ ስድዶሙ፡ ለአጋንንት፡ ወአርእዮሙ፡ ኀሳረ፨ ከመ፡ ኢይግበሩ፡ ኪያየ፡ ማኅደረ፨ በመለኮተ፡ አብ፡ ወወልድ፡ ወመንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አፈ፡ ዚአየ፡ ወጠነ፨ ማሕሌተ፡ ፋኑኤል፡ መልአክ፡ ወዘመልክኡ፡ ድርሳነ፨ እመሰ፡ ላዕላዐ፡ ልሳንየ፡ ኮነ፨ ፋኑኤል፡ ነዓ፡ ትርድአኒ፡ ወታንብበኒ፡ ፍጡነ፨ እንዘ፡ ለስምከ፡ እእኅዝ፡ ወእዌጥን፡ አነ፨ ሰላም፡ ለሢመትከ፡ እምእግዚአብሔር፡ ንጉሥ፨ አመ፡ ሠሉሱ፡ ለወርኀ፡ ታኅሣሥ፨ ሊቀ፡ መላእክት፡ ፋኑኤል፡ ለባሴ፡ ቁስ፡ መንፈስ፨ አንቅሀኒ፡ እምሐሌትየ፡ ለስብሐቲከ፡ ሐዲስ፨ ወተራድአኒ፡ በሥጋ፡ ወነፍስ፨ ሰላም፡ ለዝክረ፡ ስምከ፡ ዘመንክር፡ ጣዕሙ፨ ወሐዋዝ፡ ዓዲ፡ ለአዳም፡ እምዝክረ፡ ስሙ፨ ፋኑኤል፡ ትኩን፡ መተንብለ፡ ሰብእ፡ ኵሎሙ፨ ኪያከ፡ እመላእክት፡ እለ፡ ምስሌከ፡ ተሕትሙ፨ ሥላሴ፡ አጋዕዝቲከ፡ ኀረዩ፡ ወሤሙ፨
English
Salutation to your nature, together with the angels, while you are before and while you are behind. Chaser of demons, Phanuel, from above men always. Drive them out, the demons, and show them loss, so that they may not do to me, my dwelling. By the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, my mouth began and composed. A hymn of Phanuel the angel, and of his image, a homily. If above my tongue it were, Phanuel, come, help me, and instruct me quickly, while I take and begin your name. Salutation to your mission from God the King, on the third of the month of Taḫśaś. Chief of angels, Phanuel, wearer of the crown of the Spirit. Awaken me from my sleep to your new praise, and help me in body and soul. Salutation to the memory of your name, whose taste is marvelous, and sweeter again to Adam than the memory of his name. Phanuel, you are the refuge of all people. You, among the angels who are sealed with you, the Trinity, your lords, chose and appointed.
LIT6491MalkeaFanuel:2 · narrativehigh
Source
ሰላም፡ ለሥዕርተ፡ ርእስከ፡ ወለርእስከ፡ ሥርገወ፡ ብርሃን፨ ወለገጽከ፡ መብረቅ፡ ዘያንጸበርቅ፡ ለዐይን፨ ሊቀ፡ ካህናት፡ ፋኑኤል፡ ምዑዘ፡ ረድኤት፡ ዕጣን፨ ሰይፈከ፡ ምላኅ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ዲበ፡ ፀርየ፡ ሰይጣን፨ ወይክድኖ፡ ለገጽየ፡ ዘገጽ፡ ሥን፨ ሰላም፡ እብል፡ እንተ፡ አካልከ፡ ቆመ፨ ወለመልክእከ፡ ኣቀርብ፡ አምኃ፡ ወሰላመ፨ ፋኑኤል፡ ዝክርከ፡ እምቀናንሞስ፡ ዘጥዕመ፨ አልክፈኒ፡ በጕጠትከ፡ ሥጋ፡ መለኮት፡ ፍሕመ፨ ከመ፡ እምላዕሌየ፡ ያሰስል፡ ሕማመ፨ ምንተ፡ እዌድስ፡ ኪያከ፡ ውዱሰ፨ ወምንተ፡ እቄድስ፡ ኪያከ፡ ቅዱሰ፨ እስመ፡ ረሰይኩከ፡ አበ፡ ወረሰይኩከ፡ መንፈሰ፨ ፋኑኤል፡ ሀበኒ፡ እሞገስከ፡ ሞገሰ፨ እንበለ፡ ምግባር፡ ወገድል፡ ዘያጸድቅ፡ ነፍሰ፨ አዕርክተ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ምድራዊ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሦሙ፡ ይተነብሉ፨ ሢመተ፡ ወክብረ፡ ለፍቁራኒሆሙ፡ ዘይደሉ፨ ፋኑኤል፡ ሰአል፡ እምእግዚአ፡ ኵሉ፨ አመ፡ ምንዳቤየ፡ ይናዝዘኒ፡ በቃሉ፨ ወአመ፡ ሞትየ፡ ይርከበኒ፡ ሣህሉ፨ The following text is taken from .
English
Salutation to the hair of your head and to your head, the radiance of light. And to your face, lightning that flashes for the eye. Chief of priests, Phanuel, fragrant with the incense of aid. Your sword is sharp, O Lord, against my enemy Satan, and may it cover my face from the face of shame. Salutation I speak to what stands of your form, and to your image I offer homage and salutation. Phanuel, your memory is strong from the canon of the law. Clothe me with your touch, the flesh of divinity, so that it may remove pain from above me. What praise can I praise you, O praised one? And what sanctity can I sanctify you, O holy one? For I have chosen you as father and I have chosen you as spirit. Phanuel, grant me your grace, grace without deed or exploit that justifies the soul. Friends of an earthly king dwell near their king, for the sake of favor and honor that is due to their beloved ones. Phanuel, plead from the Lord of all, that in my distress he may comfort me with his word, and in my death his mercy may find me.
LIT6491MalkeaFanuel:3 · narrativehigh
Source
በስመ፡ አብ፡ ወወልድ፡ ወመንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ጠጠነ፡ ማኅሌተ፡ ክቡር፡ ፋኑኤል፡ ወዘመልክዑ፡ ድርሳነ፡ እመሰ፡ ልሳንየ፡ ላዕላዓ፡ ኮነ፡ ነዓ፡ ፋኑኤል፡ ትርድአኒ፡ ወታድኅነኒ፡ ፍጡነ፡ እንዘ፡ ላዕከ፡ አኃዝ፡ ወእዌጥን፡ አነ፨ ሰላም፡ ለተፈጥሮትከ፡ ምስለ፡ መላእክት፡ ኅቡረ፡ እንዘ፡ ይትከውን፡ ቅድመ፡ ወእንዘ፡ ኢትከውን፡ ድኅረ፡ ሰዳዴ፡ ሰይጣናት፡ ፋኑኤል፡ እምላዕለ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወትረ፡ ስድዶሙ፡ ለሰይጣናት፡ ወአርእዮሙ፡ ኃሣረ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይግበሩ፡ ኪያየ፡ ማደረ፨ አዕርግተ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ምድራዊ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሦሙ፡ ይተነብሉ፡ ሢመተ፡ ወክብረ፡ ለፍቁራኒሆሙ፡ ይስእሉ፡ ከማሆሙ፡ ሰአሎ፡ ፋኑኤል፡ በእንቲአየ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ ኵሉ፡ አመ፡ ምንዳቤየ፡ ይናዝዘኒ፡ በቃሉ፡ ወአመ፡ ምንዳቤየ፡ ካዕበ፡ ይብጸሐኒ፡ ሣህሉ።
English
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I have composed a hymn of honor for Phanuel and a homily on his image. If my tongue were above, it would be sweet. Phanuel, help me and save me, swiftly, while you are above, seize and I will flee. Salutation to your creation together with the angels, while you are before and while you are after, the driver away of demons. Phanuel, from above mankind, always drive away the demons and show them a sickle, that they may not make me their dwelling. A dove of an earthly king, where their king dwells, for the sake of love and honor for their beloved ones, they ask like them. Phanuel asked on my behalf of the Lord of all, when my affliction troubles me with his word, and when my affliction again reaches me, mercy.
Citation. Tergwame, “Image of Phanuel”, LIT6491MalkeaFanuel:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/LIT6491MalkeaFanuel#s1
Colophon. Source: betmas · licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0023 · generated 2026-11-15.