Angel Lehahiah (No. 34): Reign, Psalm, Symbolism and Reading

Who is Lehahiah, angel no. 34?

Lehahiah is the thirty-fourth angel of the classical table, the second of the Powers choir. His name is also written Lehachiah. In French editions, he is associated with peace, with harmony in relations of authority, and with what is sometimes called enlightened obedience.

This does not mean submitting to everything, but finding one’s right place within a whole, calmly.

Lehahiah bears number 34 in the list of the 72 angels of the Shem HaMephorash, which Kabbalistic tradition derives from three verses of Exodus (14:19 to 21). Everything that follows is presented according to the Kabbalistic and esoteric tradition. For the origin of the system, read our introduction to the 72 angels.

Reference points of the tradition

The dates follow the most common calendar (angel no. 1 reigns 21 to 25 March, then five days per angel over 365 days). Sources sometimes shift by a few days, and leap years are handled differently: see how the guardian angel is calculated. According to many authors, the hour is counted in local solar time.

The verse and the name

The verse retained is the conclusion of Psalm 131, one of the shortest in the Psalter: “Israel, put your hope in the Lord, from now and for ever.” This psalm is famous for its image: the soul like a weaned child, quiet on its mother’s lap. It describes a calm, the giving up of great ambitions and of questions that are too high.

Tradition sees in it a model of inner peace. Because he is linked to this psalm, Lehahiah becomes the angel of serenity in the face of what cannot be controlled.

According to tradition, the name is formed from the triplet of Hebrew letters להח (Lamed, He, Heth), followed by the ending Yod and He (Yah, a name of God). French spellings vary (Lehahiah, Lehachiah) depending on transliteration. Psalm 131 is Psalm 130 in the Vulgate; it has only three verses, and verse 3 is its last. Lists of verses also differ slightly from one author to another.

What tradition associates with Lehahiah

Among his most cited attributions:

• Harmony with authority, hierarchy or those in charge, in the sense of balanced relations.
• Professional recognition, in recent lists that extend the theme of good relations.
• The easing of grudges and thoughts of revenge, according to some authors.
• Serenity, drawn directly from the image of the weaned child.

None of these associations guarantees a promotion or a reconciliation. They describe an inner climate, which may ease relations, nothing more.

A reading for today

Psalm 131 has inspired commentaries on humility and on accepting one’s limits. Psychologists today speak of letting go: distinguishing what depends on us from what does not, an idea also found among the Stoics.

Lehahiah can serve as a symbolic reference point for this work, especially in periods of tension at work or at home.

His period of the year and his sign

Lehahiah’s period, from 2 to 6 September, falls in summer (northern hemisphere, original calendar frame). It roughly covers the sign of Virgo. In the table of the 36 decans, each ten-day span receives two angels: Lehahiah shares his with Yehuiah (no. 33).

In the Powers choir

In Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (around 500), the Powers form the end of the second triad; they evoke the force that maintains order and repels disorder. The term is read in Paul’s letters (Ephesians 3:10 and 6:12). In the list of 72, this choir groups angels 33 to 40. Note that this list places the Powers before the Virtues, whereas Dionysius cites the Virtues before the Powers: the systems differ on this point.

Lehahiah is the second angel of the Powers. In this choir of disciplined force, he reminds us that true power is also calm and tranquil.

To place Lehahiah in the sequence of angels, here are his immediate neighbours: Yehuiah (no. 33) before him and Chavakiah (no. 35) after him. The choir is presented in detail on the page Choir of the Powers.

A gentle practice with Lehahiah

A letting-go exercise, ten minutes long:

1. Draw two columns on a sheet of paper: “what depends on me” and “what does not depend on me”.
2. Sort into them the matters that currently worry you.
3. Read the three verses of Psalm 131, which fit into a few lines.
4. Circle one thing in the second column that you decide to set aside for today.

You can repeat the exercise every week; it requires only paper.

What to keep in mind

This table of 72 angels is an erudite system of the Renaissance, enriched by French authors of the 19th century, and not a revealed teaching. It remains a basis for reflection, which replaces neither medical advice, nor legal counsel, nor psychological support.

The Catholic Church does not recognise this system: it retains only the three archangels named in Scripture, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Believers of all faiths nevertheless find in the psalms a text for prayer.

See also the guide to the 72 angels and the guide to the archangels.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to the 72 guardian angels.