Angel Nemamiah (No. 57): Regency, Psalm, Symbolism and Reading

Who Is Nemamiah, Angel No. 57?

Nemamiah is the fifty-seventh angel on the list and the first of the Choir of Archangels. His name is also written Nemahiah in some editions. French books associate him with strategy, soundness of judgment and counsel given to those in charge.

Tradition readily uses a vocabulary of captains and admirals, which is that of its time. Behind him one can read a more general figure: that of a person who must decide in a difficult situation.

Nemamiah bears the number 57 in the list of 72 angels of the Shem HaMephorash, which Kabbalistic tradition draws 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.

Traditional Reference Points

Dates follow the most common calendar (angel No. 1 reigns from March 21 to 25, then five days per angel over 365 days); sources sometimes shift by a few days, and leap years are handled differently: see the guardian angel calculation. According to many authors, the hour is counted in local solar time.

The Verse and the Name

The verse from Psalm 115 reads: “You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.” This psalm is part of the Hallel (Psalms 113 to 118) that Jewish tradition sings on the great feasts. It opens with “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,” and then calls three groups to trust: Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear the Lord.

The name is formed from the triplet נמם (Noun, Mem, Mem) followed by the ending Iah. Verse 11 bears the same number in Hebrew and English numbering; the Vulgate includes it in its Psalm 113 (verse 19). The image of the shield is symbolic and guarantees no protection.

What Tradition Associates with Nemamiah

According to French editions, Nemamiah is linked to:

• Strategy and the sense of decision, especially for those who lead groups.
• Discernment: weighing what belongs to oneself and what does not.
• Symbolic liberation of captives, understood as release from whatever confines.
• Trust, echoing the verse, rather than fear.

These associations come from esoteric works; they vary between authors and are not established facts.

A Reading for Today

The end of December lends itself to taking stock and to decisions for the year ahead. Nemamiah can accompany this reflection: what depends on me, what depends on others, what can I do this week? This distinction is a classic of Stoic wisdom as well as of many personal development approaches.

No angel chooses for you. For a financial, legal or medical decision, consult a competent professional.

His Season and Zodiac Sign

Nemamiah’s period, December 26 to 30, falls between Christmas and New Year’s Day (northern hemisphere, within the framework of the original calendar). It roughly covers the sign of Capricorn. Between Christmas and New Year, many people take stock of the past year, which fits a theme of decision. In the table of the 36 decans, each ten-day span receives two angels: Nemamiah shares his with Yeialel (No. 58).

Within the Choir of Archangels

In the “Celestial Hierarchy” of Pseudo-Dionysius (around 500), the Archangels form the second-to-last choir, at the centre of the third triad. The Greek word archangeloi means “chiefs of messengers.” The New Testament uses the term twice (1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 9), and Gregory the Great (late 6th century) said that angels carry ordinary messages and archangels the greatest ones. In the list of 72, this choir groups angels 57 to 64; it should not be confused with the eight archangels of our guides to the archangels, which belong to a different classification.

Nemamiah opens the Choir of Archangels. After the Principalities, who guide peoples, the Archangels carry the great messages: he is their strategic counselor. He follows Poyel, the angel of support, and precedes Yeialel.

To place Nemamiah in the sequence of angels, here are his immediate neighbours: Poyel (No. 56) before him and Yeialel (No. 58) after him. The choir is presented in detail on the page Choir of Archangels.

A Gentle Practice with Nemamiah

An exercise in decision, lasting twenty minutes:

1. Write in one sentence the decision you have to make.
2. Note three options, including that of changing nothing.
3. For each, imagine a consequence one month and one year out.
4. Separate what depends on you from what does not, then read verse 11 of Psalm 115.

This exercise clarifies without deciding for you; it does not replace a professional’s advice on serious matters.

What to Keep in Mind

This system is symbolic, not an established fact. No angel advises leaders or guarantees liberation or victory, and no one can promise you any result. Read these pages for the images they offer and for the reflection they prompt.

The Catholic Church does not recognise this system: it retains only the three archangels named in Scripture, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. It does not, however, ignore angels: Christian faith speaks of guardian angels, without names or calendar. Believers of all confessions also find in the psalms a text of 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.