Abrahamic traditions converge on the motif of a divine agent tasked with the separation of the soul from the body, though the theological status of this figure varies significantly. In Judaism and Islam, the entity is explicitly named and functions as a distinct subordinate of God, whereas Christian scripture often personifies death as an enemy to be destroyed or a collective of messengers without a singular proper name. Scholarly debate persists regarding whether the 'destroying angel' in Hebrew texts represents a specific hypostasis or a generic function of divine judgment.
In Jewish tradition, the figure is often referred to as the 'Destroying Angel' or 'Angel of the Lord' acting in specific historical judgments, though later rabbinic literature develops the name Azrael. The scriptural focus remains on the function of the angel in specific narratives of plague or war rather than a universal eschatological biography.
Christian texts frequently personify 'Death' itself as a rider or an enemy to be abolished, rather than detailing a named angelic bureaucrat. While the New Testament mentions 'messengers' taking the soul, it lacks the explicit naming and detailed function of a singular 'Angel of Death' found in later Islamic and Jewish exegesis.
Islam explicitly names the figure as Malak al-Mawt (the Angel of Death) and describes him as having assistants who assist in the extraction of souls. The Quranic text emphasizes the certainty of his arrival and his absolute subordination to God's command, presenting a more developed angelology than the biblical texts.