וַיֹּ֗אמֶר בָּר֤וּךְ יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר בְּפִ֔יו אֵ֖ת דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֑י וּבְיָד֥וֹ מִלֵּ֖א לֵאמֹֽר׃
[Salomo] sprach: Gepriesen sei der Herr, der Gott Israels, der meinem Vater David verheißen und es jetzt auch erfüllt hat also:
Rabbeinu Bahya
Due to the power of Moses’s prayer this decree was rescinded at least during his lifetime so that the angel spoken of here did not make his appearance until Joshua (Nachmanides)
The words לשמרך בדרך, “to guard you on the journey,” mean that the angel would protect the Jewish people while they were in the desert. The words אשר הכינותי, “which I have prepared,” is a reference to the place G’d had readied for His own residence. The wording is similar to what we have found in the song Moses composed after crossing the Sea of Reeds, (Exodus 15,17). It is a reference to the Holy Temple. The wording is the one used by David when he said (Chronicles I 29,19) ולבנות הבירה אשר הכינותי, “to build the Temple for which I have made provision.”
According to the opinion of Rabbeinu Chananel the angel spoken of here was the angel Michael, known as השר הגדול described in Daniel 12,1 “and at that time there will stand, Michael, the great heavenly prince, who stands to support the children of your people.” We also have a verse in Daniel 10,21: “And no one reinforces me against these, except your heavenly prince, Michael.” This was the angel who appeared to Joshua and said to him (Joshua 5,14) “I am the prince of the Hosts of the Lord, now I have arrived.” Our sages (in Tanchuma 18 Mishpatim) have said that the words כי שמי בקרבו, “for My name is within him” in our verse here mean that this is why he is called שר צבא ה’, “the prince of the army of the Lord.” This would be parallel to Kings I 8,15 כי שמך נקרא על הבית הזה, “because Your name has been associated with this house, which is called the house of the Lord.”
As to the words כי לא ישא לפשעכם, “for he will not forgive your sin,” these words are a warning by G’d that although He is sending along this angel to protect the Israelites they must be careful not even to commit unintentional sins as this angel has no authority to forgive any sin. The reason is that the authority to forgive is one that G’d has reserved to Himself as we know from Isaiah 43,25: “it is I, I, who-for My own sake-wipe your trans-gressions away and remember your sin no more.” Thus far Tanchuma.
Also Ibn Ezra understands the angel in this verse as being Michael.
The words לשמרך בדרך, “to guard you on the journey,” mean that the angel would protect the Jewish people while they were in the desert. The words אשר הכינותי, “which I have prepared,” is a reference to the place G’d had readied for His own residence. The wording is similar to what we have found in the song Moses composed after crossing the Sea of Reeds, (Exodus 15,17). It is a reference to the Holy Temple. The wording is the one used by David when he said (Chronicles I 29,19) ולבנות הבירה אשר הכינותי, “to build the Temple for which I have made provision.”
According to the opinion of Rabbeinu Chananel the angel spoken of here was the angel Michael, known as השר הגדול described in Daniel 12,1 “and at that time there will stand, Michael, the great heavenly prince, who stands to support the children of your people.” We also have a verse in Daniel 10,21: “And no one reinforces me against these, except your heavenly prince, Michael.” This was the angel who appeared to Joshua and said to him (Joshua 5,14) “I am the prince of the Hosts of the Lord, now I have arrived.” Our sages (in Tanchuma 18 Mishpatim) have said that the words כי שמי בקרבו, “for My name is within him” in our verse here mean that this is why he is called שר צבא ה’, “the prince of the army of the Lord.” This would be parallel to Kings I 8,15 כי שמך נקרא על הבית הזה, “because Your name has been associated with this house, which is called the house of the Lord.”
As to the words כי לא ישא לפשעכם, “for he will not forgive your sin,” these words are a warning by G’d that although He is sending along this angel to protect the Israelites they must be careful not even to commit unintentional sins as this angel has no authority to forgive any sin. The reason is that the authority to forgive is one that G’d has reserved to Himself as we know from Isaiah 43,25: “it is I, I, who-for My own sake-wipe your trans-gressions away and remember your sin no more.” Thus far Tanchuma.
Also Ibn Ezra understands the angel in this verse as being Michael.