Malak means messenger or angel. It appears about 213 times. It refers to both human messengers and divine angels. The 'Angel of the LORD' is a special figure who sometimes speaks as God Himself.
The 'Angel of the LORD' is one of the Old Testament's most mysterious figures — sometimes distinct from God, sometimes identified with God. Many Christian interpreters see this as a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. Angels demonstrate that God communicates with and intervenes in human affairs.