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Aid to Bible Understanding
ad p. 1144

MESHACH

(Meʹshach).

The Babylonian name given by Nebuchadnezzar’s chief court official to Daniel’s companion Mishael. The meaning of this new name is uncertain, but is sometimes equated with “Who is what Aku is?” similar to Mishael (“Who is what God is?”). The new names given to Mishael and three other prominent captives apparently incorporated the names of Babylonian deities in place of Jehovah’s name or title.—Dan. 1:7.

MAINTAINS INTEGRITY AS YOUTH

Meshach (Mishael) was carried captive from Jerusalem to Babylon in 617 B.C.E. along with Jehoiachin and others. Mishael, Azariah, Hananiah and Daniel were then put through a three-year training course by the Babylonian royalty, at the end of which they proved superior even to the king’s counselors. (2 Ki. 24:1, 6, 8, 12-16; Dan. 1:1-7, 17-20) During this time these four remained firm in their devotion to God, even refusing to pollute themselves with the king’s delicacies.—Dan. 1:8-16.

There are three probable reasons why they considered the king’s delicacies ‘polluting’: (1) The Babylonians ate animals declared unclean by the Mosaic law; (2) they would not be careful to see that the animals were properly bled, some perhaps being strangled; (3) the pagans often first sacrificed the animals to their gods, considering the eating of such meat as a part of worship of these gods.—Compare 1 Corinthians 10:18-20, 28.

Later, after Daniel had been advanced to a high governmental position in the court of the king, Nebuchadnezzar, at Daniel’s request, appointed Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego over the administration of the jurisdictional district of Babylon.—Dan. 2:48, 49.

REFUSES TO BOW TO IMAGE

Meshach and his two companions again came to notice because of refusing, in sight of all the other government personnel, to bow down before the great image Nebuchadnezzar had built. With full faith in Jehovah, they told Nebuchadnezzar that they would not join in serving the king’s gods. As to whether their God chose to deliver them from the furnace, that made no difference; they would nonetheless maintain integrity to him rather than compromise for release. (Hebrews chapter 11 mentions those who “stayed the force of fire” and who would not “accept release by some ransom, in order that they might attain a better resurrection.” [Vss. 34, 35]) For their faith Jehovah preserved them by means of his angel. In fact, on their coming out, “the smell of fire itself had not come onto them.” Nebuchadnezzar, who had been so enraged that he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than customary before throwing the three men into it, now acknowledged their God as a deliverer. Furthermore, he commanded that anyone saying anything wrong against Meshach’s God should be dismembered and his house be made a public privy.—Dan. 3:1-30.

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