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Daniel 1:5-7 — Daniel and His Three Friends

Ashpenaz, the chief of the king’s court officials, gave new names to Daniel and his friends to show his authority over them and their subjection to him, and to show that they were now Babylonians. Their Hebrew names were a daily reminder of their faith in the one true God. Daniel’s name meant, “God is (my) Judge;” Hananiah’s name meant, “The Lord shows grace;” Mishael’s name meant, “Who is what God is;” and Azariah’s name meant, “The Lord helps.”⁸

To make them forget the God of their fathers, they were given names that reflected the Babylonian religion. Daniel was called Belteshazzar, which probably signified “Bel (i.e. Marduk—the patron deity of Babylon), protect his life!” Hananiah’s name was changed to Shadrach, which probably carried the meaning of “command of Aku (the Sumerian moon-god—Sumer was the civilization that preceded Babylonia in Mesopotamia).” Meshach was the name given to Mishael and it probably meant, “Who is what Aku is?” Azariah was given the Babylonian name Abednego, which probably meant, “servant of Nego/Nebo (i.e., Nabu—the Babylonian god of wisdom and writing).” ⁹

Thus these young men were given totally new names of Babylonian character. This certainly must have been an order of the government, for the young men themselves would not have chosen to have their former names taken from them. Think of how unpleasant the situation was for them already—they had been forcibly taken from their homes, friends, and from a familiar culture to live among complete strangers, making a difficult adjustment to a new culture and language. The new names suggest that it was the intention of Nebuchadnezzar to destroy every vestige of connection between these young men and their people, land and religion. Worship of Babylon’s gods was to replace worship of the one true God. The radical break with their past was signified by the change of their names.

The same kind of pressure and persecution goes on in many countries today, whether they are communist systems founded upon atheism or Islamic regimes that forbid the existence of any other religion. Christians in these countries must worship in secret, and know as they train their children in the ways of the Lord that at some point the children must stand for God against the pressure of the ruling authorities to deny their faith.

Did you ever stop to think that this could happen within your own country? Are you training the young people in your home, in your church, in your community so that if this should happen they will have a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to lean upon and will remain true to the Living God as Daniel and his three friends did?