MESHACH (mē’shăk, Heb. mēshakh). A pagan name given to Mishael, one of the four princes of Judah taken by Nebuchadnezzar to be trained in his palace as counselors to the king. These four had Hebrew names containing the syllable “el” for “God” or “iah” for “the Lord,” but the names were changed to honor gods of Babylon (Dan.1.3-Dan.1.7).


MESHACH. See [[Shadrach]], [[Meshach]], [[Abednego]].

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

Possibly the Sumerian form of the Babylonian Cil-Asharidu, "the shadow of the prince," just as Shadrach probably means "the servant of Sin," and Abednego the "servant of Ishtar." Meshach was one of the three Hebrew companions of Daniel, whose history is given in the first chapters of the [[Book of Daniel]].

See, further, under SHADRACH.