Mishael

MISHAEL (mĭsh'ā-ĕl, Heb. mîshā’ēl, Who is what God is?)

A cousin of Moses and Aaron, being son of Uzziel, son of Kohath (Exod.6.22; Lev.10.4). He helped dispose of the bodies of Nadab and Abihu, whom the Lord had killed.A man, presumably a Levite, who stood with Ezra at the reading of the Law (Neh.8.4).A prince of Judah, taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar. A chief official of Babylon changed his name to Meshach, a name of disputed, though undoubtedly heathen meaning. Mishael and his companions, Hananiah and Azariah, were thrown into a blazing furnace (Dan.3.19-Dan.3.30) but came out unharmed, having had the fellowship of One who looked like “a son of the gods.”

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MISHAEL mĭsh’ ĭ əl (מִֽישָׁאֵ֥ל, who is what God is? or who is as God?) The name of three men in the OT. 1. A son of Uzziel, who was the brother of Amram, Moses’ father, and therefore Moses’ first cousin (Exod 6:22). He was one of those called by Moses to carry out the bodies of Nadab and Abihu after their sin and death (Lev 10:4).

2. One who stood at Ezra’s left hand as he read the law to Israel (Neh 8:4). Those who stood by Ezra, twelve in number, were either Levites or laymen. He is mentioned also in 1 Esdras 9:44.

3. The Jewish name of Meshach, one of Daniel’s three companions in Babylon (Dan 1:6, 7). With Daniel and the other two companions, he proved faithful to God (1:11, 19). Later he was cast into the fiery furnace with Shadrach and Abednego when he refused to worship the idol of the king (Dan 3), but God delivered them.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

mish’-a-el, mi’-sha-el (misha’el, perhaps equals "who is equal to God?"):

(1) A Kohathite, 4th in descent from Levi (Ex 6:22). He and his brother Elzaphan carried out Moses’ order to remove from the sanctuary and the camp the corpses of Nadab and Abihu (Le 10:4 f).

(2) A supporter of Ezra at the reading of the Law (Ne 8:4).

(3) The Hebrew name of one of Daniel’s 3 companions (Da 1:6,7,11,19; 2:17). His Babylonian name was MESHACH (which see).