Daniel 1:6

Dan 1:6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

Ver. 6. Now among these were, of the children of Judah, Daniel.] Who had not his name for nought, as we say, but by a providence. It signifieth, God is my judge; and so, indeed, he was throughout his whole life, but especially when they cast him into the lions’ den. {Dan 6:16} David had also a son of the same name, and that by Abigail, {2Sa 3:3 1Ch 3:1} in remembrance haply of the right that God had done him upon the churl Nabal. {1Sa 25:39}

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.] Good names all, and good men all, yet wrapt up with the rest in a common calamity, but for excellent ends, as it afterwards appeared. Meanwhile, God much sweetened the affliction to these four by their mutual society.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Dan_1:6-7

The Prince of the Eunuchs gave names.

Names

The highest import of names arises from their association with the highest of all beings. Among Jews and Christians a name gathers round it a halo of beauty, strength, and sanctity, by reason of its relations with the divine. In pagan climes a name becomes significant and revered in proportion to its connection with some idol deity. Daniel and his three companions had received from their fathers names divinely significant. In Babylon they are called upon to assume the names of the idol-gods belonging to the land of their captivity. They were dedicated to the four leading gods Bel, the chief god; the Sun-god; the Earth-god; and the Fire-god. What the prince of the Eunuchs did with these young and heroic Hebrews, the prince of the power of the air seeks to effect with the children of faith everywhere. His great effort is to merge the divine in the human; the spiritual in the material; and to convert the Church to the world.

1. Daniel. His name may be rendered God my judge. Instead, he was called Belshazzar, derived from Bel. Daniels estimate of this change may be inferred from the small use he made of it. He appears to have regarded it as no compliment. Thrice happy are they who, like Daniel, have God for their judge. Whenever they are falsely judged, the just Judge can bring forth their righteousness as the light, and their judgment as the noon-day.

2. Hananiah. This names signifies, the grace and favour of God. Shadrach, for which it was changed, denotes the same thing in an idolatrous sense--the favour, or illumination, or inspiration, of the Sun-god. A contrast is thus illustrated between the divine complacency, and the favour and applause of the world. The God of this world is worshipped with as much devotion as the Babylonians coveted the shining rays of their great Sun-god. The worlds smiles, her caresses, honours, wealth, and pleasures, are the inspirations of the eager devotion of the multitude. In these things consist their sunshine. Contrasted with this is the true light, revealing by its clear and steady rays all dangerous passes, pitfalls, and precipices, whereby so many perish through the glare of sin. And this favour is a light that shines always.

3. Mishael. This name is composed of two Hebrew words which may be rendered comparable to God, or resemblance to God. The substituted name retains a part of the word, displacing the last syllable, which is the name of Jehovah, by the name Shak, the chief goddess of Babylon, the goddess of beauty and pleasure. Meshach, therefore, signifies a votary to the chief goddess of beauty and pleasure, who smiles upon all who bear her name. Babylons goddess still rules with successful sway. Men are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Too often is the temptation yeilded to by Gods spiritual Israel.

4. Azariah. This name may be rendered God my help. Abednego means servant of the shining light, or servant of Lucifer. The two names furnish illustrations of the contrasted characters of the servants of righteousness and those of sin. The service of sin is the service of grief. In a course of evil pleasure and pain are twin companions. Light is attractive, sad so is sin; but the light is the effect of fire, and fire burns; so does sin--like the glaring taper alluring to slay the bewildered moth. (Anon.)

Names changed for reasons of religion

Their very names were a witness, not only to their nationality, but to their religion. Daniel means God is my judge, Hananiah Jehovah is gracious, Mishael (perhaps) Who is equal to God? Azariah God is a helper. It is hardly likely that the Chaldeans would have tolerated the use of such names among the young pupils, since every repitition of them would have sounded like a challenge to the supremacy of Bel-Merodach and Nebo. It was a common thing to change names in heathen courts, as the name of Joseph had been changed by the Egyptains to Zaphnathpaaneah (Gen_41:45), and the Assyrians changed the name of Psammetichus II into Nebo-serib-ani, Nebo Save mo. They therefore made the names of the boys into the names of the Babylonian deities. (F. W. Farrar.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Dan 1:6-7. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, &c. — All their names had some affinity with the name of Jehovah, the God whom they worshipped. Daniel signifies, God is my judge, or the judgment of God; Hananiah, God has been gracious to me, or, one favoured of Jehovah; Mishael, the powerful one of God; Azariah, the help of Jehovah, or, Jehovah is my succour. In like manner, the prince of the eunuchs, in changing their names, as a mark of dominion and authority over them, gave them such as had an affinity with the names of the gods of the Chaldees; Belteshazzar, the name given to Daniel, being derived from Bel, or Baal, the chief idol of Babylon, and signifying the treasurer of Baal, or, the depositary of the secrets, or treasure, of Baal. Shadrach, according to some, means the inspiration of the sun; being derived from shada, to pour out, and rach, a king, a name given to the sun by the Babylonians. Meshach, derived from a Babylonian deity called Shach, or from a goddess called Sheshach, is thought to signify, He who belongs to Shach, or Sheshach. Abed-nego imports the servant of the shining light, or, as Calmet thinks, of the sun, or the morning star, unless the word should be written Abed-nebo, referring to the idol so called, which gave name to several distinguished personages among the Babylonians: see Isa 46:2. It is certain from Herodotus, lib. 1., that the Chaldeans worshipped Jupiter Belus, Venus, and other idols, or the same under other names; and from these it is probable that the names were given, according to Chaldee usage, to these young men.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:6-7 Their new Babylonian names were to help enculturate the Hebrews into the pagan Babylonian society. Daniel (“God is my Judge” or “God has judged”) became Belteshazzar (“Bel [a Babylonian god] protects his life”). Hananiah (“the Lord is grace”) became Shadrach (possibly meaning “command of Aku,” another Babylonian god). Mishael (“who is God?”) became Meshach (“who is Aku?”). Azariah (“the Lord helps”) became Abednego (“servant of Nego/Nebo,” another Babylonian god).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

[Daniel 1:6] Vayehi bahem (וַיְהִי בָהֶם - And among them were): The reason [it specifies] “of the children of Judah” is because there were [also] descendants of Benjamin in Jerusalem [so this distinguishes Daniel and his companions tribally from other potential captives]. And these [four] were not [biological] brothers. For the Scripture says [in Aramaic, referring to the context of Daniel 2:13 and Daniel 2:18 where Daniel sought mercy for himself and his companions]: “...Daniel and his companions (chavrohi - חַבְרוֹהִי) [were sought] to be killed” [cf. Daniel 2:13, Daniel 2:18]. [The use of the word "companions" implies they were associates, not necessarily siblings].

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

children of Judah--the most noble tribe, being that to which the "king's seed" belonged (compare Dan 1:3).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 6. Now among these] There were no doubt several noble youths from other provinces: but the four mentioned here were Jews, and are supposed to have all been of royal extraction.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Prophet now comes to what properly belongs to his purpose. He did not propose to write a full narrative, but he touched shortly on what was necessary, to inform us how God prepared him for the subsequent discharge of the prophetic office. After he had stated their selection from the royal and noble seed, as excelling in talent, dexterity, and eloquence, as well as in rigor of body, he now adds, that he would his companions were among them. He leaves out the rest, because he had nothing to record of them worthy of mention; and, as I have said, the narrative hitherto is only subsidiary. The Prophet’s object, then, must be noticed, since he was exiled, and educated royally and sumptuously in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar, that he might afterwards be one of the prefects, and his companions be elevated to the same rank. He does not say that he was of the royal house, but only of the tribe of Judah; but he was probably born of a noble rather than of a plebeian family, since kings more commonly selected their prefects from their own relations than from others. Moreover, since the kingdom of Israel was cut off, perhaps through a feeling of modesty, Daniel did not record his family, nor openly assert his origin from a noble and celebrated stock. He was content with a single word, — he and his companion were of the tribe of Judah, and brought up among the children of the nobility. He says — their names were changed; so that by all means the king might blot out of their hearts the remembrance of their own race, and they might forget their own origin. As far as interpretations are concerned, I think I have said enough to satisfy you, as I am not willingly curious in names where there is any obscurity, and especially in these Chaldee words. As to the Hebrew names, we know Daniel’s name to mean the judge, or judgment of God. Therefore, whether by the secret instinct of God, his parents had imposed this name, or whether by common custom, Daniel was called by this name, as God’s judge. So also of the rest; for Hananiah has a fixed meaning, namely, one who has obtained mercy from God; so Misael means required or demanded by God; and so Azariah, the help of God, or one whom God helps. But all these flyings have already been better explained to you, so I have only just touched on these points, as the change has no adequate reason for it. It is enough for us that the names were changed to abolish the remembrance of the kingdom of Judah from their hearts. Some Hebrews also assert these to have been the names of wise men. Whether it was so or not, if, was the kings plan to draw away those boys that they should have nothing in common with the elect people, but degenerate to the manners of the Chaldeans. Daniel could not help the prince or master of the eunuchs changing his name, for it was not in. his power to hinder it; the same must be said of his companions. But they had enough to retain the remembrance of their race, which Satan, by this artifice, wished utterly to blot out. And yet this was a great trial, because they suffered from their badge of slavery. Since their names were changed, either the king or his prefect Aspenaz wished to force them under the yoke, as if he would put before their eyes the, judgment of their own slavery as often as they heard their” names. We see, then, the intention of the change of name, namely, to cause these miserable exiles to feel themselves; in captivity, and cut off from the race of Israel; and by this mark or symbol they were reduced to slavery, to the, king of Babylon and his palace. This was, indeed, a hard trial, but it mattered not to the servants of God to be contemptuously treated before men, so long as they were not infected with any corruption; hence we conclude them to have been divinely governed, as they stood pure and spotless. For Daniel afterwards says —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(6) Now among these . . .—Four persons only are mentioned here, because the narrative of the book is only concerned with four. Daniel calls our attention to the fact that the very four whom Providence had endowed with the greatest natural gifts were those by whose constancy and example the king was converted. The names of these four were subsequently changed, with the view of showing that they had become nationalised Chaldee subjects. (Comp. 2Ki_23:34; 2Ki_24:17.) The name Belteshazzar must be carefully distinguished from Belshazzar. It is said to mean, protect his life (balatsu-usur). Daniel appears, if this be the true meaning of the name, to have endeared himself at a very early period to Ashpenaz. (See Dan_4:18.) Abed-nego is apparently Servant of Nebo, the b and g having been designedly interchanged, on account of Azariah’s unwillingness to bear a heathen name. Shadrach and Meshach have not as yet been explained, but probably the clue to their interpretation is to be found in the last syllable, ach, which occurs also in Merodach and Arioch.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6. Mishael] ‘Who is what God is?’ (cf. Michael, ‘Who is like God?’), a name found also in Exo_6:22, Lev_10:4 (of a cousin of Moses’); and in Neh_8:4.

6, 7. Among the noble youths thus selected were four belonging to the tribe of Judah, who are named specially as forming the subject of the following narratives.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Now among these were of the children of Judea, Among those youths that were selected from the rest, and brought up in the above manner, and for the above purposes, who were of the tribe of Judah, and very likely of the house of David, and of royal descent, were the four following persons:

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; who are particularly mentioned, because they were the most famous and renowned of them, and are concerned in the subsequent history and account of facts: their names are expressive and significant: Daniel signifies "God is my Judge"; Hananiah may be interpreted "God is gracious to me"; Mishael is by some thought to be the same as Michael, "he who is God", or "as God"; and by others, "asked of God", by his mother, as Samuel was by Hannah, so Saadiah interprets it; and Azariah may be explained, "God is my help", or "helps me".

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Now among these were of the children of Judah - That is, these were a part of those who were selected. They are mentioned because they became so prominent in the transactions which are subsequently recorded in this book, and because they evinced such extraordinary virtue in the development of the principles in which they had been trained, and in the remarkable trials through which they were called to pass. It does not appear that they are mentioned here particularly on account of any distinction of birth or rank, for though they were among the noble and promising youth of the land, yet it is clear that others of the same rank and promise also were selected, Dan 1:3. The phrase “the children of Judah” is only another term to denote that they were Hebrews. They belonged to the tribe, or the kingdom of Judah.

Daniel - This name (דניאל dânı̂yê'l) means properly “judge of God;” that is, one who acts as judge in the name of God. Why this name was given to him is not known. We cannot, however, fail to be struck with its appropriateness, as the events of his life showed. Nor is it known whether he belonged to the royal family, or to the nobles of the land, but as the selection was made from that class it is probable. Those who were at first carried into captivity were selected exclusively from the more elevated classes of society, and there is every reason to believe that Daniel belonged to a family of rank and consequence. The Jews say that he was of the royal family, and was descended from Hezekiah, and cite his history in confirmation of the prophecy addressed by Isaiah to that monarch, “Of thy sons which shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon,” Isa 39:7. Compare Introduction Section I.

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah - Of the rank and early history of these young men nothing is known. They became celebrated for their refusal to worship the golden image set up by Nebuchadnezzar, Dan 3:12, following.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Juda. It is thought all four were of royal blood. (Calmet) --- Others were also kept at court. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Doubtless most of them of the royal lineage of Judah, to which tribe God had a special respect, upon the account of David; and this tribe of Judah had the pre-eminence in many things.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6, 7. It was quite the common thing for Assyrian, Babylonian, and Egyptian kings to take new names themselves on special occasions, or give new names to members of the royal family. (Compare Gen_41:45; 2Ki_23:34; 2Ki_24:17.) So Tiglath-pileser was also known as Pulu (compare 2Ki_15:19); Shalmaneser, as Ulula’a; and Assurbanipal, when he placed the Egyptian prince Psammetichus at the head of a province, changed his name to Nebo-sezibani. Daniel (Hebrews, “God is my judge”) receives the name of Belteshazzar, probably a contraction of Bel-balatsu-usur, “Bel, protect his life” (Fr. Delitzsch). Most Assyriologists consider as hypercritical the remark of Professor Sayce that there is one letter wrong in the spelling of the Babylonian word corresponding to Belteshazzar, and that therefore we have here “a compound which has no sense and would be impossible in the Babylonian language.” It is now known that the Babylonian scribes even spelled the names of their own kings differently at different times, just as the Hebrew scribes spelled David one way in Kings and another in Chronicles. (See also note Dan_4:8.) The companions of Daniel — who bear names meaning, respectively, “The Lord Jehovah is gracious,” “Who is like God” (or, “Who is what God is”), and “Jehovah is helper” — receive as new names Shadrach, Shudur-Aku (“Command of Aku” — Aku being the Babylonian moon-god); Meshach, a probable Babylonian original for which cannot be suggested; and Abednego, or rather Abed-Nebo (“Servant of Nebo”), a name which Sayce has himself found in an inscription of the fifth or sixth century B.C. The objection of Jewish copyists to writing the names of heathen deities may account for the change of consonants here. There are numbers of instances of Jews settled at Babylon taking Babylonian names. (See, for example, Records of the Past, 4:107; Zeits. fur Assy., 13:329, etc.)

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The versions present no difficulty here, only the Septuagint adds a clause to bring this verse into harm( my with ver. 3: the Septuagint rendering is, "And there were of the race of the sons ofIsrael that came from Judaea, Daniel, Ananias, Mishael, and Azarias." That they were of "the children of Judah" seems to exclude the possibility of these four belonging to any other tribe, all the more that the whole children of Israel are spoken of in the third verse. The version which we find in the Septuagint leaves the matter tree. At the same time, the addition is one that is so naturally suggested by the third verse, that we cannot claim that the reading of the Septuagint is the more probable. The names of the four companions all occur elsewhere, and, as is usual with Hebrew names, all are significant. Daniel means either "Judge of God" or "God my Judge." As Hebrew grammar is now, the latter is the meaning; but there was an older form of the construct state, which appears in proper names like "Gabriel," which makes it probable that "Judge of God" or "Divine Judge" is the meaning intended to be conveyed. This meaning is in,plied in the story of Susanna and the eiders. David"s son by Abigail the Carmelitess is called Daniel in 1Ch_3:1. In the case of the son of David, the name would probably indicate the confidence in God which his father felt, rather than any description of the son. in Ezr_8:2 a Daniel is mentioned who seems to be a son of Ithamar. We say seems to be," because it is evident that there is an omission somewhere of a name; if the omission has taken place before m bne Phinhas, then Daniel becomes the representative of the sons of David, and Hattush the representative of the sons of Pabath. Inav: Neh_10:6 in the number of the priests who sealed the covenant, is a "Daniel" named, who may be the same as the preceding. In the LXX version of the apocryphal additions to Daniel, the prophet is identified with the priest. The first verse in the story of Bel and the Dragon is, "There was a certain man, a priest, whose name was Daniel, the son of Abal, the familiar friend of the King of Babylon." There is nothing to make it certain, it we do not take the phrase here in its absolute sense, that Daniel did not belong to the family of Aaron; if we take the phrase in its restricted sense, then the balance of probability is that he was a member of the Davidic family. Hananiah (Hananyah; Greek, jAnani) the Hebrew form, as in the case of other names with the same termination, is sometimes lengthened to Hananyahu). The name means "The Lord Jehovah is gracious." This name is one of the most common in the Bible. Sometimes it is reversed, and becomes Jehohanan or Johanan, and hence "John." The earliest is the head of the sixteenth of the twenty-four courses into which David divided the Hemanites. (2Ch_25:4) In the reign of Uzziah there appears one as a chief captain. (2Ch_26:11) In Jeremiah there are three; most prominent, however, is the false prophet who declared that Jeconiah and all his fellow-captives would be brought back in the space of two years. (Jer_28:15) One of the ancestors of our Lord, called in Luke (Luk_3:27) Joanna, the son of Rhess, grandson of Zerubbabel, is called in 1Ch_3:19 Hananiah, and reckoned a son of Zerubbabel. In the Book of Nehemiah there are several persons spoken of as bearing this name, not impossibly as many as six. In New Testament times it was still common: Ananias the husband of Sapphira; (Act_5:1) the devout Jew of Damascus, sent to; (Act_9:10) the high priest in the time of Paul. (Act_23:2) Unlike Hananiah, Mishael is one of the rarer names It occurs as the name of one of the sons of Uzziel, the uncle of Moses and Aaron (Exo_6:22; Lev_10:4) and again as one who stood at Ezra"s left hand when he read the Law. (Neh_8:4) There is some question as to the meaning of the name. Two interpretations have been suggested; the simplest and most direct is, "Who is what God is;" the other is, "Who is like God." The objection to the first is that the contracted relative is employed, which does not elsewhere appear in this book. This, however, is not insuperable, as the contracted form of the relative was in common use in the northern kingdom, and might, therefore, appear in a name; the objection to the second is that a letter is omitted, but such omissions continually occur. Hitzig refers to from as a case in point.

Azariah, "Jehovah is Helper," is, like Hananiah, a very common name throughout Jewish history It is the name by which Uzziah is called in 2Ki_14:21:15:1, 2Ki_14:7, 2Ki_14:8, 17 (called Uzziah in vers. 13, 30, as also in 2Ch 27) It is the name of four high priests:

(1) one during (1Ch_6:10) the reign of Solomon, the grandson of Zadok;

(2) the high priest during the reign of Jehoshaphat; (1Ch_6:11)

(3) high priest during the reign of his namesake Azariah or Uzziah King of; (2Ch_26:17-20)

(4) high priest in the reign of Hezekiah. (2Ch_31:10-14) There is also a prophet of this name (2Ch_15:1) in the days of Asa King of Judah. While this name is so common before the Captivity, it is not so common after it, though there is a captain of the army of Judas Maccabteus called "Azarias." While all the names contain the name of God, either in the covenant form "Jehovah" or the common form "el," yet there is nothing in the names to suggest the history before us. Jewish tradition made them out to be of the royal family; of this there is no certainty. In the time of Jerome it was held they were eunuchs, and thus the prophecy in Isaiah (Isa_39:7) was fulfilled. Others have held that Isa_56:3, "Let not the eunuch say, I am a dry tree," had a reference to those captives. So far, however, as we know, eunuchs might be attendants of Assyrian and Babylonian monarchs might bear the state umbrella over their heads, might give the cup to them, might arrange their couch for them, or announce their approach to the harem, but were not their councillors or warriors. That was left for the days of the Byzantine Empire, when the eunuch Narses retained Italy for the empire.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Azariah - Probably all of the royal lineage of Judah.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Daniel

deported 8 years before Ezekiel. 2Ki 24:1; 2Ki 24:2; 2Ch 36:5-7; Jer 25:1; Jer 52:12-30.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Among these

"Among the young men from Israel"

The chief official

This refers to Ashpenaz who was King Nebuchadnezzar's highest official.

Belteshazzar ... Shadrach ... Meshach ... Abednego

These are all men's names. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

Daniel

Hananiah

Mishael

Azariah

Judah

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.