Meaning of the Name Mishael
The name Mishael is commonly explained as a Hebrew form meaning something like "Who is like God?" Such names use a rhetorical question to emphasize God's uniqueness. Its etymology is generally regarded as strong.
Origin
The name Mishael is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Mishael in the Bible?
The best-known Mishael is one of the exiled youths in Daniel; in Babylon he is given the name Meshach. Together with Hananiah and Azariah he is remembered as a faithful witness who resisted idolatrous pressure, especially in Daniel 3. The Old Testament also uses the same name for other individuals.
The story of Mishael in the Bible
Mishael appears at the opening of the book of Daniel among the young men of Judah exiled to Babylon. Together with Daniel, Hananiah, and Azariah he was selected for training in the king's palace, where the exile administration renamed him Meshach. He joined the decision not to be defiled by the royal food; after a ten-day trial on simple fare, the young men looked healthier than their peers and proved wiser than all the court's experts. He was also one of the friends who prayed that the secret of the king's dream would be revealed. Mishael's name is most closely tied to the golden-statue account in Daniel 3: with Hananiah and Azariah he openly refused to bow to the image the king had set up. The refusal sent the three into the blazing furnace, yet the fire could not touch them, and the king, astonished at their rescue, honored their God. The Old Testament knows other men named Mishael, but the name is remembered above all for this faithful witness who would not bend under pagan pressure.
Is Mishael mentioned in the Quran?
The name Mishael does not appear in the Quran; he is known from the book of Daniel in the Old Testament as one of the three young men who refused to worship the golden statue and were preserved in the fiery furnace.
Verses where Mishael appears
- Daniel 1:6 —
Now among these were, of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
- Daniel 1:7 —
The prince of the eunuchs gave names to them: to Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, Shadrach; and to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
- Daniel 3:12 —
There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not respected you. They don’t serve your gods, nor worship the golden…