בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר
Belteshatstsar, the Babylonian name of Daniel
Definition
Bêlṭᵉshaʼtstsar is the Babylonian name given to the prophet Daniel by the chief court official of King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1:7). This name, meaning 'protect his life' or 'Bel, protect the king,' was part of a systematic effort to assimilate Daniel and other Judean exiles into Babylonian culture by replacing their Hebrew names with names honoring Babylonian deities. The name appears in two distinct contexts: first, when Daniel is given the name upon entering royal service (Daniel 1:7), and second, when Daniel uses it to identify himself in a later vision (Daniel 10:1). In both instances, the name serves as a marker of his identity within the foreign court, even as he remains faithful to the God of Israel.
Biblical Usage
This proper noun is used exclusively in the Book of Daniel. It is used twice: first in the narrative of Daniel's induction into Babylonian service (Daniel 1:7), and later when Daniel introduces himself at the beginning of a prophetic vision (Daniel 10:1). The pattern shows its function as Daniel's official, public name within the Babylonian imperial system, contrasting with his Hebrew name, which signifies his covenant identity.
Etymology
The name is of foreign (Akkadian/Babylonian) derivation, not Hebrew. It is widely understood to be a form of the Akkadian 'Bēl-šarra-uṣur,' meaning 'Bel (a Babylonian god), protect the king' or 'protect his life.' This follows the pattern of other court names given to the exiles, which invoke Babylonian deities (e.g., Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego).
Semantic Range
The dual naming of Daniel—Hebrew (Daniel, 'God is my judge') and Babylonian (Belteshatstsar)—creates a powerful theological tension in the book. It highlights the conflict between covenant identity and imperial assimilation. Daniel's acceptance of the name, while uncompromisingly maintaining his faithfulness to Yahweh (Daniel 1:8, 6:10), demonstrates that a believer's true identity is defined by obedience to God, not by the labels imposed by a foreign culture. This enriches the reading of Daniel as a book about maintaining faithfulness under pressure.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, naming was an act of authority and identity-shaping. By renaming the Judean exiles, the Babylonian court sought to erase their past allegiance and redirect their loyalty to Babylonian gods and the king. The name Belteshatstsar explicitly invokes the god Bel (another name for Marduk, the chief god of Babylon), embedding Daniel's official identity within the Babylonian religious-political system. This was a common practice for integrating captives and foreign officials into imperial service.
דָּנִיֵּאל (Dānîyēʼl, H1840) — Daniel's Hebrew name, meaning 'God is my judge,' representing his covenant identity.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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