מִישָׁאֵל
Mishael, the name of three Israelites
Definition
Mishael is a Hebrew proper name meaning 'Who is what God is?' or 'Who is like God?'. It is borne by three distinct individuals in the Old Testament. The first is a Levite, the son of Uzziel and cousin of Aaron and Moses, who assisted in the burial of Nadab and Abihu (Exodus 6:22, Leviticus 10:4). The second is one of the three companions of Daniel in Babylon, renamed Meshach by the chief eunuch, who famously survived the fiery furnace (Daniel 1:6-7, 3:12-30). The third is a leader who stood beside Ezra during the public reading of the Law (Nehemiah 8:4).
Biblical Usage
The name Mishael appears in three distinct contexts across the Old Testament. In the Torah, it identifies a Levitical assistant in priestly duties (Exodus 6:22, Leviticus 10:4). In the historical book of Nehemiah, it denotes a leader supporting Ezra (Nehemiah 8:4). Its most prominent usage is in the book of Daniel, where Mishael is one of the three Jewish exiles in Babylon, renamed Meshach, who demonstrates unwavering faith by refusing to worship the king's image, leading to the miracle of the fiery furnace (Daniel 1:6-7, 1:11, 1:19, 3:12-30).
Etymology
The name Mishael (מִישָׁאֵל) is a compound name derived from the interrogative pronoun מִי (mî, H4310, 'who?') and the divine name אֵל (ʼêl, H410, 'God'), with an inseparable relative particle (אֲשֶׁר, ʼăsher, H834, 'that, which') implied in the construction. The literal meaning is a rhetorical question: 'Who is what God is?' or 'Who is like God?', expressing a profound theological statement about God's incomparable nature.
Semantic Range
The name Mishael itself is a theological declaration, posing the rhetorical question 'Who is like God?' which underscores God's unique and incomparable nature. This meaning is powerfully embodied by the exile in Daniel, whose faithfulness, even under threat of death in Daniel 3, demonstrates a life that answers the question posed by his own name: no earthly power is like the God of Israel. Understanding the name enriches the narrative of divine deliverance in the fiery furnace, framing it as a contest between the supreme God and a human king.
In ancient Israelite culture, names often carried significant meaning and were thought to reflect character or destiny. A name like Mishael, which questions who could possibly be compared to God, was a strong statement of faith and identity. For the exile in Babylon, bearing this name while being forced to adopt the Babylonian name Meshach (of uncertain meaning, possibly involving a foreign deity) created a stark contrast between his Hebrew identity rooted in Yahweh and the pressure to assimilate into pagan court life.
Michael (Mîkâʼêl, H4317) — Also means 'Who is like God?'; a more common form, used for the archangel. Gabriel (Gavriʼêl, H1403) — Means 'God is my strength'; another compound name with אֵל (ʼêl).
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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