Verse of the Day
Author Spotlight
Loading featured author...
Report Issue
See a formatting issue or error?
Let us know →
The prince of the eunuchs gave names to them: to Daniel he gave [the name of] Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, [of] Shadrach; and to Mishael, [of] Meshach; and to Azariah, [of] Abed-nego.
Verse Takeaways
1
A Battle Over Identity
All commentators agree that the name change was a deliberate strategy of assimilation. The young men's Hebrew names (Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah) all incorporated a reference to God (El or Yah). The new Babylonian names (Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego) were linked to pagan gods like Bel and Nebo. Scholars state this was an attempt to make them forget their God, their people, and their identity.
See 3 Verse Takeaways
Book Overview
Daniel
Author
Audience
Composition
Teaching Highlights
Outline
+ 5 more
See Overview
5
18th Century
Presbyterian
To whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names - This practice is common in Oriental courts. “The captive youths referred to in the notes on (…
19th Century
Baptist
Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names:
This was to Chaldeanize them, to take away from them everything Jewish.
F…
16th Century
Protestant
The Prophet now comes to what properly belongs to his purpose. He did not propose to write a full narrative, but he touched briefly on what was nec…
Consider supporting our work
17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names
Other names, Chaldee names, according to the names of the gods of t…
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, took Jerusalem and carried away whomever and whatever he pleased. From this first …
