Dan 1:7 | KingComments | STEP | Here the names of four of the deported young men are mentioned. God’s Spirit puts the spotlight on them, because in them the characteristics of the faithful remnant are clearly visible. Nowhere it seems that they share in the judgment God had to bring over His people because of their personal crimes. But there is also no evidence that they have opposed this judgment for that reason. We just see them bowing under the judgment that affects the whole people, including themselves. At the same time, we see how they remain faithful to the LORD and his statutes, from Whom and from which they have not departed. Their upbringing in Israel is not rejected by them in the land of their exile. Even though Daniel, it is estimated, is currently between fourteen and eighteen years old, a teenager. The third point of the program of the re-education concerns their names. Of these four young men are mentioned both their old, Hebrew, names and the new, Babylonian, names they receive. 1. Daniel means: God is my judge, 2. Hananiah: Yahweh is Grace, 3. Mishael: Who is like God? 4. Azariah: Yahweh is help or Yahweh helps. The new names are related to the gods of Babylon. The meaning of these names is not always clear. 1. Belteshazzar: (possible meaning) ‘prince of Bel’, the god of Babylon, 2. Shadrach: possibly derived from ‘Rach’, a sun god, 3. Meshach: (possible meaning) ‘he who belongs to the goddess Seshach’, 4. Abed-nego: ‘slave of Nego’ also a god of Babylon. They have to accept this name change and they did. They do not defend themselves against it. In the change of their names we can see a process of ‘brainwashing’. In their Hebrew names the name of God or of the LORD appears in each of them. This can be seen from the syllable el or yah . El means ‘God’ and Yah is ‘Yahweh’ which is translated with ‘LORD’. Any reminder of their origin must make way for their new status. If this is done consistently long enough, they will have forgotten their origin over time and fully adopted Babylon’s way of living and thinking.

‏ Daniel 1:7

Other Names

Here the names of four of the deported young men are mentioned. God’s Spirit puts the spotlight on them, because in them the characteristics of the faithful remnant are clearly visible. Nowhere it seems that they share in the judgment God had to bring over His people because of their personal crimes. But there is also no evidence that they have opposed this judgment for that reason. We just see them bowing under the judgment that affects the whole people, including themselves.

At the same time, we see how they remain faithful to the LORD and his statutes, from Whom and from which they have not departed. Their upbringing in Israel is not rejected by them in the land of their exile. Even though Daniel, it is estimated, is currently between fourteen and eighteen years old, a teenager.

The third point of the program of the re-education concerns their names. Of these four young men are mentioned both their old, Hebrew, names and the new, Babylonian, names they receive.

1. Daniel means: God is my judge,

2. Hananiah: Yahweh is Grace,

3. Mishael: Who is like God?

4. Azariah: Yahweh is help or Yahweh helps.

The new names are related to the gods of Babylon. The meaning of these names is not always clear.

1. Belteshazzar: (possible meaning) ‘prince of Bel’, the god of Babylon,

2. Shadrach: possibly derived from ‘Rach’, a sun god,

3. Meshach: (possible meaning) ‘he who belongs to the goddess Seshach’,

4. Abed-nego: ‘slave of Nego’ also a god of Babylon.

They have to accept this name change and they did. They do not defend themselves against it.

In the change of their names we can see a process of ‘brainwashing’. In their Hebrew names the name of God or of the LORD appears in each of them. This can be seen from the syllable el or yah. El means ‘God’ and Yah is ‘Yahweh’ which is translated with ‘LORD’. Any reminder of their origin must make way for their new status. If this is done consistently long enough, they will have forgotten their origin over time and fully adopted Babylon’s way of living and thinking.