מֵישַׁךְ
𐤌𐤉𐤔𐤊
Meyshakhe
H4336 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Meshak (proper noun): The Babylonian or Chaldean court name given to the Israelite Mishael during the period of Babylonian captivity. Functions exclusively as a personal name; its meaning is uncertain due to non-Semitic, likely Akkadian origin.
Semantic Range
Babylonian court name for Mishael; personal name for an Israelite in exile; name applied by foreign authority
Root / Etymology
Of foreign (non-Hebrew, likely Akkadian or West Semitic) origin; etymology uncertain. It was assigned to Mishael together with court names for Hananiah (Shadrach) and Azariah (Abednego), cf. Daniel 1:7. The similarity to מִישָׁאֵל (Mishael) may be purely phonetic as the underlying meaning and root are not Hebrew, nor is a clear Akkadian root securely identified.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מֵישַׁךְ occurs only in Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible (Daniel 1–3), always as a proper court name for an Israelite exilic figure. The name symbolizes assimilation or the imposition of local identity by the Babylonian administration. While English translations render מֵישַׁךְ as "Meshak" or "Meshach," the underlying significance is obscure. The use of this court name marks the character as a subject within the Babylonian court rather than an Israelite, contrasting with his Hebrew name, Mishael. The original meaning, if any, has not been recovered from Babylonian sources, and proposals are conjectural. Later traditions sometimes interpret the name, but it is not a generic term in biblical Hebrew or Aramaic; it refers solely to this individual in the narrative context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) of foreign origin and doubtful significance; name of מִישָׁאֵל; Meshak, the Babylonian; Meshak.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain; personal name of foreign origin
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
| H1114 | בִּלְשָׁן | Bilshan |
| H1150 | בִּנְעָא | Bin'a |
| H116 | אֱדַיִן | and then |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4336-01 |
מֵישַׁ֖ךְ | meyshakhe | ANp |
Meshach | Meshak | 14 |
Occurrences in Scripture
14 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4336-01 |
Daniel 2:49 | מֵישַׁ֖ךְ | meyshakhe | ANp |
Meshach | Meshak |
H4336-01 |
Daniel 3:12 | מֵישַׁ֖ךְ | meyshakhe | ANp |
Meshach | Meshak |
H4336-01 |
Daniel 3:13 | מֵישַׁ֖ךְ | meyshakhe | ANp |
Meshach | Meshak |
H4336-01 |
Daniel 3:14 | מֵישַׁ֖ךְ | meyshakhe | ANp |
Meshach | Meshak |
H4336-01 |
Daniel 3:16 | מֵישַׁךְ֙ | meyshakhe | ANp |
Meshach | Meshak |
H4336-01 |
Daniel 3:19 | מֵישַׁ֖ךְ | meyshakhe | ANp |
Meshach | Meshak |
H4336-01 |
Daniel 3:20 | מֵישַׁ֖ךְ | meyshakhe | ANp |
Meshach | Meshak |
H4336-01 |
Daniel 3:22 | מֵישַׁךְ֙ | meyshakhe | ANp |
Meshach | Meshak |
H4336-01 |
Daniel 3:23 | מֵישַׁ֖ךְ | meyshakhe | ANp |
Meshach | Meshak |
H4336-01 |
Daniel 3:26 | מֵישַׁ֧ךְ | meyshakhe | ANp |
Meshach | Meshak |