מֵישַׁךְ
𐤌𐤉𐤔𐤊
Meyshakhe
H4335 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name: Meshaḵ – a Babylonian name given to one of the Israelite youths in exile, specifically Hananiah, by the Babylonian authorities. Not a common noun, but always used as a personal name in exilic contexts. The word refers specifically to this individual's Babylonian court name, distinguishing him from his Hebrew identity.
Semantic Range
personal name of exilic Israelite in Babylon, specifically the Babylonian (Akkadian) name given to Hananiah; never a common noun; never used other than as a personal name in exilic Diaspora context
Root / Etymology
The etymology is uncertain. Likely of Akkadian or Babylonian origin and not derived from a Hebrew root. The name may represent a Babylonian adaptation or translation of the Hebrew name Hananiah, but there is no clear linguistic derivation from Hebrew. Sometimes speculatively associated with a meaning such as 'Who is what Aku is?' (Akkadian: mī-šā-ku), referring to the Babylonian deity Aku, but this is not definitively established.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מֵישַׁךְ (Mêyshak) appears only in the book of Daniel (Daniel 1:7 et al.), where it is the Babylonian assigned name for Hananiah, one of three principal Israelite youths taken to Babylon during the exile. The narrative context is firmly exilic, and the name is used exclusively in the Babylonian imperial context, as a marker of acculturation by the foreign regime. The adoption of foreign names for Israelites is a characteristic motif in Daniel, serving both narrative and political purposes. English translations have rendered מֵישַׁךְ as 'Meshach,' which preserves the foreign sound but does not clarify its function as a Babylonian court name. Unlike Hebrew names with theophoric elements referencing YHWH or El, מֵישַׁךְ does not transparently contain such elements. Its possible connection to the Akkadian deity Aku is conjectural and not universally accepted among scholars. In Jewish tradition, the name is remembered as part of the triad Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (the latter also a Babylonian name). There is no evidence that מֵישַׁךְ was ever used as an Israelite personal name outside the Babylonian setting.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
borrowed from מֵישַׁךְ; Meshak, an Israelite; Meshak.
Bantu Hebrew
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uncertain (foreign origin) (uncertain) — proper name, Babylonian court name, personal designation
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4335-01 |
מֵישַׁ֔ךְ | meyshakhe | HNp |
Meshach | Meshak | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4335-01 |
Daniel 1:7 | מֵישַׁ֔ךְ | meyshakhe | HNp |
Meshach | Meshak |