The Babylonian names of three young Hebrew men taken to Babylon as prisoners by King Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC (2 Kings 24:1; Daniel 1:1–4). They might have been from a royal family (2 Kings 20:18; Isaiah 39:7). The Babylonians thought having them as hostages would make the king of Judah, Jehoiakim, behave.
Nebuchadnezzar wanted to fill his court with intelligent and handsome men who would become useful subjects for his kingdom. He determined that some of the Judean hostages would be trained. Daniel and his three friends were chosen.
Their original Hebrew names exalted Yahweh, but they were changed to Babylonian names that might have honored a Babylonian god.
Their original Hebrew names were:
Mishael, which means "Who is what God is"
Nebuchadnezzar changed their names to Babylonian names:
Shadrach, which could mean "Command of Aku" (Aku was the Sumerian moon god)
Meshach, which could mean "Who is what Aku is"
Abednego, which could mean "Servant of Nabu" (Nabu was the Babylonian god of wisdom)
Their friend Daniel's name was also changed from "My judge is God" to Belteshazzar. Belteshazzar means "Bel protects" (Bel was the chief Babylonian god).
Nebuchadnezzar chose these young men to learn the Babylonian language and knowledge. They studied for three years, learning:
Aramaic, Akkadian, and Sumerian languages
Possibly astronomy, math, history, and farming
The king provided food for the students. But Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel refused to eat it. They thought the food had been offered to false gods, so it was not proper for Jews to eat (compare Exodus 34:15; Leviticus 17:10–14). The chief eunuch was worried that the king would be upset if the boys looked underfed, so he spoke to Daniel. They asked to eat only vegetables for ten days. After ten days, they looked healthier than the other students, so they were allowed to continue their vegetable diet.
When they finished their studies, these four young men were smarter and more capable than all the other students. The Bible says God gave them this knowledge and skill.
Later, they became part of the "wise men of Babylon" (Daniel 2:12–49). When other wise men could not explain the king's dream, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to kill all the wise men. Daniel asked the king for time, and God showed Daniel the dream and its meaning in a vision. This saved their lives.
Another time, Nebuchadnezzar made a huge golden statue and ordered everyone to bow down to it (Daniel 3). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused. They said they trusted God, even if it meant being thrown into a fiery furnace. The king had the furnace made extremely hot and threw them in. But God protected them. He sent an angel to keep them safe in the fire.
When Nebuchadnezzar saw this miracle, he had to admit that the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was more powerful than his own kingdom and power.