מִישָׁאֵל (mi.sha.el)
mi.sha.el
Mishael
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name Mishael, meaning "who is what God is," appears seven times in Scripture, linking two distinct eras of Israel’s history. In the Exodus narrative, he is identified as a son of Uzziel and a cousin to Moses and Aaron, placing him within the priestly lineage of Levi.
Centuries later, the name resurfaces in Daniel and Nehemiah as one of Daniel’s three companions from Judah. These young men refused to defile themselves with the king’s food and later stood firm against Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. Their refusal to bow resulted in a miraculous deliverance from the fiery furnace, demonstrating that their identity remained anchored in God despite foreign pressure.
The recurrence of this name highlights a consistent theme of faithful remembrance. Whether serving in the wilderness tabernacle or resisting idolatry in Babylon, individuals named Mishael represent those who maintain their covenant loyalty to God across generations and changing circumstances.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Mishael carries a quiet but powerful question: "Who is what God is?" This meaning reminds us that our identity does not come from our circumstances or the names others give us, but from our relationship with the Creator. In the Bible, we see this truth play out in two very different settings. One Mishael served in the wilderness tabernacle as part of Aaron’s family, while another stood firm in Babylon against a golden statue.
Both men faced pressure to conform. The Babylonian court tried to rename them, stripping away their Hebrew heritage to make them fit into a pagan system. Yet they held fast to their faith. Their story shows that staying true to God is not about loud protests, but about a steady, daily choice to remember who belongs to whom. When life tries to redefine you, your anchor remains in the Lord.
This consistency across generations encourages us that God values faithfulness in every season. Whether you are serving in familiar roles or standing alone in difficult times, your loyalty to Him is seen and honored. The name Mishael stands as a gentle witness that God’s people have always found their strength in His presence, not in the approval of the world.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Mishael4×
- and/ to/ Mishael1×
- and/ Mishael1×
- [were] Mishael1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מִֽישָׁאֵ֖ל3×
- מִֽישָׁאֵל֙1×
- מִֽישָׁאֵ֥ל1×
- וּ/מִֽישָׁאֵ֧ל1×
- וּ/לְ/מִֽישָׁאֵ֣ל1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 1:7
The prince of the eunuchs gave names to them: to Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
This verse shows the attempt to erase Hebrew identity by renaming Mishael as Meshach, highlighting the tension between cultural pressure and spiritual loyalty.
-
Daniel 1:6
Now among these of the children of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Listing Mishael alongside Daniel, Hananiah, and Azariah establishes his role as part of a faithful group that refused to compromise their dietary laws.
-
Exodus 6:22
The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
This early mention places Mishael in the priestly lineage of Uzziel, showing that faithfulness to God is rooted in family and covenant history long before the Babylonian exile.