4333. Mishael

Lexical Summary

Mishael: Mishael

Original Word: מִישָׁאֵל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Miysha'el
Pronunciation: mee-shah-EL
Phonetic Spelling: (mee-shaw-ale')
KJV: Mishael
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H4332 (מִישָׁאֵל - Mishael)]

1. Mishael, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Mishael

(Aramaic) corresponding to Miysha'el; Mishael, an Israelite -- Mishael.

see HEBREW Miysha'el

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to Mishael
Definition
"Who is what God is?" a companion of Daniel.

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and theological nuance

Mishael carries the rhetorical affirmation “Who is like God?” The name itself is a continual reminder of the incomparability of the LORD, anchoring those who bear it to the first commandment and to the exclusive worship that belongs to Yahweh alone (Exodus 20:3).

Old Testament occurrences

Although Strong’s number 4333 is represented only once in the Masoretic Text at Daniel 2:17, Scripture testifies to at least two distinct men of faith who shared this name and served the covenant community in markedly different settings—one in the wilderness generation and one in the Babylonian exile.

Mishael son of Uzziel (Exodus 6:22; Leviticus 10:4; Nehemiah 8:4)

1. Lineage and Levitical service
• Grandson of Kohath, therefore of the priestly tribe of Levi.
• His placement in the genealogy of Exodus 6 highlights the continuity of covenant promise from the patriarchs to the priesthood established at Sinai.

2. Ministry during the judgment of Nadab and Abihu
• When unauthorized fire brought sudden death on Aaron’s sons, Moses summoned “Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel” (Leviticus 10:4).
• Their obedience in removing the bodies underlined the holiness of the sanctuary; even family affection could not override reverence for God’s presence.

3. Later public reading of the Law
• A Mishael stands beside Ezra as the Torah is proclaimed to the post-exilic assembly (Nehemiah 8:4). His inclusion signals enduring Levitical commitment to the Word after the return from captivity.

Mishael companion of Daniel (Daniel 1–3)

1. Covenant identity under pressure
• Deported to Babylon, this Judean youth is renamed Meshach in an attempt to recast his identity, yet Scripture continues to acknowledge his Hebrew name, preserving the testimony that “God is incomparable.”

2. Spiritual disciplines in exile
• Along with Daniel, Hananiah, and Azariah, he resisted defilement from the royal provisions and was found “ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in the whole kingdom” (Daniel 1:20).

3. Corporate intercession
• In the single Strong’s-4333 reference—“Daniel went to his house and informed Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah” (Daniel 2:17)—the young men join in urgent prayer. Their united seeking of “mercies from the God of heaven” becomes the turning point for Nebuchadnezzar’s dream crisis.

4. Witness through trial
• Though recorded under the imposed name Meshach in chapter 3, Mishael’s steadfast refusal to bow to the image and his deliverance from the furnace form one of Scripture’s clearest displays of civil disobedience for the sake of exclusive worship.

Lessons for faith and ministry

• God’s holiness demands reverent obedience (Leviticus 10).
• Covenant identity must be guarded even when culture seeks to redefine it (Daniel 1).
• Corporate prayer can unlock divine revelation and deliver entire communities (Daniel 2).
• Courageous fidelity inspires witness across generations; Mishael’s example echoes through Hebrews 11-type faith narratives.

Historical reflections

From Sinai’s desert to Babylon’s court, the men named Mishael stand as bookends to Israel’s national account of exile and restoration. Whether serving quietly in Levitical duty or standing boldly before emperors, each bears out the truth embedded in his name: no power on earth can rival the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Forms and Transliterations

מִֽישָׁאֵ֧ל מישאל mî·šā·’êl mîšā’êl mishaEl

Englishman's Concordance

Daniel 2:17
HEB: אֲזַ֑ל וְ֠לַחֲנַנְיָה מִֽישָׁאֵ֧ל וַעֲזַרְיָ֛ה חַבְר֖וֹהִי
KJV: to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
INT: went Hananiah Mishael and Azariah his friends

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4333
1 Occurrence

mî·šā·’êl — 1 Occ.