Introduction:
Shadrach is a prominent figure in the Book of Daniel, known for his unwavering faith and courage in the face of persecution. He is one of the three Hebrew youths who, along with Meshach and Abednego, were taken into Babylonian captivity and served in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar. His account is a testament to the power of faith and God's deliverance.

Name and Identity:
Shadrach is the Babylonian name given to Hananiah, one of the young men from Judah. The name "Shadrach" is believed to be derived from a Babylonian deity, reflecting the practice of renaming captives to assimilate them into Babylonian culture. Despite this, Shadrach remained steadfast in his Hebrew faith.

Biblical Account:
The primary account of Shadrach is found in Daniel 3. King Nebuchadnezzar erected a massive golden statue and commanded all his subjects to worship it. Shadrach, along with Meshach and Abednego, refused to bow down to the idol, demonstrating their loyalty to the God of Israel. Their defiance is recorded in Daniel 3:16-18 : "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If the God we serve exists, then He is able to deliver us from the blazing fiery furnace and from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.'"

The Fiery Furnace:
In response to their refusal, Nebuchadnezzar ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be thrown into a blazing furnace. The furnace was heated seven times hotter than usual, and the flames were so intense that they killed the soldiers who cast the three men into it. However, God miraculously protected them. Daniel 3:24-25 describes the king's astonishment: "Then King Nebuchadnezzar leapt to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, 'Did we not throw three men, bound, into the fire?' 'Certainly, O king,' they replied. 'Look!' he exclaimed. 'I see four men, unbound and unharmed, walking around in the fire—and the fourth looks like a son of the gods!'"

Divine Deliverance:
The presence of the fourth figure, often interpreted as a theophany or an angelic being, signifies divine intervention. Shadrach and his companions emerged from the furnace unharmed, without even the smell of smoke on their clothes. This miraculous deliverance led Nebuchadnezzar to praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, acknowledging His power and issuing a decree that no one should speak against their God.

Legacy and Significance:
Shadrach's account is a powerful example of faith under trial. His refusal to compromise his beliefs, even under the threat of death, serves as an inspiration for believers to remain steadfast in their faith. The account underscores the theme of God's sovereignty and His ability to protect and deliver His faithful servants. Shadrach's legacy is one of courage, conviction, and the triumph of faith over idolatry.

Cultural and Historical Context:
The account of Shadrach takes place during the Babylonian exile, a period when the Jewish people were under foreign domination and faced pressure to assimilate into pagan culture. The narrative highlights the tension between maintaining religious identity and the demands of a dominant culture. Shadrach's faithfulness is a reminder of the importance of spiritual integrity and the assurance of God's presence in times of trial.Shadrach

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Shadrach

(royal , or the great scribe) the Hebrew, or rather Chaldee, name of Hananiah. The history of Shadrach or Hananiah, as told in Dani 1-3 is well known. After their deliverance from the furnace, we hear no more of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, except in (Hebrews 11:33,34) but there are repeated allusions to them in the later apocryphal books, and the martyrs of the Maccabaean period seem to have been much encouraged by their example.

Shadrach

A Chaldean name given to Ananias at the court of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 1:7. See ABED-NEGO.

Aku's command, the Chaldean name given to Hananiah, one of the Hebrew youths whom Nebuchadnezzar carried captive to Babylon (Dan. 1:6, 7; 3:12-30). He and his two companions refused to bow down before the image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up on the plains of Dura. Their conduct filled the king with the greatest fury, and he commanded them to be cast into the burning fiery furnace. Here, amid the fiery flames, they were miraculously preserved from harm. Over them the fire had no power, "neither was a hair of their head singed, neither had the smell of fire passed on them." Thus Nebuchadnezzar learned the greatness of the God of Israel. (see ABEDNEGO.) (n.) A mass of iron on which the operation of smelting has failed of its intended effect; -- so called from Shadrach, one of the three Hebrews who came forth unharmed from the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar. (See Dan. iii. 26, 27.)SHADRACH

sha'-drak: The Babylonian name of one of the so-called Hebrew children. Shadrach is probably the Sumerian form of the Bah Kudurru-Aki, "servant of Sin." It has been suggested by Meinhold that we should read Merodach instead of Shadrach. Since there were no vowels in the original Hebrew or Aramaic, and since "sh" and "m" as well as "r" and "d" are much alike in the old alphabet in which Daniel was written, this change is quite possible.

Shadrach and his two companions were trained along with Daniel at the court of Nebuchadnezzar, who had carried all four captive in the expedition against Jerusalem in the 3rd year of Jehoiakim (Daniel 1:1). They all refused to eat of the food provided by Ashpenaz, the master who had been set over them by the king, but preferred to eat pulse (Daniel 1:12). The effect was much to their advantage, as they appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than those who ate of the king's meat. At the end of the appointed time they passed satisfactory examinations, both as to their physical appearance and their intellectual acquirements, so that none were found like them among all with whom the king communed, and they stood before the king (see Daniel 1).

When Daniel heard that the wise men of Babylon were to be slain because they could not tell the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, after he had gained a respite from the king, he made the thing known to his three companions that they might unite with him in prayer to the God of heaven that they all might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. After God had heard their prayer and the dream was made known to the king by Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, at Daniel's request, set Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon (Daniel 2). With Meshach and Abed-nego, Shadrach was cast into a fiery furnace, but escaped unhurt (Daniel 3).

See ABED-NEGO; HANANIAH; SONG OF THE THREE CHILDREN.

R. Dick Wilson

7714. Shadrak -- Bab. name of one of Daniel's companions
... Shadrak. 7715 . Bab. name of one of Daniel's companions. Transliteration: Shadrak
Phonetic Spelling: (shad-rak') Short Definition: Shadrach. ... Shadrach. ...
/hebrew/7714.htm - 6k

7715. Shadrak -- Bab. name of one of Daniel's companions
... Shadrak. 7716 . Bab. name of one of Daniel's companions. Transliteration: Shadrak
Phonetic Spelling: (shad-rak') Short Definition: Shadrach. ... Shadrach. ...
/hebrew/7715.htm - 6k

The Test by Fire
... furnace. There are certain Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, whom you
have placed in charge of the province of Babylon. These ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the test by fire.htm

Harmless Fires
... THE BOOK OF DANIEL HARMLESS FIRES. 'Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and
fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/harmless fires.htm

The Story of the Fiery Furnace
... One of them, named Daniel, was to be called Belteshazzer; the other three
young men were called Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of the fiery.htm

The Fiery Furnace
... "O king, live forever," they exclaimed. "There are certain Jews whom thou hast set
over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 41 the fiery furnace.htm

The Prolonged Life of the Ancients, the Translation of Elijah and ...
... The prolonged life of the ancients, the translation of Elijah and of Enoch in their
own bodies, as well as the preservation of Jonah, of Shadrach, Meshach, and ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter v the prolonged life of.htm

The Four Captive Children.
... Among the rulers were the three friends of Daniel, whose names had been
changed by the king to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xxxi the four captive.htm

Three Names High on the Muster-Roll
... "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O
Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/three names high on the.htm

On Daniel. Iii. Scholia on Daniel.
... 16. "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered," etc. ... 93 (ie, 26). "And he said, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego." The three youths he thus called by name. ...
/.../the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/on daniel iii scholia on.htm

Letter A
... 1814, Died 1830 * Amer, William "Received 1832 * Amerman, Oliver V. "Received 1827 *
Ames, Edward R. "Received 1830 * Ames, Shadrach T. "Received 1834 ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bangs/an alphabetical list of m e preachers/letter a.htm

Daniel, the Praying Captive
... He classed Daniel and his three companions, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, with
these men, though there really was nothing in them in common with the two ...
/.../bounds/prayer and praying men/x daniel the praying captive.htm

Shadrach (14 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. (n.) A mass of iron on which the operation of smelting
has failed of its intended effect; -- so called from Shadrach, one of ...SHADRACH. ...
/s/shadrach.htm - 14k

Meshach (15 Occurrences)
... me'-shak (meshakh): Possibly the Sumerian form of the Babylonian Cil-Asharidu,
"the shadow of the prince," just as Shadrach probably means "the servant of Sin ...
/m/meshach.htm - 12k

Abed'nego (14 Occurrences)
... Daniel 1:7 and the chief of the eunuchs setteth names on them, and he setteth on
Daniel, Belteshazzar; and on Hananiah, Shadrach; and on Mishael, Meshach; and ...
/a/abed'nego.htm - 10k

Abednego (14 Occurrences)
... 2:49). With Shadrach and Meshach, he was delivered from the burning fiery furnace
(3:12-30). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ABED-NEGO. ...
/a/abednego.htm - 13k

Abed-nego (14 Occurrences)
... Daniel 1:7 And the prince of the eunuchs gave names unto them: unto Daniel he gave
the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of'shadrach; and to Mishael, of ...
/a/abed-nego.htm - 13k

Blazing (27 Occurrences)
... Daniel 3:20 He commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. ...
/b/blazing.htm - 14k

Nebuchadnez'zar (55 Occurrences)
... live! (See RSV). Daniel 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in anger and fury, hath
said to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Then ...
/n/nebuchadnez'zar.htm - 24k

Responded (35 Occurrences)
... Daniel 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar answered them, Is it on purpose, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, that you don't serve my god, nor worship the golden image which I ...
/r/responded.htm - 16k

Flaming (40 Occurrences)
... Daniel 3:20 And he gave orders to certain strong men in his army to put cords on
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and put them into the burning and flaming fire ...
/f/flaming.htm - 19k

Furnace (35 Occurrences)
... Daniel 3:19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was
changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spoke, and ...
/f/furnace.htm - 22k

What should we learn from the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Nebuchadnezzar? | GotQuestions.org

Where was Daniel when his three friends were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar's statue? | GotQuestions.org

Shadrach: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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