In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Daniel 1:1-2
The third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah marks the first of three sieges of the holy city by the Babylonians. After the Battle of Carchemish in 605 B.C., in which the allied armies of Egypt and Assyria were soundly destroyed by the Babylon forces, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, resulting in tribute being paid by King Jehoiakim.
ADONAI DELIVERED THE KING OF JUDAH INTO THE HAND OF HIS ENEMIES
Note that it was the Lord (Adonai) that delivered the king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
But in the seventh year the land is to have a Sabbath of rest, a Sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. Leviticus 25:4
Israel never observed this regulation. This act of disobedience, as well as, intermarriage, idol worship and other sins of the nation, resulted in the people being taken into captivity. The Lord used the sword of Babylon to punish the rebellious acts of his disobedient people.
Some of the articles from the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem were carried off to the treasure house in the temple of Nebuchadnezzar’s god in Babylon. The treasures of kingdoms were often deposited in a temple, to be under the protection of its god. It is also a statement by the conquering king that his god or gods are superior over the one worshipped by the defeated monarch.
The temple of Bel-Merodach in Babylon was a structure of great magnificence. Herodotus gives us a description of this temple: “In the midst of the sacred area is a strong tower built a stadium in length and breadth; upon this tower is another raised, and another upon it, till there are eight towers. There is a winding ascent made about all the towers. In the middle of the ascent there is a resting-place, where are seats on which those ascending may sit and rest. In the last tower is a spacious shrine, and in it a huge couch beautifully bespread, and by its side is placed a table of gold. No statue has been set up here, nor does any mortal pass the night here.”
It wasn’t that the gods of Babylon were superior to Yehovah the God of Israel, but because the people of Judah failed to listen to the prophets of Yehovah and repent, that the LORD delivered the king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.
YOUNG ISRAELITE MEN WERE SELECTED FOR SERVICE
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. Daniel 1:3-5
Ashpenaz was the chief of King Nebuchadnezzar’s eunuchs. His orders were to select young men from among the royal family and the nobles of Israel who were to be trained for three years in order to serve in King Nebuchadnezzar’s palace.
To qualify for service to the king, these young men had to be physically attractive, knowledgeable in many subject areas, and perceptive. They had to excel as students and have keen retentive minds. Not only did they have to become fluent in speaking the Chaldean language, but educated in Babylonian literature, history, and philosophy, mathematics, the knowledge of the stars as well as learn architecture and military skills.
They would be fed the same rich food and wine that the king himself was served, so that their bodies as well as their minds were well nourished.
DANIEL, HANANIAH, MISHAEL AND AZARIAH WERE CHOSEN
Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. Daniel 1:6-7
The Hebrew name Daniel means, “God is my judge.” The Hebrew names of Daniel's friends were Hananiah (חֲנַנְיָה), "Yah (Yahweh or Yehovah) is gracious", Mishael (מִישָׁאֵל), "Who is like God?" and Azariah (עֲזַרְיָה), "Yah has helped", but by the king’s decree they assigned Chaldean names, so that Hananiah became Shadrach, Mishael became Meshach and Azariah became Abednego.
THEY WERE GIVEN HEATHEN NAMES
The heathen names given to Daniel and his companions are not as easily interpreted as their Hebrew names, but probably they were given in a gesture to credit to the heathen gods of Babylon the victory over Israel and to further divorce these young men from their Hebrew background. Daniel is given the name of Belteshazzar, identical to Belshazzar and meaning “protect his life,”or preferably “May Bel protect his life” Bel was a god of Babylon.
Hananiah was given the name of Shadrach. This name may be a reference to the compound of Sudur, meaning “command,” and Aku, the moon-god. Therefore the name would mean “command of Aku.” Other translators believe the name Shadrach may be a perversion of Marduk, a principal god of Babylon. Mishael is given the name of Meshach. This probably was a contraction of Mi-sha-aku meaning, “who is what Aku (the moon-god) is?”
Babylon is modern day Iraq. Ancient Babylonians worshipped the moon-god. Modern day Iraqis worship Allah who is the moon-god.