Daniel 1:6-7

Daniel 1:6-7

[6] Now among these were of the children  of Judah,  Daniel,  Hananiah,  Mishael,  and Azariah:  [7] Unto whom the prince  of the eunuchs  gave  names:  for he gave  unto Daniel  the name of Belteshazzar;  and to Hananiah,  of Shadrach;  and to Mishael,  of Meshach;  and to Azariah,  of Abednego. 

What does Daniel 1:6-7 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Daniel"s name probably means "My judge is God." Hananiah means "Yahweh has shown grace," Mishael means "Who is what God is?" and Azariah means "Yahweh has helped." The new names assigned them all included or referred to various Babylonian gods: Bel and the Dragon , Aku, and Nego (a possible variant of Nebo). Belteshazzar means "Bel"s prince," Shadrach may mean "command of Aku," and Abednego most likely means "servant of Nebo."
"It seems the world always tries to blot out the distinctive marks of a believer ..." [1]
The practice of changing names was a way to express sovereign control over others. These new names would have also encouraged these youths to think of themselves as part of the culture in which they were living, rather than the culture from which they had come (cf. Genesis 41:45).
"Like Zerubbabel and Mordecai, the four can use their foreign names without worrying about them, perhaps on the same basis that Paul can eat meat sacrificed to idols-because the idol is really nothing." [2]
The fact that each of their Jewish names included some reference to the Lord may indicate that they had godly parents. Perhaps their early upbringing by godly parents is one reason they stood for God in Babylon.