Lexical Definition
מִישָׁאֵל Mîyshâʼêl (mee-shaw-ale') Mishael N:N-M-P
from מִי and אֵל with the abbreviated form insep. relatively (see אֲשֶׁר) interposed; who (is) what God (is) ?
Mishael.
- § Mishael = "who is what God is"
- Mishael, the name of three Israelites
1) the godly friend of Daniel who Nebuchadnezzar renamed Meshach; one of the three friends who with Daniel refused to make themselves unclean by eating food from the king's table which went against the dietary laws which God had given the Jews; also one of the three who were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to a graven image of Nebuchadnezzar and who were saved by the angel of the Lord
2) a son of Uzziel and a cousin of Moses and Aaron
3) one of those who stood at the left hand of Ezra when he read the law to the people
Extended Information
- A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.22
- son of: Uzziel (עֻזִּיאֵל)
- brother of: Elizaphan (אֱלִיצָפָן), Sithri (סִתְרִי), Micah (מִיכָה) and Isshiah (יִשִּׁיָּה)
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Aramaic form: מִישָׁאֵל
מִישָׁאֵל proper name, masculine (Who is what God is ? Ass. form., compare ׃מְתוּשָׁאֵל note also in Thothmes' list of towns Bai-ti-š-°-ra, i.e probably בֵּיתְשָׁאֵל, Hebrew בֵּיתְאֵל WMMAs.Eur.193): —
1. a cousin of Moses Exod 6:22; Lev 10:4 (P).
2. one of Daniel's companions Dan 1:5; Dan 1:7; Dan 1:11; Dan 1:19 + Dan 2:17 (Aramaic), elsewhere in with 2-3 called מֵישַׁךְ (Dan 1:7).
3. Neh 8:4.
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| Exodus | 6:22 |
| Leviticus | 10:4 |
| Nehemiah | 8:4 |
| Daniel | 1:5 · 1:7 · 1:11 · 1:19 · 2:17 |
Profile
Male • Son of Uzziel • A Levite who helped remove the bodies of Nadab and Abihu.
Levite living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness
Mishael, a Levite and cousin of Aaron, assisted in removing the bodies of Nadab and Abihu after they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord.
- A man from the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.22;
- only referred to as Mishael מִישָׁאֵל;
- son of Uzziel עֻזִּיאֵל;
- a brother of Elizaphan אֱלִיצָפָן, Sithri סִתְרִי, Micah מִיכָה and Isshiah יִשִּׁיָּה.
Mishael was a Levite who lived during the time of Moses and the Exodus. He was the son of Uzziel, who was the brother of Amram, making Mishael a cousin of Aaron, the first high priest of Israel (Exodus 6:22).
Mishael is most notably mentioned in Leviticus 10:4, where he and his brother Elzaphan were instructed by Moses to remove the bodies of their cousins, Nadab and Abihu, from the sanctuary. Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, had offered unauthorized fire before the Lord and were consequently consumed by fire from God. Mishael and Elzaphan carried the bodies outside the camp, as commanded by Moses, using their tunics to avoid direct contact with the deceased.
This event highlights Mishael's obedience and his role in maintaining the sanctity of the tabernacle. As a Levite, he was responsible for assisting the priests in their duties and ensuring that the worship of God was conducted according to the divine instructions given to Moses.
All entries for Mishael: מִישָׁאֵל