You are strongly recommended to add to your library the excellent revised edition of Harper's Bible Dictionary titled, The Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, Revised Edition [book review], edited by Paul J. Achtemeier, with the Society of Biblical Literature (NY: Harper Collins, 1996). It is currently the best one-volume Bible dictionary in English, and it is available at Border's Books, Christian Science Reading Rooms, http://www.borders.com, or http://www.christianbook.com.

Meshach, the Babylonian name given to Mishael, one of Daniel’s three companions (Dan. 1:7). The etymology is uncertain, but a relation to Marduk, the god of Babylon has been suggested.

Mishael (Heb., ‘who is what El [God] is?’). 1 The son of Uzziel of the Kohathite clan of Levites (Exod. 6:22; Lev. 10:4). 2 One, probably a Levite, who stood with Ezra as he read the law (Neh. 8:4). 3 The Hebrew name of one of the young men taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzer along with Daniel; he was given the Babylonian name Meshach (Dan. 1:6-7; 2:17).