Abednego
Pronounced uh-BED-nee-go
- Meaning
- "Servant of Nego (a Babylonian god)"
- Origin
- Babylonian
Abednego was the Babylonian name given to Azariah, one of Daniel's three companions who refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. His Hebrew name Azariah means "the LORD has helped" — a far cry from the pagan name imposed on him. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the golden image, Nebuchadnezzar threatened them with the fiery furnace. Their response is one of the most powerful declarations of faith in Scripture: "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us... But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods." God did deliver them — a fourth figure appeared in the furnace, "like the Son of God." They emerged without even the smell of smoke on their clothes. Nebuchadnezzar then decreed that no one should speak against their God. Their story has inspired persecuted believers for millennia.
Spiritual meaning
Abednego's 'but if not' faith is the gold standard of devotion — trusting God's power while accepting His sovereignty. Their story proves that standing firm in faith, regardless of outcome, always results in God's glory.
Related verses (KJV)
"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods."
Daniel 3:17-18 (KJV) →"He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
Daniel 3:25 (KJV) →