Abednego
/ˌæbˈɛd.nɪɡoʊ/noun
A biblical name for one of the three Jewish exiles who survived being cast into a fiery furnace in the Book of Daniel.
Did you know?In Daniel, Abednego was not his original Hebrew name: the Babylonian court renamed Azariah, binding him linguistically to its own religious world.
Etymological Timeline
2nd–1st Millennium BCE
Akkadian
Nabû
“Nabu, the Babylonian god associated with writing, wisdom, and scribal knowledge”
Biblical Aramaic
Aramaic
ʿAbed-Nəgô
“The form appearing in Daniel, traditionally understood as “servant of Nego/Nebo””
6th Century BCE
Aramaic
ʿAbed-Nebo
“Likely underlying form meaning “servant of Nebo”; the biblical spelling may reflect a deliberate or scribal alteration of the divine name”
4th–2nd Century BCE
Greek
Αβδεναγώ (Abdenagō)
“Greek transliteration of the name in the Septuagint tradition”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Abdenago
“Latin biblical form transmitted through Christian scripture and commentary”
Middle English
English
Abdenago / Abednego
“English forms of the biblical name”
Modern English
English
Abednego
“A personal name, especially known from the biblical furnace narrative”