Melzar מֶלְצָר
Babylonian official in charge of Daniel and his friends.
Biography
Melzar, also referred to as "the steward," was a Babylonian official appointed by Ashpenaz, the chief eunuch, to oversee Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Dan.1.11). He was responsible for providing them with their daily provisions and monitoring their well-being. When Daniel requested a diet of vegetables and water instead of the king's food and wine, Melzar initially hesitated, fearing for his own life if the young men's appearance suffered (Dan.1.11). However, he agreed to a ten-day test, and when Daniel and his friends appeared healthier than those who ate the king's food, Melzar allowed them to continue with their chosen diet (Dan.1.16).
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentDaniel 2 verses
- Daniel 1:11
"Then Daniel said to the steward whom the prince of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:"
Study Daniel → - Daniel 1:16
"So the steward took away their dainties, and the wine that they would drink, and gave them vegetables."
Study Daniel →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | מֶלְצָר | H4453 |
Melzar
ible:Dan.1.11">Da 1:11 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "the steward," margin "Hebrew: Hammelzar"). It has been suggested that the name is not the name of a person, but denotes the office of guardian, like the Babylonian maccaru. In this case the "l" would come by dissimulation from the first of the two "s" sounds, which on its side has come from an assimilated "n", the root being nacaru, "to protect" "to guard."
R. Dick Wilson
mam, mem "m" : The 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "m". It came also to be used for the number 40.
See ALPHABET, for name, etc.
m