Azariah
Singer in the Furnace
6th century BC
Also called Abednego — companion of Daniel who prayed and sang in the fiery furnace of Babylon.
“Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.” — Song of the Three 35Talk with Azariah
The story of Azariah
Azariah is one of the three young Jewish men taken to Babylon with Daniel. The Babylonians give him the name Abednego, and his friends Hananiah and Mishael are called Shadrach and Meshach.
When King Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden statue and orders everyone to bow down to it, the three refuse. They tell the king that their God is able to save them, and that even if He does not, they will not worship the statue. The furious king has them thrown into a blazing furnace, but they walk unharmed in the fire, and a fourth figure is seen with them.
Greek versions of Daniel, found in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles, add what was said inside the furnace: the Prayer of Azariah, a humble confession of the people's sins and a plea for mercy, followed by the Song of the Three Young Men, which calls all creation to bless the Lord. The king brings them out and praises their God.
Key passages
Daniel 1:1–20
Azariah and his friends are taken to Babylon and stay faithful to God's law.
Daniel 3:1–30
The golden statue, the refusal to bow, and the rescue from the fiery furnace.
Prayer of Azariah 1–22
Azariah's prayer of confession and trust inside the furnace (Daniel 3:24–45 in Catholic Bibles).
Song of the Three Young Men 29–68
The great song calling all creation to bless the Lord.
Key books
- Daniel
- Daniel (Greek additions)
Common questions
Is Azariah the same person as Abednego?
Yes. Azariah is his Hebrew name, and Abednego is the name the Babylonians gave him.
Where is the Prayer of Azariah found?
In the Greek additions to Daniel chapter 3, which are part of Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. Protestant Bibles place them in the Apocrypha.
Who was the fourth person in the fire?
Daniel 3 calls the figure one like a son of the gods, and the king later speaks of God's angel. Many Christians see a sign of God's presence with His people, and some see Christ.