The Aramaic word adargazar (H148) appears in Daniel 3:2-3 as a title for one of the official classes summoned to the dedication of Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. It is typically translated "judges" or "counselors" — officials who rendered legal decisions.
The word is a Persian loanword in Aramaic, reflecting the multi-cultural administrative vocabulary of the Babylonian empire. The KJV renders it "judges."
The list of officials in Daniel 3:2-3 — satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all other provincial officials — paints a vivid picture of imperial power mobilized to enforce religious conformity. Every tier of government was summoned to bow before Nebuchadnezzar's image.
Against this backdrop of total institutional pressure, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's refusal shines more brilliantly. Even when every earthly judge and counselor capitulated, these three men held their ground. Their witness embodies the principle: "We must obey God rather than human beings" (Acts 5:29).