Daniel 3:22-30

22 Because the king's order was 1urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up 2Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell 3bound into the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was 4astonished and rose up 5in haste. He declared to his 6counselors, "Did we not cast three men 7bound into the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king."
25 He answered and said, "But I see four men unbound, 8walking in the midst of the fire, and they 9are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like 10a son of the gods."
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, 11"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the 12Most High God, come out, and come here!" Then 13Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.
27 And the 14satraps, the prefects, the governors, and 15the king's counselors gathered together and saw that 16the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their 17cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, "Blessed be the God of 18Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who 19has sent his angel and 20delivered his servants, who 21trusted in him, and set aside[a] the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than 22serve and worship any god except their own God.
29 Therefore 23I make a decree: Any 24people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of 25Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego 26shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way."
30 Then the king promoted 27Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in 28the province of Babylon.

Daniel 3:22-30 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 3

In this chapter an account is given of a golden image made by Nebuchadnezzar; its size; and where placed, Da 3:1, a summons to all his princes, governors, and officers, to attend the dedication of it, Da 3:2,3, a proclamation commanding men of all nations to fall down and worship it, at hearing the sound of music, Da 3:4-7, an accusation of the Jews to the king, particularly Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, for not worshipping it, Da 3:8-12, the king's sending for them in rage, and threatening to cast them into a fiery furnace if they continued to disobey his will, Da 3:13-15, their answer, which showed an inflexible resolution at all events not to comply with it, Da 3:16-18 the king's order to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual, and cast them into it, which was executed; the consequence of which was, they that cast them in were destroyed through the vehement heat of the furnace, but the three Jews were unhurt, Da 3:19-23. Nebuchadnezzar's amazement at the sight of four persons, instead of three; and these loose, walking in the midst of the fire without hurt; and one of them like the Son of God, which he observed to his counsellors, Da 3:24,25, upon which he called to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, to come out of the furnace, which they did in the presence of his princes, governors, and officers, having received not the least harm in their persons or clothes, Da 3:26,27 and then the king, praising the God of the Jews, published an edict that none should speak against him on pain of death; and restored the three men to their former dignity, Da 3:28-30.

Cross References 28

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.