Daniel 3:8-30

Worship of the Image Refused

8 For this reason * at that time certain ¹Chaldeans came forward and ²brought charges against the Jews.

9 They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: "³O king, live forever!

10 "You, O king, have ⁴made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to ⁵fall down and worship the golden image.

11 "But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.

12 "There are certain Jews whom you have ⁶appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded * * * you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up."

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in ⁷rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king.

14 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve ⁸my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?

15 "Now if you are ready, ⁹at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be ¹⁰cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and ¹¹what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?"

16 ¹²Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.

17 "If it be so, our ¹³God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and ¹⁴He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

18 "¹⁵But even if He does not, ¹⁶let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

Daniel's Friends Protected

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with ¹⁷wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than * it was usually heated.

20 He commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire.

21 Then these men were tied up in their ¹⁸trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

22 For this reason *, because * the king's command was ¹⁹urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.

23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, ²⁰fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, "Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king, "Certainly, O king."

25 He said, "Look! I see four men loosed and ²¹walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the ²²gods!"

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the ²³Most High God, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego ²⁴came out of the midst of the fire.

27 The ²⁵satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king's high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the ²⁶fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their ²⁷trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, "Blessed be the ²⁸God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has ²⁹sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their ³⁰trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as ³¹not to serve or worship any god except their own God.

29 "Therefore I ³²make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of ³³Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their ³⁴houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch * * as there is ³⁵no other god who is able to deliver in this way."

30 Then the king ³⁶caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.

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Daniel 3:8-30 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 36

1. Daniel 2:2, 10; Daniel 4:7
2. Ezra 4:12-16; Esther 3:8, 9; Daniel 6:12, 13
3. Daniel 2:4; Daniel 5:10; Daniel 6:6, 21
4. Esther 3:12-14; Daniel 3:4-6; Daniel 6:12
5. Dan 3:5, 7, 15
6. Daniel 2:49
7. Daniel 2:12; Daniel 3:19
8. Isaiah 46:1; Jeremiah 50:2; Daniel 3:1; Daniel 4:8
9. Daniel 3:5
10. Daniel 3:6
11. Exodus 5:2; Isaiah 36:18-20; Daniel 2:47
12. Daniel 1:7; Daniel 3:12
13. Job 5:19; Psalms 27:1, 2; Isaiah 26:3, 4; Jeremiah 1:8; Jeremiah 15:20, 21
14. 1 Samuel 17:37; Micah 7:7; 2 Corinthians 1:10
15. Joshua 24:15; 1 Kings 19:14, 18; Isaiah 51:12, 13; Daniel 3:28
16. Hebrews 11:25
17. Esther 7:7; Daniel 3:13
18. Daniel 3:27
19. Exodus 12:33; Daniel 2:15
20. Isaiah 43:2
21. Psalms 91:3-9; Isaiah 43:2
22. Jeremiah 1:8, 19; Jeremiah 15:21
23. Daniel 3:17; Daniel 4:2
24. Deuteronomy 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51; Jeremiah 11:4
25. Daniel 3:2, 3
26. Isaiah 43:2; Hebrews 11:34
27. Daniel 3:21
28. Daniel 2:47; Daniel 3:15-17
29. Psalms 34:7, 8; Isaiah 37:36; Daniel 3:25; Daniel 6:22; Acts 5:19; Acts 12:7
30. Psalms 22:4, 5; Psalms 40:4; Psalms 84:12; Isaiah 12:2; Isaiah 26:3, 4; Isaiah 50:10; Jeremiah 17:7
31. Daniel 3:16-18
32. Daniel 6:26
33. Daniel 1:7, 19; Daniel 2:17, 49; Daniel 3:12
34. Ezra 6:11; Daniel 2:5
35. Daniel 2:47; Daniel 3:15
36. Daniel 2:49; Daniel 3:12

Footnotes 17

[a]. Lit "ate the pieces of"
[b]. V 5, notes 1, 2, 3
[c]. V 5, notes 1, 2, 3
[d]. Or "in the same hour"
[e]. Or "If our God...is able"
[f]. Or "then"
[g]. Lit "and ordered to"
[h]. Or "leggings"
[i]. Or "cloaks"
[j]. Lit "word"
[k]. Or "harsh"
[l]. Lit "there is no injury in them"
[m]. Lit "power over"
[n]. Lit "their"
[o]. Or "cloaks"
[p]. Lit "changed"
[q]. Lit "and changed the king's word"