Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the
burning
fiery furnace
He came so nigh before, as to see at a distance four persons
walking in it; now he comes nearer, as near as he could with
safety: and spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, ye servants of
the most high God;
he not only spake to them in a different tone than he did before;
not in wrath and fury, but mildly and gently, with great respect
unto them, and reverence of them; and not only calls them by the
names he and his courtiers had given them, but styles them the
servants of the most high God; he owns their God was a God above
his: the Chaldeans worshipped fire, but the God of the Jews had
power over that, and could restrain the force of it at pleasure;
and he acknowledges that these men were faithful worshippers of
him; who had in this wonderful manner appeared for them, and
thereby approved their faith and confidence in him, and their
service of him; see ( Acts 16:17 ) :
come forth, and come hither;
that is, come out of the furnace, and come to the place where I
and my nobles are: then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
came forth of the midst of the
fire;
as they had been cast into it by the king's order, therefore they
did not presume to go out of it without the same; nor were they
concerned about coming out; they had very agreeable and
delightful company, and had reason to say it was good for them to
be there; however, when they had the king's order, they
immediately obeyed it.