Daniel 3:4

4 Then the herald proclaimed {aloud}, "To you {it is commanded}, O peoples, {nations and people of all languages},

Daniel 3:4 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 3:4

Then an herald cried aloud
That his voice might be heard all over the plain; or if it should be thought that one was not sufficient to be heard throughout, which probably was the case, and where; so great a number being assembled together, all could not hear one man, the singular may be put for the plural; and many being set in different places in the plain, and speaking different languages, might proclaim when the image was dedicated, as follows: to you it is commanded;
by the king's authority: O people, nations, and languages;
the several kingdoms, states, and provinces, that belonged to the Babylonian monarchy, and spoke different languages, as now represented by their several governors and officers; as the Armenians, Parthians, Medes, Persians

Daniel 3:4 In-Context

2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent [directions] to assemble the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all of the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king [had] set up.

3 Then the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the province [were] assembled for the dedication of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king [had] set up, and [were] standing {before} the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4 Then the herald proclaimed {aloud}, "To you {it is commanded}, O peoples, {nations and people of all languages},

5 [that] at the time that you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, [the] lyre, [the] trigon, [the] harp, [the] drum and all kinds of music, you must fall down and you must worship the statue of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king [has] set up.

6 And {whoever} does not fall down and worship will be thrown {immediately} into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire."

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "with power"
• [b]. Literally "they [are] saying"
• [c]. Literally "the nations and the languages"