Daniel 3:5

5 in the hour in which ye hear the sound of trump, and of pipe, and of harp, of sambuca, and of psaltery, and of symphony, and of all kind of musics, fall ye down, and worship the golden image which the king Nebuchadnezzar made. (at the time when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and zither, and lute, yea, of a symphony, and of all kinds of music, fall ye down, and worship the gold figure which King Nebuchadnezzar hath made.)

Daniel 3:5 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 3:5

That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet
So called of the horn of which it was made; a sort of trumpet; so the Jews had trumpets of rams' horns: flute;
or pipe, or whistle, so called for its hissing noise; it is used of the shepherd's pipe or whistle; see ( Zechariah 10:8 ) , harp;
an instrument of music used by David, and much in use among the Jews, and other nations; sackbut;
or "sambuca"; which, according to Athenaeus ^F7, was a four stringed instrument, an invention of the Syrians; and Strabo ^F8, a Greek writer, speaks of it as a barbarous name, as the eastern ones were reckoned by the Grecians: psaltery;
this seems to be a Greek word, as does the next that follows, rendered "dulcimer"; but in the original text is "symphonia"; which does not signify symphony, or a concert or consort of music, but a particular instrument of music. Maimonides ^F9 makes mention of it as a musical instrument, among others; Servius ^F11 calls it an oblique pipe; and Isidore ^F12 describes it a hollow piece of wood, with leather stretched upon it, and beat upon with rods or sticks, something like our drum: the king of Babylon might have Grecian musicians, or, however, Grecian instruments of music, in his court, as the Grecians had from the eastern nations: and all kinds of music;
that could be had or thought of; and this was done in honour to this idol, and to allure carnal sensual persons to the worship of it, according to the order given: ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king
hath set up;
when they heard the music sound, immediately they were to repair to the plain where the image stood, and pay their adoration to it; or to fall down prostrate in their own houses in honour of it; and perhaps persons were appointed in all cities and towns throughout the empire to play this music; at hearing which, all people, nations, and tongues, were to bow down, in token of their religious regard unto it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Deipnosoph. I. 4.
F8 Geograph. l. 10. p. 324.
F9 Hilchot Celim, c. 10. sect. 14.
F11 In Virgil. Aeneid. I. 11.
F12 Originum, l. 3. c. 21.

Daniel 3:5 In-Context

3 Then the wise men, magistrates, and judges, and dukes, and tyrants, (or strong men,) and best men, that were set in powers, and all the princes of countries, were gathered together, that they should come together to the hallowing of the image, which the king Nebuchadnezzar had raised [up]. Forsooth they stood in the sight of the image, which Nebuchadnezzar had set (up); (Then the wise men, and magistrates, and judges, and leaders, and strong men, and best men, who were set in power, and all the governors of the provinces, were gathered together, that they should all come together to the dedication of the figure, which King Nebuchadnezzar had raised up. And they stood before the figure, which Nebuchadnezzar had set up;)

4 and a beadle cried mightily, It is said to you, peoples, kindreds, and languages; (and a crier shouted out loudly, It is said to you, all the peoples, and nations, or tribes, of every language;)

5 in the hour in which ye hear the sound of trump, and of pipe, and of harp, of sambuca, and of psaltery, and of symphony, and of all kind of musics, fall ye down, and worship the golden image which the king Nebuchadnezzar made. (at the time when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and zither, and lute, yea, of a symphony, and of all kinds of music, fall ye down, and worship the gold figure which King Nebuchadnezzar hath made.)

6 Soothly if any man falleth not down, and worshippeth not, in the same hour he shall be sent into a furnace of fire burning. (Truly if anyone falleth not down, and worshippeth not, in that same hour he shall be sent into a furnace of burning fire.)

7 Therefore after these things, anon as all peoples heard the sound of trump, and of pipe, and of harp, of sambuca, and of psaltery, of symphony, and of all kind of musics, all peoples, lineages, and languages fell down, and worshipped the golden image which the king Nebuchadnezzar had made. (And so after these things, as soon as all the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and zither, and lute, yea, of a symphony, and of all kinds of music, all the peoples, and tribes, or nations, of every language, fell down, and worshipped the gold figure which King Nebuchadnezzar had made.)