The Story of Daniel

Chapter 3

Nebuchadnezzar dedicates a golden image in Dura, 1-7. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are accused of not worshiping the image, 8-12. They, being threatened, make a good confession, 13-18. They are cast into the furnace, 19-23, from which God delivers them, 24-27. Nebuchadnezzar, seeing the miracle, blesses God and advances them, 28-30.

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to convene the princes, the governors, the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the princes, the governors, the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up, and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then a herald cried aloud, "To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 5 That at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6 And whoever shall not fall down and worship shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." 7 Therefore, at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

8 Therefore, at that time some Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever. 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever shall not fall down and worship, he shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have not regarded you. They do not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up."

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said to them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do you not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is that God who shall deliver you out of my hands?"

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If it is so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, may it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up."

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Therefore, he spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was accustomed to be heated. 20 And he commanded the most mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their pants, their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king's commandment was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, rose up in haste, and spoke, and said to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." 25 He answered and said, "Behold, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt. And the form of the fourth is like the son of God." 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, servants of the most high God, come forth, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth from the midst of the fire. 27 And the princes, governors, captains, and the king's counselors assembled and saw that the fire had no power over the bodies of these men. The hair of their head was not singed, neither were their coats changed, nor had the smell of fire passed upon them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke, and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. And they have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies so that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore, I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other god who can deliver after this sort." 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon.

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - Daniel, Chapter 3[➚]

Notes

John Gill's Chapter Summary:

In this chapter an account is given of a golden image made by Nebuchadnezzar, its size, and where placed (Daniel 3:1); a summons to all his princes, governors, and officers to attend the dedication of it (Daniel 3:2-3); a proclamation commanding men of all nations to fall down and worship it at hearing the sound of music (Daniel 3:4-7); an accusation of the Jews to the king, particularly Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, for not worshiping it (Daniel 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 (Daniel 3:13-15); their answer, which showed an inflexible resolution at all events not to comply with it (Daniel 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 that those who cast them in were destroyed through the vehement heat of the furnace, but the three Jews were unhurt (Daniel 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 counselors (Daniel 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 (Daniel 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 (Daniel 3:28-30).

[v.23-24] - Between these two verses, the Septuagint contains apocryphal text known as the Prayer of Azariah, or the Song of the Three Children. You can read the text of the prayer in this article.

[v.28] - "changed" - From John Gill's Exposition: "Made it null and void, refused to obey it, knowing it was their duty to obey God rather than man; so that the king was forced to change his word, and, instead of obliging them to worship his image, blesses their God."

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