Daniel Chapter Three

“Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.”

Daniel 3:1

“Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold,”

 “whose height was threescore cubits”

• Threescore cubits is about 103 ft

“breadth thereof six cubits:”

• Six cubits is about 10 ft
• Some suggest that this image is out of proportion (103 to 10) since a human body ratio of height to width is closer to 5 to 1, however, this measurement probably included the base that it stood upon

 “set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.”

• This image was erected in the province of Babylon
  
  

Daniel 3:2

“Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.”

Daniel 3:2

“the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers”

• Princes: or satraps, these were officials in charge of the largest divisions of the empire (satrapies)
• Governors: or prefects, these officials ruled over provinces (divisions of the satrapies)

 “the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers”

• Captains: similar to governors
• Judges: similar to counselors
• Treasurers: financial officials
• Counsellors: means “lawbearer”
• Sheriffs: police officers
• Rulers : all of the lower officials

Daniel 3:3

“Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.”

Daniel 3:3

“were gathered together unto the dedication of the image”

• All of the kingdom’s officials were required to be there
• Note: Daniel is not present, he may have been sent away by the king because the king knew that this image was incorrect!

Daniel 3:4

“Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,”

Daniel 3:4

“Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,”

• This command would include all peoples and nations and languages
  
  

Daniel 3:5

“That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:”

Daniel 3:5

“cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer,”

• Cornet: a wind instrument
• Flute: or pipe, also a wind instrument
• Harp: or zither, a stringed instrument
• Sackbut: possibly similar to a trombone
• Psaltery: a triangular stringed instrument
• Dulcimer: a bagpipe

 “ye fall down and worship the golden image”          

• This is the first mention of the requirement to worship this image
• Worship of this image made by the king would be evidence of his power
• Worship of this image would suggest its power over other gods or God Himself

Daniel 3:6

“And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

Daniel 3:6

“And whoso falleth not down”

• The king must have suspected that some would not obey since he made such a significant penalty
• Any true Israelite would be forced to disobey (Ex. 20:5)

 “cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

• This furnace was probably a brick kiln used to harden bricks
• These kilns were cone shaped, made of bricks, and used crude oil and chaff for fuel
  
  

Daniel 3:7

“Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.”

Daniel 3:7

“all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped”

• When the music began everyone fell down and worshipped the image except certain Jews

Daniel 3:8

”Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.”

Daniel 3:8

“certain Chaldeans”

• These were the magician-scientists who were probably jealous of the successful Jewish captives

“accused the Jews.”

• Accused: Literally “ate the pieces of”
  (attacked verbally)

Daniel 3:9

“They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.”

Daniel 3:9

“O king, live for ever.”

• The Babylonian phrase is like this: “May Nabu and Marduk give long days and everlasting years to the king my lord”
  
  

Daniel 3:10

“Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:”

Daniel 3:10

“Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man”

• The Chaldeans are now pointing out that the kings own law is not being followed

Daniel 3:11

“And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

Daniel 3:11

“should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

• They are reminding the king of his own rules
  
  

Daniel 3:12

“There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

Daniel 3:12

“thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon,”

• This is clearly connected to the prior chapter (Dan.2:49)

“have not regarded thee:”

• They are disloyal even though you promoted them

 “they serve not thy gods,”

• They are not Babylonians and serve another God and therefore cannot be trusted

“nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

• They refuse to worship your golden image!
  
  

Daniel 3:13

“Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.”

Daniel 3:13

“Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury”

• The Chaldeans words worked!
• They had made the king as furious as they probably could of hoped for

“they brought these men before the king.”

• The three captive Jews who were also rulers in the Babylonian province were now brought before the king
   

Daniel 3:14

“Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?”

Daniel 3:14

“Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods,”

• The Chaldeans accusations had clearly affected the king
• His first question was whether they served his gods

“nor worship the golden image which I have set up?”

• His second question was whether they worshipped his golden image
  
  

Daniel 3:15

“Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?”

Daniel 3:15

“ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well:”

• Now the king gives them one more chance, which suggests that he valued these three captives

“but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace”

• The punishment will be death

 “who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?”

• The king is challenging God!
• The king’s own experience would support his conclusion that his gods were not able to do this, so why should Jehovah be able to do this
• The implication was that Jehovah was no stronger than his gods 

Daniel 3:16

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.”

Daniel 3:16

“we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.”

• “careful”: Aramaic: chashach
  meaning “to make defense” or “to answer in a legal sense”
• They did not need to defend themselves because they did not deny the charge
• RSV “we have no need to answer you in this matter”
• This was not arrogance but simple truth, they did not deny the truth of the accusation

Daniel 3:17

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.”

Daniel 3:17

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us”

• There are two ways to look at this “if”:
• If God is able or capable or
• If God is willing
• The faith and actions and statements of the 3 captives suggests that they knew He was able but did not know whether it was His will to save them

“he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.”

• They had no doubt in God’s power to save them but only doubt in whether it was His will but they moved ahead anyway because they trusted Him

Daniel 3:18

“But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

Daniel 3:18

“But if not”

• God can save us but even if He chooses not to
• This shows that they knew He could but were not sure He would!

“we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image”

• This shows absolute trust and faith in God
• Faith greater than the fear of death

Daniel 3:19

“Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.”

Daniel 3:19

“Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed”

• The king now was enraged
• Rage leads to physical changes (his visage)
• This rage was directed at his three captives

“heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.”

• The furnace was probably fueled with crude oil and chaff
• This increase in heat would not have increased the torture of the victims
• This increase was intended to prevent any possible intervention by God (EGW, Supplements on Daniel)

Daniel 3:20

“And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.”

Daniel 3:20

“And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind”

• “most mighty men”:  better “some strong men”
• He probably chose military men because of his concern that the gods might intervene

Daniel 3:21

“Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”

Daniel 3:21

“bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments,”

• The clothes here described were all very flammable
• Hosen refers to trousers (Old English)

“cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”

• The three captives were thrown “into the midst” (probably the hottest part)
   

Daniel 3:22

“Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.”

Daniel 3:22

“the fire slew those men”

• Apparently the fire was so hot that it slew the men who threw them in
• The urgency of the order may not have allowed the men to protect themselves

Daniel 3:23

“And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace”

Daniel 3:23

“fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”

• They were thrown in “bound”
• These bonds were soon to be loosed

“fiery furnace”

• Following this verse the LXX adds an Apocryphal addition of 68 verses
  called “The Song of the Three Holy Children” which is today found in the Catholic Bibles
• This song was probably written in about 100 B.C.

Daniel 3:24

“Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.”

Daniel 3:24

“Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste,”

• The king was present for this execution
• The king suddenly was amazed at what he saw
• The king could not remain seated!

“Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”

• The king asks how many were thrown into the fire

 “They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.”

• The counsellors agreed with the king that only three were thrown into the fire
  
  

Daniel 3:25

“He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

Daniel 3:25

“Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt;”

• The king now sees four men walking in the fire, instead of three!
• He also notes that they are not “hurt” by his fire

“like the Son of God.”

• Aramaic: elahin
  meaning either “like a son of the gods” or “like the Son of God” Daniel uses this term in Daniel 5:11.14 to apply to the true God suggesting that “Son of God” is appropriate here

Daniel 3:26

“Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.”

Daniel 3:26

“Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake,”

• The king now comes for a closer look
• He confirms that they are alive and tells them to come out
• He still thinks he is in charge! 

 “servants of the most high God”

• The king now admits that their God is the highest
• This does not mean that he thinks their God is the only true God
• Ancient religions believed that there were many gods including a chief god (example. Zeus)

Daniel 3:27

“And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.”

Daniel 3:27

“And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men,”

• All of these officials were witnesses to this miracle
• This statement helps authenticate the story that these men were alive

“upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.”

• Not only were they alive, but their clothes were not affected at all by the fire
• The fire had no power over them, it could not even cast an odor on them!
  
  

Daniel 3:28

“Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.”

Daniel 3:28

“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,”

• The king now reverses his prior opinion of The Hebrew God
• The king blesses the Hebrew God

“who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him,”

• The king recognizes that God has intervened and saved His servants because they trusted in Him 

 “have changed the king's word,”

• The king recognized that their God had overruled the king

“that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.”

• The king recognizes that these servants of God will not serve any other god ever
  
  

Daniel 3:29

“Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.”

Daniel 3:29

“Therefore I make a decree,”

• The king now elevates the name of the Hebrew God throughout his kingdom
• This will cause widespread knowledge of the true God

“shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.”

• However, this is not God’s way of gaining followers
• The true God does not force men to follow Him

Daniel 3:30

“Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.”

Daniel 3:30

“the king promoted”

• The word promoted can also mean “to cause to prosper”
• The plans of the Chaldeans to eliminate these men failed
• God turned evil into good

Summary

• Daniel chapter three  tells the story of three captives who choose God over everything
• King Nebuchadnezzar decides to build an image entirely of gold in an attempt to change the future that he had been shown
• He wants his kingdom to last forever
• The king requires everyone to worship this image: in the last days another image will be worshipped (image of the beast)
• Three Hebrew captives refuse to worship this image at the risk of their lives: in the last days a death penalty will occur if you fail to worship the beast or its image
• The three Hebrew captives are thrown into the burning fire but Jesus is there to walk with them: in the last days God’s people will be persecuted but Jesus will walk with them
• The witness of the three captives would affect the whole world: in the last days God’s people’s witness will affect the whole world
• The three Hebrew witnesses were rewarded once they passed through the fire: in the last days God’s people will also be rewarded after they pass through their own fire