3 1 The king setteth up a golden image. 8 Certain are accused because they despised the king’s commandment, and are put into a burning oven. 15 By belief in God they are delivered from the fire. 25 Nebuchadnezzar confesseth the power of God after the sight of the miracle.
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made [a]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 Babel.
2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent forth to gather together the nobles, the princes and the dukes, the judges, the receivers, the counselors, the officers, and all the governors of the provinces, that they should come to the [b]dedication of the image, which Nebuchadnezzar the [c]King had set up.
3 So the nobles, princes, and dukes, the judges, the receivers, the counselors, the officers, and all the governors of the provinces were assembled unto the dedicating of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the King had set up and they stood before the image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Then an herald cried aloud, Be it known to you, O people, [d]nations, and languages,
5 That when ye hear the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all instruments of music, ye fall down, and worship the golden image, that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up.
6 And whosoever falleth not down, and worshippeth, shall the same hour be cast into the midst of an hot fiery furnace.
7 Therefore as soon as all the people heard the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all instruments of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down, and worshipped the golden image, that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8 ¶ By reason whereof at that same time came men of the Chaldeans, and grievously accused the Jews.
9 For they spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O King, live forever.
10 Thou, O King, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all instruments of music, shall fall down, and worship the golden image.
11 And whosoever falleth not down, and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of an hot fiery furnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the charge of the province of Babel, [e]Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: these men, O King, have not regarded thy commandment, neither will they serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image that thou hast set up.
13 ¶ Then Nebuchadnezzar in his anger and wrath commanded that they should bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, so these men were brought before the king.
14 And Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said unto them, What disorder? will not you, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, serve my god, nor worship the golden image that I have set up?
15 [f]Now therefore are ye ready when ye hear the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all instruments of music, to fall down, and worship the image which I have made? for if ye worship it not, ye shall be cast immediately into the midst of an hot fiery furnace: for who is that God, that can deliver you out of mine hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the King, O Nebuchadnezzar, we [g]are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 Behold, our God whom we serve, is [h]able to deliver us from the hot fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19 ¶ Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of rage, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he charged and commanded that they should heat the furnace at once seven [i]times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 And he charged the most valiant men of war that were in his army, to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the hot fiery furnace.
21 So these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their cloaks, with their other garments, and cast into the midst of the hot fiery furnace.
22 Therefore, because the king’s commandment was strait, that the furnace should be exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that brought forth Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fell down bound into the midst of the hot fiery furnace.
24 ¶ Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? Who answered, and said unto him, It is true, O king.
25 And 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 [j]son of God.
26 Then the King Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the hot fiery furnace, and spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the servants of the high God, go forth and come hither: so Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego [k]came forth of the midst of the fire.
27 Then the nobles, princes, and dukes, and the king’s counselors came together to see these men, because the fire had no power over their bodies: for not an hair of their head was burnt, neither were their coats changed, nor any smell of fire came upon them.
28 Wherefore Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, [l]Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who hath sent his Angel, and delivered his servants, that put their trust in him, and have changed the king’s commandment, and yielded their bodies rather than they would serve or worship any god save their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree that every people, nation, and language, which speak any [m]blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be drawn in pieces, and their houses shall be made a jakes, because there is no god that can deliver after this sort.
30 Then the King promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babel.
31 Nebuchadnezzar king unto all people, nations and languages, that dwell in all the [n]world, Peace be multiplied unto you:
32 I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders, that the high God hath wrought toward me.
33 How great are his signs, and how mighty are his wonders! [o]his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
Footnotes
- Daniel 3:1 Under pretence of religion, and holiness in making an image to his idol Bel, he sought his own ambition and vain glory: and this declareth that he was not toucheth with the true fear of God before but that he confessed him on a sudden motion as the wicked when they are overcome with the greatness of his works. The Greek interpreters write, that this was done eighteen years after the dream, and as may appear, the King feared lest the Jews by their religion, should have altered the state of his commonwealth, and therefore he meant to bring all to one kind of religion, and so rather sought his own quietness than God’s glory.
- Daniel 3:2 Showing that the idol is not known for an idol so long as he is with workmen: but when the ceremonies and customs are recited and used, and the consent of the people is there, then of a block they think they have made a god.
- Daniel 3:2 This was sufficient with the wicked at all times to approve their religion, if the king’s authority were alleged for the establishment thereof, not considering in the mean season what God’s word did permit.
- Daniel 3:4 These are the two dangerous weapons, wherewith Satan used to fight against the children of God, the consent of the multitude, and the cruelty of the punishment: for though some feared God, yet the multitude, which consented to the wickedness, astonied them: and here the King required, not an inward consent, but an outward gesture, that the Jews might by little and little learn to forget their true religion.
- Daniel 3:12 It seemeth that they named not Daniel, because he was greatly in the king’s favor, thinking if these three had been destroyed, they might have had better occasion to accuse Daniel: and this declareth that this policy of erecting this image was invented by the malicious flatterers which sought nothing but the destruction of the Jews, whom they accused of rebellion and ingratitude.
- Daniel 3:15 Signifying that he would receive them to grace if they would now at the length obey his decree.
- Daniel 3:16 For they should have done injury to God, if they should have doubted in this holy cause, and therefore they say, that they are resolved to die for God’s cause.
- Daniel 3:17 They ground on two points, first on the power and providence of God over them, and secondly on their cause, which was God’s glory, and the testifying of his true religion with their blood, and so make open confession, that they will not so much as outwardly consent to idolatry.
- Daniel 3:19 This declareth that the more that tyrants rage, and the more witty they show themselves inventing strange and cruel punishments, the more is God glorified by his servants to whom he giveth patience and constancy to abide the cruelty of their punishment: for either by delivereth them from death, or else for this life giveth them a better.
- Daniel 3:25 For the Angels were called the sons of God, because of their excellency: therefore the king called this Angel whom God sent to comfort his in these great torments, the son of God.
- Daniel 3:26 This commendeth their obedience unto God, that they would not for any fear depart out of this furnace, till the time appointed, as Noah remained in the ark, till the Lord called him forth.
- Daniel 3:28 He was moved by the greatness of the miracle to praise God, but his heart was not touched. And here we see that miracles are not sufficient to convert men to God, but that doctrine most chiefly be adjoined, without the which there can be no faith.
- Daniel 3:29 If this heathen king moved by God’s Spirit would not see blasphemy unpunished, but made a law and set a punishment to such transgressors, much more ought all they that profess religion, take order that such impiety reign not, lest according as their knowledge and charge is greater, so they suffer double punishment.
- Daniel 3:31 Meaning, so far as his dominion extended.
- Daniel 3:33 Read Dan. 2:44.