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Daniel 1-3

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Daniel 1

¹In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

²And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.

³Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring in some Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—

⁴young men without blemish, handsome, gifted in all wisdom, knowledgeable, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace—and to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

⁵The king assigned them daily provisions of the royal food and wine. They were to be trained for three years, after which they were to enter the king’s service.

⁶Among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

⁷The chief official gave them new names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

⁸But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.

⁹Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official,

¹⁰but he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age? You would endanger my head before the king!”

¹¹Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

¹²“Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given only vegetables to eat and water to drink.

¹³Then compare our appearances with those of the young men who are eating the royal food, and deal with your servants according to what you see.”

¹⁴So he consented to this and tested them for ten days.

¹⁵And at the end of ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than all the young men who were eating the king’s food.

¹⁶So the steward continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and he gave them vegetables instead.

¹⁷To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.

¹⁸Now at the end of the time specified by the king, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.

¹⁹And the king spoke with them, and among all the young men he found no one equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king’s service.

²⁰In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

²¹And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

Daniel 2

¹In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.

²So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,

³he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”

⁴Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

⁵The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble.

⁶But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”

⁷They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”

⁸The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time because you see that my word is final.

⁹If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one decree for you. You have conspired to speak before me false and fraudulent words, hoping the situation will change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can give me its interpretation.”

¹⁰The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer.

¹¹What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”

¹²This response made the king so angry and furious that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

¹³So the decree went out that the wise men were to be executed, and men went to look for Daniel and his friends to execute them.

¹⁴When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, went out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel responded with discretion and tact.

¹⁵“Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.

¹⁶So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation.

¹⁷Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

¹⁸urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

¹⁹During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven

²⁰and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

²¹He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

²²He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.

²³To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have made known to me what we have requested, for You have made known to us the dream of the king.”

²⁴Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.”

²⁵Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.”

²⁶The king responded to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me what I saw in the dream, as well as its interpretation?”

²⁷Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.

²⁸But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:

²⁹As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen.

³⁰And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.

³¹As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome.

³²The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,

³³its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay.

³⁴As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.

³⁵Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

³⁶This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.

³⁷You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.

³⁸Wherever the sons of men or beasts of the field or birds of the air dwell, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

³⁹But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth.

⁴⁰Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others.

⁴¹And just as you saw that the feet and toes were made partly of fired clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom, yet some of the strength of iron will be in it—just as you saw the iron mixed with clay.

⁴²And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.

⁴³As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.

⁴⁴In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.

⁴⁵And just as you saw a stone being cut out of the mountain without human hands, and it shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, so the great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

⁴⁶At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.

⁴⁷The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”

⁴⁸Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.

⁴⁹And at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.

Daniel 3

¹King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

²Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue he had set up.

³So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

⁴Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “O people of every nation and language, this is what you are commanded:

⁵As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

⁶And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”

⁷Therefore, as soon as all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and all kinds of music, the people of every nation and language would fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁸At this time some astrologers came forward and maliciously accused the Jews,

⁹saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, may you live forever!

¹⁰You, O king, have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the golden statue,

¹¹and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.

¹²But there are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who have ignored you, O king, and have refused to serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”

¹³Then Nebuchadnezzar, furious with rage, summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,

¹⁴and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden statue I have set up?

¹⁵Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I have made, very good. But if you refuse to worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing fiery furnace. Then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands?”

¹⁶Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

¹⁷If the God whom we serve exists, then He is able to deliver us from the blazing fiery furnace and from your hand, O king.

¹⁸But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”

¹⁹At this, Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual,

²⁰and he commanded some mighty men of valor in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing fiery furnace.

²¹So they were tied up, wearing robes, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and they were thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.

²²The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the fiery flames killed the men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

²³And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, firmly bound, fell into the blazing fiery furnace.

²⁴Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and asked his advisers, “Did we not throw three men, firmly bound, into the fire?” “Certainly, O king,” they replied.

²⁵“Look!” he exclaimed. “I see four men, unbound and unharmed, walking around in the fire—and the fourth looks like a son of the gods!”

²⁶Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing fiery furnace and called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire,

²⁷and when the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisers had gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men. Not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them.

²⁸Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

²⁹Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be cut into pieces and their houses reduced to rubble. For there is no other god who can deliver in this way.”

³⁰Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

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Daniel 3:1-30 Nebuchadnezzar's Idolatrous Image; Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abed-nego Are Delivered from the Furnace. Between the vision of Nebuchadnezzar in the second chapter and that of Daniel in the seventh, four narratives of Daniel's and his friends' personal history are introduced. As the second and seventh chapters go together, so the third and sixth chapters (the deliverance from the lions' den), and the fourth and fifth chapters. Of these last two pairs, the former shows God's nearness to save His saints when faithful to Him, at the very time they seem to be crushed by the world power. The second pair shows, in the case of the two kings of the first monarchy, how God can suddenly humble the world power in the height of its insolence. The latter advances from mere self-glorification, in the fourth chapter, to open opposition to God in the fifth. Nebuchadnezzar demands homage to be paid to his image (Da 3:1-6), and boasts of his power (Da 4:1-18). But Belshazzar goes further, blaspheming God by polluting His holy vessels. There is a similar progression in the conduct of God's people. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refuse positive homage to the image of the world power (Da 3:12); Daniel will not yield it even a negative homage, by omitting for a time the worship of God (Da 6:10). Jehovah's power manifested for the saints against the world in individual histories (the third through sixth chapters) is exhibited in the second and seventh chapters, in world-wide prophetical pictures; the former heightening the effect of the latter. The miracles wrought in behalf of Daniel and his friends were a manifestation of God's glory in Daniel's person, as the representative of the theocracy before the Babylonian king, who deemed himself almighty, at a time when God could not manifest it in His people as a body. They tended also to secure, by their impressive character, that respect for the covenant-people on the part of the heathen powers which issued in Cyrus' decree, not only restoring the Jews, but ascribing honor to the God of heaven, and commanding the building of the temple (Ezr 1:1-4) [Auberlen].

Daniel 3:1 Verse 1

image--Nebuchadnezzar's confession of God did not prevent him being a worshipper of idols, besides. Ancient idolaters thought that each nation had its own gods, and that, in addition to these, foreign gods might be worshipped. The Jewish religion was the only exclusive one that claimed all homage for Jehovah as the only true God. Men will in times of trouble confess God, if they are allowed to retain their favorite heart-idols. The image was that of Bel, the Babylonian tutelary god; or rather, Nebuchadnezzar himself, the personification and representative of the Babylonian empire, as suggested to him by the dream (Da 2:38), "Thou art this head of gold." The interval between the dream and the event here was about nineteen years. Nebuchadnezzar had just returned from finishing the Jewish and Syrian wars, the spoils of which would furnish the means of rearing such a colossal statue [Prideaux]. The colossal size makes it likely that the frame was wood, overlaid with gold. The "height," sixty cubits, is so out of proportion with the "breadth," exceeding it ten times, that it seems best to suppose the thickness from breast to back to be intended, which is exactly the right proportion of a well-formed man [Augustine, The City of God, 15.26]. Prideaux thinks the sixty cubits refer to the image and pedestal together, the image being twenty-seven cubits high, or forty feet, the pedestal thirty-three cubits, or fifty feet. Herodotus [1.183] confirms this by mentioning a similar image, forty feet high, in the temple of Belus at Babylon. It was not the same image, for the one here was on the plain of Dura, not in the city.

Daniel 3:2 Verse 2

princes--"satraps" of provinces [Gesenius]. captains--rulers, not exclusively military. sheriffs--men learned in the law, like the Arab mufti [Gesenius].

Daniel 3:3 Verse 3

stood before the image--in an attitude of devotion. Whatever the king approved of, they all approve of. There is no stability of principle in the ungodly.

Daniel 3:4 Verse 4

The arguments of the persecutor are in brief, Turn or burn.

Daniel 3:5 Verse 5

cornet--A wind instrument, like the French horn, is meant. flute--a pipe or pipes, not blown transversely as our "flute," but by mouthpieces at the end. sackbut--a triangular stringed instrument, having short strings, the sound being on a high sharp key. psaltery--a kind of harp. dulcimer--a bagpipe consisting of two pipes, thrust through a leathern bag, emitting a sweet plaintive sound. Chaldee sumponya, the modern Italian zampogna, Asiatic zambonja. fall down--that the recusants might be the more readily detected.

Daniel 3:6 Verse 6

No other nation but the Jews would feel this edict oppressive; for it did not prevent them worshipping their own gods besides. It was evidently aimed at the Jews by those jealous of their high position in the king's court, who therefore induced the king to pass an edict as to all recusants, representing such refusal of homage as an act of treason to Nebuchadnezzar as civil and religious "head" of the empire. So the edict under Darius (Da 6:7-9) was aimed against the Jews by those jealous of Daniel's influence. The literal image of Nebuchadnezzar is a typical prophecy of "the image of the beast," connected with mystical Babylon, in Re 13:14. The second mystical beast there causeth the earth, and them that dwell therein, to worship the first beast, and that as many as would not, should be killed (Re 13:12, 15). furnace--a common mode of punishment in Babylon (Jer 29:22). It is not necessary to suppose that the furnace was made for the occasion. Compare "brick-kiln," 2Sa 12:31. Any furnace for common purposes in the vicinity of Dura would serve. Chardin, in his travels (A.D. 1671-1677), mentions that in Persia, to terrify those who took advantage of scarcity to sell provisions at exorbitant prices, the cooks were roasted over a slow fire, and the bakers cast into a burning oven.

Daniel 3:7 Verse 7

None of the Jews seem to have been present, except the officers, summoned specially.

Daniel 3:8 Verse 8

accused the Jews--literally, "ate the rent limbs," or flesh of the Jews (compare Job 31:31; Ps 14:4; 27:2; Jer 10:25). Not probably in general, but as Da 3:12 states, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Why Daniel was not summoned does not appear. Probably he was in some distant part of the empire on state business, and the general summons (Da 3:2) had not time to reach him before the dedication. Also, the Jews' enemies found it more politic to begin by attacking Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who were nearer at hand, and had less influence, before they proceeded to attack Daniel.

Daniel 3:9 Verse 9

live for ever--A preface of flattery is closely akin to the cruelty that follows. So Ac 24:2, 3, &c., Tertullus in accusing Paul before Felix.

Daniel 3:12 Verse 12

serve not thy gods--not only not the golden image, but also not any of Nebuchadnezzar's gods.

Daniel 3:13 Verse 13

bring--Instead of commanding their immediate execution, as in the case of the Magi (Da 2:12), Providence inclined him to command the recusants to be brought before him, so that their noble "testimony" for God might be given before the world powers "against them" (Mt 10:18), to the edification of the Church in all ages.

Daniel 3:14 Verse 14

Is it true--rather, as the Margin [Theodotion], "Is it purposely that?" &c. Compare the Hebrew, Nu 35:20, 22. Notwithstanding his "fury," his past favor for them disposes him to give them the opportunity of excusing themselves on the ground that their disobedience had not been intentional; so he gives them another trial to see whether they would still worship the image.

Daniel 3:15 Verse 15

who is that God--so Sennacherib's taunt (2Ki 18:35), and Pharaoh's (Ex 5:2).

Daniel 3:16 Verse 16

not careful to answer thee--rather, "We have no need to answer thee"; thou art determined on thy side, and our mind is made up not to worship the image: there is therefore no use in our arguing as if we could be shaken from our principles. Hesitation, or parleying with sin, is fatal; unhesitating decision is the only safety, where the path of duty is clear (Mt 10:19, 28).

Daniel 3:17 Verse 17

If it be so--Vatablus translates, "Assuredly." English Version agrees better with the original. The sense is, If it be our lot to be cast into the furnace, our God (quoted from De 6:4) is able to deliver us (a reply to Nebuchadnezzar's challenge, "Who is that God that shall deliver you?"); and He will deliver us (either from death, or in death, 2Ti 4:17, 18). He will, we trust, literally deliver us, but certainly He will do so spiritually.

Daniel 3:18 Verse 18

But if not, &c.--connected with Da 3:18. "Whether our God deliver us, as He is able, or do not, we will not serve thy gods." Their service of God is not mercenary in its motive. Though He slay them, they will still trust in Him (Job 13:15). Their deliverance from sinful compliance was as great a miracle in the kingdom of grace, as that from the furnace was in the kingdom of nature. Their youth, and position as captives and friendless exiles, before the absolute world potentate and the horrid death awaiting them if they should persevere in their faith, all enhance the grace of God, which carried them through such an ordeal.

Daniel 3:19 Verse 19

visage ... changed--He had shown forbearance (Da 3:14, 15) as a favor to them, but now that they despise even his forbearance, anger "fills" him, and is betrayed in his whole countenance. seven times more than it was wont--literally, "than it was (ever) seen to be heated." Seven is the perfect number; that is, it was made as hot as possible. Passion overdoes and defeats its own end, for the hotter the fire, the sooner were they likely to be put out of pain.

Daniel 3:21 Verse 21

coats ... hosen ... hats--Herodotus [1.195] says that the Babylonian costume consisted of three parts: (1) wide, long pantaloons; (2) a woollen shirt; (3) an outer mantle with a girdle round it. So these are specified [Gesenius], "their pantaloons, inner tunics (hosen, or stockings, are not commonly worn in the East), and outer mantles." Their being cast in so hurriedly, with all their garments on, enhanced the miracle in that not even the smell of fire passed on their clothes, though of delicate, inflammable material.

Daniel 3:22 Verse 22

flame ... slew those men--(Da 6:24; Ps 7:16).

Daniel 3:23 Verse 23

fell down--not cast down; for those who brought the three youths to the furnace, perished by the flames themselves, and so could not cast them in. Here follows an addition in the Septuagint, Syrian, Arabic, and Vulgate versions. "The Prayer of Azarias," and "The Song of the Three Holy Children." It is not in the Chaldee. The hymn was sung throughout the whole Church in their liturgies, from the earliest times [Rufinus in Commentary on the Apostles Creed, and Athanasius]. The "astonishment" of Nebuchadnezzar in Da 3:24 is made an argument for its genuineness, as if it explained the cause of his astonishment, namely, "they walked in the midst of the fire praising God, but the angel of the Lord came down into the oven" (vs. 1 and vs. 27 of the Apocryphal addition). But Da 3:25 of English Version explains his astonishment, without need of any addition.

Daniel 3:24 Verse 24

True, O king--God extorted this confession from His enemies' own mouths.

Daniel 3:25 Verse 25

four--whereas but three had been cast in. loose--whereas they had been cast in "bound." Nebuchadnezzar's question, in Da 3:24, is as if he can scarcely trust his own memory as to a fact so recent, now that he sees through an aperture in the furnace what seems to contradict it. walking in ... midst of ... fire--image of the godly unhurt, and at large (Joh 8:36), "in the midst of trouble" (Ps 138:7; compare Ps 23:3, 4). They walked up and down in the fire, not leaving it, but waiting for God's time to bring them out, just as Jesus waited in the tomb as God's prisoner, till God should let Him out (Ac 2:26, 27). So Paul (2Co 12:8, 9). So Noah waited in the ark, after the flood, till God brought him forth (Ge 8:12-18). like the Son of God--Unconsciously, like Saul, Caiaphas (Joh 11:49-52), and Pilate, he is made to utter divine truths. "Son of God" in his mouth means only an "angel" from heaven, as Da 3:28 proves. Compare Job 1:6; 38:7; Ps 34:7, 8; and the probably heathen centurion's exclamation (Mt 27:54). The Chaldeans believed in families of gods: Bel, the supreme god, accompanied by the goddess Mylitta, being the father of the gods; thus the expression he meant: one sprung from and sent by the gods. Really it was the "messenger of the covenant," who herein gave a prelude to His incarnation.

Daniel 3:26 Verse 26

the most high God--He acknowledges Jehovah to be supreme above other gods (not that he ceased to believe in these); so he returns to his original confession, "your God is a God of gods" (Da 2:47), from which he had swerved in the interim, perhaps intoxicated by his success in taking Jerusalem, whose God he therefore thought unable to defend it.

Daniel 3:27 Verse 27

nor ... an hair--(Lu 12:7; 21:18). fire had no power--fulfilling Isa 43:2; compare Heb 11:34. God alone is a "consuming fire" (Heb 12:29). nor ... smell of fire--compare spiritually, 1Th 5:22.

Daniel 3:28 Verse 28

In giving some better traits in Nebuchadnezzar's character, Daniel agrees with Jer 39:11; 42:12. changed the king's word--have made the king's attempt to coerce into obedience vain. Have set aside his word (so "alter ... word," Ezr 6:11) from regard to God. Nebuchadnezzar now admits that God's law should be obeyed, rather than his (Ac 5:29). yielded ... bodies--namely, to the fire. not serve--by sacrificing. nor worship--by prostration of the body. Decision for God at last gains the respect even of the worldly (Pr 16:7).

Daniel 3:29 Verse 29

This decree promulgated throughout the vast empire of Nebuchadnezzar must have tended much to keep the Jews from idolatry in the captivity and thenceforth (Ps 76:10).

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Nebuchadnezzar In the Babylonian orthography Nabu-kudur-uzur, which means "Nebo, protect the… Belteshazzar Beltis protect the king!, the Chaldee name given to Daniel… Sovereignty Of God, his absolute right to do all things according… Astrologer (Dan. 1:20; 2:2, 10, 27, etc.) Heb. ashshaph', an enchanter,… Threshing See [633]AGRICULTURE. Magicians Heb. hartumim, (dan. 1:20) were sacred scribes who acted as… Jehoiakim He whom Jehovah has set up, the second son of… Jerusalem Called also Salem, Ariel, Jebus, the "city of God," the… Abednego Servant of Nego=Nebo, the Chaldee name given to Azariah, one… Ashpenaz The master of the eunuchs of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 1:3), the… Hananiah Jehovah has given. (1.) A chief of the tribe of… Treasury (Matt. 27:6; Mark 12:41; John 8:20). It does not appear… Offering An oblation, dedicated to God. Thus Cain consecrated to God… Darkness The plague (the ninth) of darkness in Egypt (Ex. 10:21)… Shadrach Aku's command, the Chaldean name given to Hananiah, one of… Wise men Mentioned in Dan. 2:12 included three classes, (1) astrologers, (2)… Mishael Who is like God! (1.) A Levite; the eldest of… Mystery The calling of the Gentiles into the Christian Church, so…

Daniel 1-3

Daniel 1

Daniel 2

Daniel 3

Study and Reflection

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary

Key Words and Topics

Key Words in This Passage

Related Topics

Abed-Nego: Also Called Azariah: A Jewish Captive in Babylon Daniel 1:6–20

Abstemiousness: Daniel and his Hebrew Companions Daniel 1:8–16

All Christians should be As Missionaries: Shadrach Daniel 3:16–18

Angel (A Spirit): Appearances of To Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the Fiery Furnace Daniel 3:25, 28

Anger: Nebuchadnezzar, on Account of the Insubordination of the Three Hebrews, Who Refused to Worship his Idol Daniel 3:13, 19

Anger: Sinful: Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 3:13

Appetite: Kept in Subjection Daniel 1:8–16

Arioch: Captain of Nebuchadnezzars Guard Daniel 2:14, 15, 24, 25

Ashpenaz: A Prince in Nebuchadnezzars Court Daniel 1:3

Astrology: General Scriptures Concerning Daniel 1:20

Azariah: Hebrew Name of Abed-Nego Daniel 1:7, 19

Babylon was Called: Land of Shinar Daniel 1:2

Babylon: Babylon the Chief Province of Daniel 3:1

Babylon: City of Prophecies Concerning Daniel 2:21–38

Babylon: Composed of Many Nations Daniel 3:4

Babylon: Empire of Called Land of Shinar Daniel 1:2

Babylon: Empire of Divisions of Daniel 3:1

Babylon: Empire of Extent of, at the Time of Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 2:37, 38

Babylon: Empire of Tyrannical Daniel 3:1

Babylon: Inhabitants of Addicted to Magic Daniel 2:1, 2

Babylon: Inhabitants of Idolatrous Daniel 3:18

Babylon: Languages Spoken In Daniel 1:4

Babylon: Presidents Placed Over Daniel 2:48

Babylon: Represented by a Head of Gold Daniel 2:32, 37, 38

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