Daniel3

English Standard Version

TranslationKJV WEB ASV ESV NIV NASB NKJV NLT

¹ an of , whose was and its . He set it on the of , in the of .

²Then to the , the , and the , the , the , the , the , and the of the to to the of the that had .

³ the , the , and the , the , the , the , the , and the of the for the of the that had . And they the that had .

⁴And the , You are , O , , and ,

⁵ you the of the , , , , , , of , you are to and the that has .

⁶And does and shall a .

⁷ , the the of the , , , , , bagpipe, and every of , the , , and and the that had .

⁸ and the .

⁹They to , O , !

¹⁰ , O , have a , who the of the , , , , , , of , shall and the .

¹¹And does and shall a .

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¹³ in that , , and be . they the .

¹⁴ and to them, Is it , O , , and , do my the that I have ?

¹⁵ you the of the , , , , , , of , to and the that I have , well and good. But you do , you shall be a . is the will of my ?

¹⁶ , , and and to the , O , have to you .

¹⁷ this be so, our to us the , and he will of your , O .

¹⁸But , to you, O , that your the that you have .

¹⁹ was with , and the of his was , , and . He the it was .

²⁰And he of the of his to , , and , and to them into the .

²¹ were in their , their , their , and their , and they .

²² the was and the , the of the , , and .

²³ , , , and , the .

²⁴ was and rose in . He to his , Did we the ? They and to the , , O .

²⁵He and , , in the of the , and ; and the of the a of the .

²⁶ to the of the ; he , , , and , of the , , and ! , , and the .

²⁷And the , the , the , and the and that the had had any over the . The of their was , their were , and of had come .

²⁸ and , be the of , , and , who has his and his , him, and the , and their their own .

²⁹ I a : , , or that the of , , and shall be limb from , and their in , there is to this .

³⁰ the , , and in the of .

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Daniel 3.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. (1-7). Shadrach and his companions refuse to worship it. (8-18). They are cast into a furnace, but are miraculously preserved. (19-27). Nebuchadnezzar gives glory to Jehovah. (28-30).

vv1-7

In the height of the image, about thirty yards, probably is included a pedestal, and most likely it was only covered with plates of gold, not a solid mass of that precious metal. Pride and bigotry cause men to require their subjects to follow their religion, whether right or wrong, and when worldly interest allures, and punishment overawes, few refuse. This is easy to the careless, the sensual, and the infidel, who are the greatest number; and most will go their ways. There is nothing so bad which the careless world will not be drawn to by a concert of music, or driven to by a fiery furnace. By such methods, false worship has been set up and maintained.

vv8-18

True devotion calms the spirit, quiets and softens it, but superstition and devotion to false gods inflame men's passions. The matter is put into a little compass, Turn, or burn. Proud men are still ready to say, as Nebuchadnezzar, Who is the Lord, that I should fear his power? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not hesitate whether they should comply or not. Life or death were not to be considered. Those that would avoid sin, must not parley with temptation when that to which we are allured or affrighted is manifestly evil. Stand not to pause about it, but say, as Christ did, Get thee behind me, Satan. They did not contrive an evasive answer, when a direct answer was expected. Those who make their duty their main care, need not be anxious or fearful concerning the event. The faithful servants of God find him able to control and overrule all the powers armed against them. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst. If He be for us, we need not fear what man can do unto us. God will deliver us, either from death or in death. They must obey God rather than man; they must rather suffer than sin; and must not do evil that good may come. Therefore none of these things moved them. The saving them from sinful compliance, was as great a miracle in the kingdom of grace, as the saving them out of the fiery furnace was in the kingdom of nature. Fear of man and love of the world, especially want of faith, make men yield to temptation, while a firm persuasion of the truth will deliver them from denying Christ, or being ashamed of him. We are to be meek in our replies, but we must be decided that we will obey God rather than man.

vv19-27

Let Nebuchadnezzar heat his furnace as hot as he can, a few minutes will finish the torment of those cast into it; but hell-fire tortures, and yet does not kill. Those who worshipped the beast and his image, have no rest, no pause, no moment free from pain, Rev. 14:10,11. Now was fulfilled in the letter that great promise, 2, When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned. Leaving it to that God who preserved them in the fire, to bring them out, they walked up and down in the midst, supported and encouraged by the presence of the Son of God. Those who suffer for Christ, have his presence in their sufferings, even in the fiery furnace, and in the valley of the shadow of death. Nebuchadnezzar owns them for servants of the most high God; a God able to deliver them out of his hand. It is our God only is the consuming fire, Heb. 12:29. Could we but see into the eternal world, we should behold the persecuted believer safe from the malice of his foes, while they are exposed to the wrath of God, and tormented in unquenchable fires.