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Texts -- Daniel 3:1-17 (NET)

Context
Daniel’s Friends Are Tested
3:1 King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden statue made . It was ninety feet tall and nine feet wide . He erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon . 3:2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent out a summons to assemble the satraps , prefects , governors , counselors , treasurers , judges , magistrates , and all the other authorities of the province to attend the dedication of the statue that he had erected . 3:3 So the satraps , prefects , governors , counselors , treasurers , judges , magistrates , and all the other provincial authorities assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected . They were standing in front of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected . 3:4 Then the herald made a loud proclamation: “To you, O peoples , nations , and language groups , the following command is given: 3:5 When you hear the sound of the horn , flute , zither , trigon , harp , pipes , and all kinds of music , you must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has erected . 3:6 Whoever does not bow down and pay homage will immediately be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire !” 3:7 Therefore when they all heard the sound of the horn , flute , zither , trigon , harp , pipes, and all kinds of music , all the peoples , nations , and language groups began bowing down and paying homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected . 3:8 Now at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought malicious accusations against the Jews . 3:9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar , “O king , live forever ! 3:10 You have issued an edict , O king , that everyone must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue when they hear the sound of the horn , flute , zither , trigon , harp , pipes , and all kinds of music . 3:11 And whoever does not bow down and pay homage must be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire . 3:12 But there are Jewish men whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon – Shadrach , Meshach , and Abednego – and these men have not shown proper respect to you, O king . They don’t serve your gods and they don’t pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected .” 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage demanded that they bring Shadrach , Meshach , and Abednego before him. So they brought them before the king . 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true , Shadrach , Meshach , and Abednego , that you don’t serve my gods and that you don’t pay homage to the golden statue that I erected ? 3:15 Now if you are ready , when you hear the sound of the horn , flute , zither , trigon , harp , pipes , and all kinds of music , you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made . If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire . Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power ?” 3:16 Shadrach , Meshach , and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar , “We do not need to give you a reply concerning this . 3:17 If our God whom we are serving exists , he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire , and he will rescue us, O king , from your power as well.

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Nebuchadnezzar

    [ebd] in the Babylonian orthography Nabu-kudur-uzur, which means "Nebo, protect the crown!" or the "frontiers." In an inscription he styles himself "Nebo's favourite." He was the son and successor of Nabopolassar, who delivered Ba...
    [nave] NEBUCHADNEZZAR, called also Nebuchadrezzar. King of Babylon, Jer. 21:2. Empire of. See: Babylon. His administration, Dan. 1-4. Conquests of: Of Jerusalem, 2 Kin. 24, 25; 1 Chr. 6:15; 2 Chr. 36:5-21; Ezra 1:7; Jer. 39. Of ...

  • Shadrach

    [ebd] Aku's command, the Chaldean name given to Hananiah, one of the Hebrew youths whom Nebuchadnezzar carried captive to Babylon (Dan. 1:6, 7; 3:12-30). He and his two companions refused to bow down before the image which Nebucha...
    [nave] SHADRACH, called also Hananiah. A Hebrew captive in Babylon, Dan. 1; 2:17, 49; 3.

  • Coercion

    [nave] COERCION. Religious Ex. 22:20; 2 Chr. 15:12-15; Dan. 3:2-6 vs. 1-30.; Dan. 3:29; Dan. 6:26, 27 See: Bigotry; Intolerance.

  • Babylon

    [nave] BABYLON City of Built by Nimrod, Gen. 10:10. In the land of Shinar, Gen. 10:10; 11:2. Tower of, Gen. 11:1-9. Capital of the kingdom of Babylon, Dan. 4:30; 2 Kin. 25:13; 2 Chr. 36:6, 7, 10, 18, 20. Gates of, Isa. 45:1, 2...

  • Fire

    [nave] FIRE Used as a signal in war, Jer. 6:1. Furnaces of, Dan. 3:6. Children caused to pass through, 2 Kin. 16:3; 17:17. Miracles coected with: Miraculously descends upon, and consumes, Abraham's sacrifice, Gen. 15:17; David's...

  • Indictments

    [nave] INDICTMENTS. Instances of Naboth on charge of blasphemy, 1 Kin. 21:13, with vs. 1-16. Jeremiah of treasonable prophecy, but of which he was acquitted, Jer. 26:1-24; a second indictment, Jer. 37:13-15. Three Hebrew captive...

  • Rulers

    [nave] RULERS Appointed and removed by God. See: Government, God in. Chastised, Dan. 4. See: Nation. Monarchical, See: Kings. Patriarchal, Gen. 27:29, 37. Instances of Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10. Abraham, Gen. 14:13-24; 17:6; 21:2...

  • Religion

    [nave] RELIGION. False Deut. 32:31-33. See: Idolatry; Intolerance; Teachers, False. Family See: Family. National Supported by taxes, Ex. 30:11-16; 38:26. Priests supported by the State, 1 Kin. 18:19; 2 Chr. 11:13-15. Subve...

  • Obedience

    [nave] OBEDIENCE. Gen. 18:19; Ex. 19:5; Ex. 20:6 Deut. 5:10. Ex. 24:7 Josh. 24:24. Num. 9:23; Num. 14:24 Josh. 14:6-14. Josh. 22:2; 1 Kin. 3:14; 2 Kin. 18:6; 2 Kin. 21:8; Neh. 1:5; Psa. 1:2; Psa. 18:44; Psa. 25:10; Psa. 99:7; Psa....

  • Music

    [isbe] MUSIC - mu'-zik: I. IMPORTANCE 1. The Sole Art Cultivated 2. A Wide Vocabulary of Musical Terms 3. Place in Social and Personal Life 4. Universal Language of Emotions 5. Use in Divine Service 6. Part at Religious Reformation...
    [nave] MUSIC Teachers of, 1 Chr. 15:22; 25:7, 8; 2 Chr. 23:13. Physical effect of, on people, 1 Sam. 16:15, 16, 23. Discoursed during the offering of sacrifices, 2 Chr. 29:27, 28. Precentor, Neh. 12:42. Chief musician, Neh. 12:...

  • Furnace

    [isbe] FURNACE - fur'-nas: The word is used in the Old Testament English Versions of the Bible to translate several Hebrew words: Kibhshan, in Gen 19:28, where the smoke of the destruction of the cities of the plain is said to have...
    [nave] FURNACE Uses of: For refining silver, Ezek. 22:22; Mal. 3:3; gold, Prov. 17:3. For melting lead and tin, Ezek. 22:20. For capital punishment, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego cast into, by Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 3:6-26. Fig...

  • Sackbut

    [ebd] (Chald. sabkha; Gr. sambuke), a Syrian stringed instrument resembling a harp (Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15); not the modern sackbut, which is a wind instrument.
    [smith] (Daniel 3:5,7,10,15) the rendering in the Authorized Version of the Chaldee sacbbeca . If this music instrument be the same as the Greek and Latin sabbeca , the English translation is entirely wrong. The sackbut was a wind in...
    [nave] SACKBUT, a stringed instrument of music, Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15. See: Music, Instruments of.

  • Meshach

    [ebd] the title given to Mishael, one of the three Hebrew youths who were under training at the Babylonian court for the rank of Magi (Dan. 1:7; 2:49; 3:12-30). This was probably the name of some Chaldean god.
    [nave] MESHACH, a name given by the chief eunuch to Mishael, one of the three Hebrew children, Dan. 1:7; 2:49; 3:12-30.

  • Flute

    [ebd] a musical instrument, probably composed of a number of pipes, mentioned Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15. In Matt. 9:23, 24, notice is taken of players on the flute, here called "minstrels" (but in R.V. "flute-players"). Flutes were in c...
    [smith] (1 Kings 1:40) (marg., PIPE), A musical instrument mentioned amongst others, (Daniel 3:5,7,10,15) as used at the worship of the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up. It bore a close resemblance to the modern flute,...
    [nave] FLUTE, Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15. See: Music, Instruments of.

  • Psaltery

    [ebd] a musical instrument, supposed to have been a kind of lyre, or a harp with twelve strings. The Hebrew word nebhel, so rendered, is translated "viol" in Isa. 5:12 (R.V., "lute"); 14:11. In Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15, the word thus r...
    [smith] This was a stringed instrument of music to accompany the voice. The Hebrew nabel or nebel is so rendered in the Authorized Version in all passages where if occurs, except in (Isaiah 5:12; 14:11; 22:24), marg.; (Amos 5:23; 6:6...
    [nave] PSALTERY, a harp. Used in religious services, 2 Sam. 6:5; 1 Chr. 13:8; 16:5; 25:1, 5, 6; 2 Chr. 29:25; Psa. 33:2; 57:8; 71:22; 81:2; 92:3; 108:2; 144:9; 150:3; Rev. 5:8. At the dedication of the new wall when the captivity r...

  • Conspiracy

    [nave] CONSPIRACY. Law Against Ex. 23:1, 2 Instances of Joseph's brethren, against Joseph, Gen. 37:18-20. Miriam and Aaron, against Moses, Num. 12; 14:4; 16:1-35. Abimelech, against Gideon's sons, Judg. 9:1-6. Gaal, against ...

  • Faith

    [nave] FAITH. 2 Sam. 22:31; Psa. 5:11; Psa. 7:1; Psa. 9:9, 10; Psa. 18:30; Psa. 32:10; Psa. 33:18, 19; Psa. 34:8, 22 vs. 1-8;; Psa. 2:12. Psa. 36:7; Psa. 40:4; Psa. 64:10; Psa. 78:7 vs. 5-7.; Psa. 84:5, 12; Psa. 112:5, 7, 8; Psa. ...

  • Persecution

    [nave] PERSECUTION See also Intolerance; Bigotry. Of Jesus Gen. 3:15; Psa. 2:1-5; Psa. 22:1, 2, 6-8, 11-21; Psa. 69:7-9, 20, 21, 26 vs. 1-21.; Psa. 109:25; Isa. 49:7; Isa. 50:6; Isa. 52:14; Isa. 53:2-5, 7-10; Mic. 5:1; Matt. 2:13...

  • Mishael

    [ebd] who is like God! (1.) A Levite; the eldest of the three sons of Uzziel (Ex. 6:22). (2.) One of the three Hebrew youths who were trained with Daniel in Babylon (Dan. 1:11, 19), and promoted to the rank of Magi. He and his com...
    [nave] MISHAEL 1. A son of Uzziel, helps carry the bodies of Nadab and Abihu out of the camp, Ex. 6:22; Lev. 10:4. 2. A Jew who stood by Ezra when he read the law to the people, Neh. 8:4. 3. Called also Meshach. One of three Hebr...

  • Dulcimer

    [ebd] (Heb. sumphoniah), a musical instrument mentioned in Dan. 3:5, 15, along with other instruments there named, as sounded before the golden image. It was not a Jewish instrument. In the margin of the Revised Version it is styl...
    [smith] (Heb. sumphoniah) a musical instrument, mentioned in (Daniel 3:5,15) probably the bagpipe. The same instrument is still in use amongst peasants in the northwest of Asia and in southern Europe, where it is known by the similar...
    [nave] DULCIMER, Dan. 3:5, 10, 15. See: Music, Instruments of.
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Arts

Hymns

(Note: In "active" or "on" condition, the hymns music will be played automatically when mouse hover on a hymns title)
  • Besarkan Nama Tuhan [KJ.46]
  • Hai Makhluk Alam Semesta [KJ.60] ( All Creatures of Our God and King / Altissimo Omnipotente )
  • [Dan 3:6] Supported By The Word
  • [Dan 3:17] He Is Able To Deliver Thee
  • [Dan 3:17] He’s Able And Willing

Questions

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The events we read in chapter 3 took place four years after Esther became queen (cf. 2:16; 3:7).Agag was the name of an area in Media that had become part of the Persian Empire.54However, Agag was also the name of the Amaleki...
  • Here we have another remarkable example of how God controls the hearts of kings (v. 2; Prov. 21:1; cf. Gen. 39-41; Ezra 1:1-4; Neh. 2; Dan. 2; 3; 4; 5; Acts 2:23). "To half of the kingdom"(v. 3) is hyperbole and means, "I wil...
  • As was true in the chapter 10-15 section, this one (16:1-22:16) also becomes more difficult to outline as it ends because there are fewer groupings of proverbs.19:7 The first part of this verse is hyperbole (overstatement to ...
  • God had not forgotten nor was He unable to deliver His people. Their redemption was certain."This vision of what God will accomplish through his Servant is so exciting that Isaiah breaks into the ecstatic hymn of praise (vv. ...
  • This passage probably dates from the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 588-586 B.C. (vv. 2, 4; cf. 2 Kings 25). King Zedekiah sought advice from Jeremiah more than once (cf. 37:3-10, 17-21; 38:14-28). This passage consists of ...
  • 29:1-3 Jeremiah sent a letter to all the Judahites who had gone into exile in Babylon with King Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) in 597 B.C. We do not know the date of its composition, but Jeremiah probably wrote it within a few years o...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. London: Collier Macmillan Publishers; and New York: Macmillan Publishers Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell. The Archaeology of Palestine. Revis...
  • 28:1-2 Ezekiel was to speak an oracle to the contemporary leader (Heb. nagid, prince, ruler, king) of Tyre in the Lord's name, probably King Ethbaal II (also known as Ittobaal II and Ithobalus II, ca. 590-573 B.C.). As usual ...
  • Theologically the book stresses the sovereignty of God."The absolute sovereignty and transcendence of God above all angels and men literally permeates the book."11"The theme running through the whole book is that the fortunes...
  • The Book of Daniel contains many unique and significant emphases. I would like to point out some of these first before we organize them into an explanation of what God has given us this book to reveal.Theologically Daniel str...
  • I. The character of Daniel ch. 1A. Historical background 1:1-2B. Nebuchadnezzar's training program for promising youths 1:3-7C. Daniel's resolve to please Yahweh 1:8-13D. The success of the test 1:14-16E. God's blessing of Da...
  • 1:3-5 Nebuchadnezzar's enlightened policy was to employ the best minds in his kingdom in government service regardless of their national or ethnic origin. We do not know how many other Jews and Gentiles were the classmates of...
  • Daniel wrote 2:4b-7:28 in the Aramaic language. This literary change gives the reader a clue that this part is a distinct section of the book. The content of this section also identifies it as special. It concerns the future ...
  • 2:4 The Chaldeans took the lead in replying to the king. They responded in the Aramaic language that was widely used in business and in government throughout the empire. This reference to Aramaic introduces the section of the...
  • 2:46-47 Clearly Daniel had done what everyone considered humanly impossible. He had told the king the dream that Nebuchadnezzar alone knew, and had perhaps even forgotten, and he had given an interpretation of the dream that ...
  • There is a logical connection between the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream (ch. 2) and the image that he had built on the plain of Dura (ch. 3). Perhaps he got the idea for the statue he built from the statue he saw...
  • 3:1 The whole image that the king built was gold. The head of the image that Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream was also gold."Daniel had told him that he was the head of gold (2:38) but that he would be followed by another...
  • 3:8-11 The Chaldeans who brought charges against Daniel's three friends were nobles, not just astrologers. The Aramaic term gubrin kasd'inmakes this clear.113They were in a position to profit personally from the execution of ...
  • 3:13-14 Nebuchadnezzar reacted to the news of the three Jews' response angrily (cf. 2:12; 3:19). He evidently took their disobedience as a personal affront as well as an act of insubordination. Nevertheless he controlled hims...
  • 3:24-25 As Nebuchadnezzar watched what was happening inside the furnace, he marveled to see that the three Jews did not perish in an instant. Rising from his seat he saw them loosed from their bonds and walking around inside ...
  • 2:28-29 Nebuchadnezzar's acknowledgment of Yahweh's superior power was an advance upon his earlier tribute to Yahweh's ability to reveal mysteries (2:47). The pagans believed that the gods used messengers to carry out their w...
  • We have seen that in the first three chapters of Daniel King Nebuchadnezzar came to an increasing appreciation of the greatness of Yahweh. In this chapter he learned that Yahweh is sovereign over kings as well as kingdoms (cf...
  • 4:10-12 The king described what he had seen in poetic language. His words therefore appear as a prophetic oracle. The ancients frequently used trees to describe rulers of nations (cf. Isa. 2:12-13; 10:34; Ezek. 31:3-17).141Th...
  • 4:34-35 The narrative resumes in the first person adding the force of personal testimony to the story that the king had been telling. Raising his eyes to heaven implies that Nebuchadnezzar may finally have come to the end of ...
  • 5:1 Older critical scholars have claimed that Belshazzar was never a king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.167However modern discoveries have shown that Belshazzar acted as king during his father's frequent and prolonged absences...
  • Even though this chapter is one of the most popular in all the Bible, it has also been the target of strong critical attacks because of the problem of the identity of Darius. The chapter shares motifs with Psalm 2 and recalls...
  • 6:4 The text does not say why the other officials wanted to get rid of Daniel. Perhaps his integrity made it difficult for them to get away with graft and political corruption. Maybe since he was quite old they wanted to elim...
  • 6:10 The new decree did not deter Daniel from continuing to pray for the welfare of the city where God had sent them into exile and for the Jews' return from exile. That this was the subject of his praying, among other things...
  • 6:19-20 Evidently spending a night in the lions' den was the minimum that the law required because early the next morning Darius set out to free Daniel if he might have survived. Uncertain about the prophet's fate the king ca...
  • 6:25-27 This story ends as previous ones in the book did with the king praising and promoting Yahweh. This expression of praise, however, surpasses the others (cf. 3:28-29; 4:3, 34-35, 37). Not only did Darius personally prai...
  • 10:20 The angel asked if Daniel knew why he had come to him. He apparently did this to focus the prophet's attention on the vision to follow anew since Daniel was quite weak.The angel informed Daniel that he needed to return ...
  • Albright, William F. From Stone Age to Christianity. 2nd ed. New York: Doubleday Press, Anchor Books, 1957.Aalders, G. C. Daniel. Koorte Verklaring servies. The Netherlands: Kampen, 1965.Albrektson, Bertil. History and the Go...
  • "Haggai and Zechariah . . . are noteworthy for the chronological precision with which they related their lives and ministries to their historical milieu. This is not the case at all with Malachi. In fact, one of the major pro...
  • Matthew separated the explanation of this parable from its telling in the text (vv. 24-30). He evidently did this to separate more clearly for the reader the parables Jesus spoke to the multitudes from the parables He told Hi...
  • 24:1 The connective "and"(NASB, Gr. kai) ties what follows to Jesus' preceding denunciation of the generation of Jews that rejected Him and the divine judgment that would follow (23:36-39). However the "apocalyptic"or "eschat...
  • 1:19-20 These verses begin a discussion of "natural revelation."Natural revelation describes what everyone knows about God because of what God has revealed concerning Himself in nature. What He has revealed about Himself in S...
  • Since Jesus Christ has gained the victory, Peter urged his readers to rededicate themselves to God's will as long as they might live. He wanted to strengthen their resolve to continue to persevere. He resumed here the exhorta...
  • Most interpreters who see the first beast as an individual also see the second beast as one. Others who see the first beast as a power or movement tend to view the second beast similarly. Many of the Reformers identified the ...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. 14. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedn...
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