Daniel 3:12

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 ¹  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.”

Daniel 3:28-29

3:28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, ²  “Praised be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent forth his angel ³  and has rescued his servants who trusted in him, ignoring ⁴  the edict of the king and giving up their bodies rather than ⁵  serve or pay homage to any god other than their God! 3:29 I hereby decree ⁶  that any people, nation, or language group that blasphemes ⁷  the god of Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego will be dismembered and his home reduced to rubble! For there exists no other god who can deliver in this way.”

[3:12]  ¹ sn Daniel’s absence from this scene has sparked the imagination of commentators, some of whom have suggested that perhaps he was unable to attend the dedication due to sickness or due to being away on business. Hippolytus supposed that Daniel may have been watching from a distance.

[3:28]  ² tn Aram “answered and said.”

[3:28]  ³ sn The king identifies the “son of the gods” (v. 25) as an angel. Comparable Hebrew expressions are used elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible for the members of God’s angelic assembly (see Gen 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Pss 29:1; 89:6). An angel later comes to rescue Daniel from the lions (Dan 6:22).

[3:28]  ⁴ tn Aram “they changed” or “violated.”

[3:28]  ⁵ tn Aram “so that they might not.”

[3:29]  ³ tn Aram “from me is placed an edict.”

[3:29]  ⁴ tn Aram “speaks negligence.”