Daniel 3:19-22
Context3:19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his disposition changed 1 toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders 2 to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated. 3:20 He ordered strong 3 soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 3:21 So those men were tied up while still wearing their cloaks, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, 4 and were thrown into the furnace 5 of blazing fire. 3:22 But since the king’s command was so urgent, and the furnace was so excessively hot, the men who escorted 6 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were killed 7 by the leaping flames. 8
[3:19] 1 tn Aram “the appearance of his face was altered”; cf. NLT “his face became distorted with rage”; NAB “[his] face became livid with utter rage.”
[3:19] 2 tn Aram “he answered and said.”
[3:20] 3 tn This is sometimes taken as a comparative: “[some of the] strongest.”
[3:21] 4 sn There is a great deal of uncertainty with regard to the specific nature of these items of clothing.
[3:21] 5 tn Aram “into the midst of the furnace.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.
[3:22] 6 tn Aram “caused to go up.”
[3:22] 7 tn The Aramaic verb is active.
[3:22] 8 tn Aram “the flame of the fire” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NRSV “the raging flames.”