(KJV) Daniel 31

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⥃Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Statue

[1] Nebuchadnezzar the king made2 an image of gold, whose height [was] threescore cubits, [and] the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province3 of Babylon.4 [2] Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent5 to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. [3] Then the princes6, the governors7, and captains8, the judges9, the treasurers10, the counsellors11, the sheriffs12, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. [4] Then an herald cried aloud13, To you it is commanded14, O people15, nations, and languages, [5] [That] at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet16, flute17, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer18, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: [6] And whoso falleth19 not down and worshippeth shall the same20 hour be cast into the midst of a burning21 fiery furnace. [7] Therefore at that time, when22 all the people23 heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down [and] worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

⥃Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Accused

[8] Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused24 the Jews. [9] They spake and said to the king25 Nebuchadnezzar, O king26, live for ever. [10] Thou, O king, hast made27 a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet28, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: [11] And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, [that] he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. [12] There are certain29 Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee30: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

[13] [¶]Then Nebuchadnezzar in [his31] rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego. Then32 they brought these men before the king. [14] Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, [Is it] true33, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, do not ye serve my gods34, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? [15] Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear35 the sound of the cornet, flute, harp36, sackbut37, psaltery38, and dulcimer39, and all kinds of musick, ye fall40 down and worship the image which I have made; [well41]: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who42 [is] that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?43 [16] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we [are] not careful to answer thee in this matter. [17] If it be [so], our God44 whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver [us] out of thine hand, O king. [18] But if not, be it45 known unto thee, O king, that46 we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

⥃The Fiery Furnace

[19] Then was Nebuchadnezzar47 full48 of fury, and the form49 of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego: [therefore] he spake50, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven51 times more than52 it was wont to be heated. [20] And he commanded the most mighty men53 that [were] in his army to bind54 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, [and] to cast [them] into the burning fiery furnace. [21] Then these men were bound in their55 coats56, their hosen, and their hats57, and their [other] garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. [22] Therefore because the king’s commandment58 was urgent59, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame60 of the fire slew61 those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego. [23] And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, fell62 down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. [24] Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied63, and rose up in haste, [and] spake, and said unto his counsellors64, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king65. [25] He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking66 in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt67; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God68.

[26] [¶]Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth69 of the burning fiery furnace, [and] spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, ye servants70 of the most71 high God, come forth72, and come [hither]. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. [27] And the princes73, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon74 whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was75 an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. [28] [Then] Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed76 [be] the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, who hath sent77 his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted78 in him, and have79 changed the king’s word, and yielded80 their bodies, that they might not serve81 nor worship any god, except their own God. [29] Therefore82 I make a decree83, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss84 against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, shall be cut in pieces85, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because86 there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. [30] Then the king87 promoted88 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, in the province of Babylon.

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  1. Dan 3:1, Nebuchadnezzar dedicates a golden image in Dura; Dan 3:8, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego are accused for not worshipping the image; Dan 3:13, They being threatened, make a good confession; Dan 3:19, They are cast into the furnace, Dan 3:24. from which God delivers them; Dan 3:28, Nebuchadnezzar seeing the miracle blesses God, and advances them. ↩

  2. Dan 2:31-32, Dan 5:23; Exod 20:23, Exod 32:2-4, Exod 32:31; Deut 7:25; Judg 8:26-27; 1Kgs 12:28; 2Kgs 19:17-18; Ps 115:4-8, Ps 135:15; Isa 2:20, Isa 30:22, Isa 40:19-31, Isa 46:6; Jer 10:9, Jer 16:20; Hos 8:4; Hab 2:19; Acts 17:29, Acts 19:26; Rev 9:20 ↩

  3. Dan 3:30, Dan 2:48; Esth 1:1 ↩

  4. am 3424, bc 580 ↩

  5. Exod 32:4-6; Num 25:2; Judg 16:23; 1Kgs 12:32; Prov 29:12; Rev 17:2 ↩

  6. Achashdarpenaya rendered lieutenants in Esth 3:12, etc., probably chief satraps or viceroys from the Persian achash great, eminent, and sitrab, a satrap. Ps 82:1-8; Acts 19:34-35; Rom 1:21-28, Rom 3:11; 1Cor 1:24-26; Rev 13:13-16; Rev 17:13, Rev 17:17 ↩

  7. Signaya, in Persian shagnah deputies or lieutenants. ↩

  8. Pacawatha, governors of provinces. See note on Esth 3:13. ↩

  9. Adargazraya, chief judges, or senators, from adar, great, and Chal. gezar, to judge, decree. ↩

  10. Gedavraya, written gizzavraya Ezra 7:21, treasurers, from the Persian gunjvar. ↩

  11. Dethavraya counsellors, judges, from dath, in Persian dad, law, and var, possessor or guardian. ↩

  12. Tiphtaya probably the same as the Arabic Mufti or head officer of law. ↩

  13. Chal, with might, Dan 4:14; Prov 9:13-15; Isa 40:9, Isa 58:1 ↩

  14. Chal, they command, Hos 5:11; Mic 6:16 ↩

  15. Dan 4:1, Dan 6:25; Esth 8:9 ↩

  16. Karna the horn. Dan 3:10, Dan 3:15 ↩

  17. Mashrokeetha, in Syriac mashrookeetha the συριγξ, pipe or flute, as Theodotion renders. ↩

  18. or, singing, Chal, symphony ↩

  19. Dan 3:11, Dan 3:15; Exod 20:5; Isa 44:17; Matt 4:9; Rev 13:15-17 ↩

  20. Dan 2:5, Dan 2:12-13; Mark 6:27 ↩

  21. Gen 19:28; Jer 29:22; Ezek 22:18-22; Matt 13:42, Matt 13:50; Rev 9:2, Rev 14:11 ↩

  22. Dan 3:10 ↩

  23. Jer 51:7; Acts 14:16; 1John 5:19; Rev 12:9, Rev 13:3, Rev 13:8, Rev 13:14, Rev 17:8, Rev 19:20 ↩

  24. Dan 6:12-13; Ezra 4:12-16; Esth 3:6, Esth 3:8-9; Acts 16:20-22, Acts 17:6-8, Acts 28:22; 1Pet 4:3-4 ↩

  25. Dan 3:4-5 ↩

  26. Dan 2:4, Dan 5:10, Dan 6:6, Dan 6:21; Rom 13:7 ↩

  27. Dan 3:4-7, Dan 6:12; Exod 1:16, Exod 1:22; Esth 3:12-14; Ps 94:20; Eccl 3:16; Isa 10:1; John 11:57; Rev 13:16-17 ↩

  28. Exod 15:20-21, Exod 32:18-19; 1Chr 15:16, 1Chr 15:28, 1Chr 16:5-6, 1Chr 25:1-6; 2Chr 29:25; Ps 81:1-3, Ps 92:1-3, Ps 149:3-4, Ps 150:3-6; Amos 6:5 ↩

  29. Dan 2:49, Dan 6:13; 1Sam 18:7-11; Esth 3:8; Prov 27:4; Eccl 4:4 ↩

  30. Chal, set no regard upon thee, Acts 5:28, Acts 17:7 ↩

  31. Dan 3:19, Dan 2:12; Gen 4:5; 1Sam 20:30-33; Esth 3:5-6; Prov 17:12, Prov 27:3, Prov 29:22; Luke 6:11 ↩

  32. Matt 10:18; Mark 13:9; Luke 21:12; Acts 5:25-27, Acts 24:24 ↩

  33. or, of purpose, Exod 21:13-14 ↩

  34. Dan 3:1, Dan 4:8; Isa 46:1; Jer 50:2 ↩

  35. Dan 3:10 ↩

  36. Kaithros in Arabic kitharat, Greek κιθαρα, the guitar. ↩

  37. Sabbecha σαμβυκη, sambuke, a kind of harp. ↩

  38. Pesanter, ψαλτηριον, a stringed instrument struck with a plectrum; probably similar to what is called a psalterium in Egypt, which Hasselquist describes as a large oblique triangle, with two bottoms two inches from each other, and about twenty catguts of different sizes. ↩

  39. Soomphanya probably the same as the Talmudic ρξτεο ( ‎סוּמְפּוֹנְיָה‎ ), a pipe. ↩

  40. Luke 4:7-8 ↩

  41. Dan 3:17; Exod 32:32; Luke 13:9 ↩

  42. Dan 3:28-29, Dan 6:16, Dan 6:20; Exod 5:2; 2Kgs 18:35; 2Chr 32:15-17; Isa 36:20, Isa 37:23; Matt 27:43 ↩

  43. we are Matt 10:19; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11, Luke 21:14-15; Acts 4:8-12, Acts 4:19, Acts 5:29, Acts 6:15; Acts 24:10-13 ↩

  44. Dan 4:35, Dan 6:20-22, Dan 6:27; Gen 17:1, Gen 18:14; 1Sam 17:37, 1Sam 17:46; Job 5:19, Job 34:29; Ps 27:1-2, Ps 62:1-6, Ps 73:20, Ps 115:3, Ps 121:5-7, Ps 18:10-11; Isa 12:2, Isa 26:3-4; Isa 54:14; Luke 1:37; Acts 20:24, Acts 21:13, Acts 27:20-25; Rom 8:31; Heb 7:25 ↩

  45. Job 13:15; Prov 28:1; Isa 51:12-13; Matt 10:28, Matt 10:32-33, Matt 10:39, Matt 16:2; Luke 12:3-9; Acts 4:10-13, Acts 4:19, Acts 5:29-32; Rev 2:10-11, Rev 12:11 ↩

  46. Exod 20:3-5; Lev 19:4 ↩

  47. Dan 3:13; Prov 21:24; Isa 51:23; Luke 12:4-5; Acts 5:33, Acts 7:54 ↩

  48. Chal, filled ↩

  49. Dan 5:6; Gen 4:5-6, Gen 31:2 ↩

  50. Exod 15:9-10; 1Kgs 20:10-11; 2Kgs 19:27-28; Ps 76:10; Prov 16:14, Prov 27:3-4 ↩

  51. Dan 6:24; Lev 26:18, Lev 26:21, Lev 26:24, Lev 26:28 ↩

  52. 1Kgs 18:33-35; Matt 27:63-66 ↩

  53. Chal, mighty of strength ↩

  54. Dan 3:15; Acts 12:4-5, Acts 16:23, Acts 16:25 ↩

  55. Herodotus says the Babylonish dress was a linen tunic, another of woollen, a white short cloak, and a turban. ↩

  56. or, mantles ↩

  57. or, turbans, Dan 3:21 ↩

  58. Chal, word ↩

  59. Exod 12:33 ↩

  60. or, spark ↩

  61. Dan 6:24; Prov 11:8, Prov 21:18; Zech 12:2-3; Matt 27:5; Acts 12:19 ↩

  62. Dan 6:16-17; Ps 34:19, Ps 66:11-12, Ps 124:1-5; Jer 38:6; Lam 3:52-54; 2Cor 1:8-10, 2Cor 4:17; 1Pet 4:12-13 ↩

  63. Dan 5:6; Acts 5:23-25, Acts 9:6, Acts 12:13 ↩

  64. or, governors, Dan 3:2-3 ↩

  65. Dan 3:9-10, Dan 3:17, Dan 4:22, Dan 4:27, Dan 5:18, Dan 6:7, Dan 6:22; 1Sam 17:55; Acts 26:13, Acts 26:27 ↩

  66. Isa 43:2 ↩

  67. Chal, there is no hurt in them, Ps 91:3-9; Mark 16:18; Acts 28:5; 1Pet 3:13 ↩

  68. Or, as bar elahin may be rendered, "a son of the gods," i.e., a divine person or angel. Dan 3:18, Dan 3:28; Job 1:6, Job 38:7; Ps 34:7; Prov 30:4; Luke 1:35; John 19:7-8; Rom 1:4 ↩

  69. Chal, door ↩

  70. Dan 3:17, Dan 2:47, Dan 6:20; Ezra 5:11; Acts 16:17, Acts 27:23; Gal 1:10; Rev 19:5 ↩

  71. Gen 14:18 ↩

  72. Josh 3:17, Josh 4:10, Josh 4:16-18; Isa 28:16, Isa 52:12; Acts 16:37 ↩

  73. Dan 3:2-3; 1Sam 17:46-47; 2Kgs 19:19; Ps 83:18, Ps 96:7-9; Isa 26:11; Acts 2:6-12, Acts 26:26 ↩

  74. Isa 43:2; Heb 11:34 ↩

  75. This miraculous manifestation of Divine power was witnessed by the court and the nation, and was felt as a just punishment on the transgressors, and a signal display of mercy to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, which should operate on all believers to similar acts of faith and confidence in the Lord. Matt 10:30; Luke 21:17-18; Acts 27:34 ↩

  76. Dan 2:47, Dan 4:34, Dan 6:26; Gen 9:26; Ezra 1:3, Ezra 7:23-28 ↩

  77. Dan 3:25, Dan 6:22-23; Gen 19:15-16; 2Chr 32:21; Ps 34:7-8, Ps 103:20; Isa 37:36; Acts 5:19, Acts 12:7-11; Heb 1:14 ↩

  78. 1Chr 5:20; 2Chr 20:20; Ps 22:4-5, Ps 33:18, Ps 33:21, Ps 34:22, Ps 62:8, Ps 84:11-12; Ps 146:5-6, Ps 147:11; Isa 26:3-4; Jer 17:7-8; 2Cor 1:9-10; Eph 1:12-13; 1Pet 1:21 ↩

  79. Ezra 6:11; Acts 4:19 ↩

  80. Rom 12:1, Rom 14:7-8; Phil 1:20; Heb 11:37; Rev 12:11 ↩

  81. Dan 3:16-18; Exod 20:5; Matt 4:10 ↩

  82. Dan 6:26-27 ↩

  83. Chal, A decree is made by me ↩

  84. Chal, error. the God. Dan 3:15, Dan 3:17, Dan 3:28 ↩

  85. Chal, made pieces, Dan 2:5 *marg. ↩

  86. Dan 6:27; Deut 32:31; Ps 3:8, Ps 76:10 ↩

  87. 1Sam 2:30; Ps 91:14; John 12:26; Rom 8:31 ↩

  88. Chal, made to prosper, Ps 1:3 ↩