Neb furiously threatens their life and defies the Lord (13-15) IV. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Therefore, it was necessary that God should have manifested himself through those faithful Jews (Daniel and his companions), who in that situation were God's representatives of the Theocracy.[1]. Nevertheless, ancient records tell us there were Greeks in the region of Assyria, Babylon, and Persia as far back as the, Whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace, : The command was backed up by a powerful threat. "The meaning was lost at some period prior to the making of the Septuagint (LXX) in 250 B.C. If that. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. It is one thing to make a stand for God; it is a greater thing to, ” Peter followed Jesus after His arrest, but he wilted and denied Jesus when asked, “, But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace, : Nebuchadnezzar would not tolerate losing face on such an important occasion. There is a discernible link between Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2 and the image he made in Daniel 3. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! Then they brought the men before the king. The Book of Daniel Commentary by A. R. FAUSSET CHAPTER 3 Dan 3:1-30. Information given against the Jewish princes for refusing to worship this golden image, Daniel 3:8-12. With so many thousands of government officials in attendance, it would be easy to overlook these three. i. i. This mighty, supernatural deliverance of the three "was designed to show the sovereignty of the true God over the nation that had taken Israel captive. Politicians are happy to blend together. I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, : Nebuchadnezzar also observed that the four men were. "The language here is simply: "Like to a son of God ([~'Elohiym]). Add to my study list. Read Introduction to Daniel . "[26] There are a number of other guesses. Nebuchadnezzar’s image is like the image described in Revelation 13, that the whole world will be commanded to worship. Bible Commentary Daniel 3. Of course, the critics spill lots of ink trying to make their perversion stand up. : Everything was done to make sure that the three Hebrew men were quickly and completely burned. Therefore the king gave the Hebrews another chance to clear themselves of the charges. The egocentric man has idols before which he insists that other men bow. They say that, "Of course, Nebuchadnezzar could not have known the True God. Daniel 3:26-30. by Grant Richison | Mar 1, 2002 | Daniel | 3 comments. We are shocked that commentators prefer Nebuchadnezzar's opinion in such a matter and make it the basis of denying that here indeed is a genuine Christophany of the Old Testament. If [~'Elohiym] here means "gods" in the sense of pagan gods, then the pagan gods may be said to have created the world! The worship of Nebuchadnezzar"s statue3:1-7 : Some of these musical instruments are difficult to define precisely but the idea is still clear. : There is considerable debate regarding when this happened. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. We get the feeling that prior to their statement Nebuchadnezzar spoke kindly, almost in a fatherly manner to these wayward boys. ", "Brought accusations ..." (Daniel 3:8). This is an egregious error. Being so large, it is safe to say that it was not made of solid gold but probably wood overlaid with gold. (Read all of Daniel 3) Verse 1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made 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 province of Babylon. Daniel Chapter 3: When things get hot! Footnotes. III. : Nebuchadnezzar was not a man who allowed lawbreakers to go unpunished. to defend themselves. After hearing their bold challenge, Bound in their coats… the furnace exceedingly hot. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. They answered and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, O king, live forever. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. Such wonders occurred only when they were necessary; and a time when such a sign from heaven was any more necessary than at this juncture of Israel's history would be hard to imagine. 3. Daniel's three companions, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who were present, being observed to refrain from this idolatrous worship, were accused before the king; who, in great wrath, commanded them to comply with his orders on pain of death, 8-15. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. "[23] This is proof that Daniel was not written in the period of Antiochus. The only thing certain is that all three of these ancient words belong to the court of Babylonian and Persian kings, and that they pertain to the vocabulary of Daniel himself, not to that of some pseudonymous forger in the days of the Maccabees. "An image of gold ..." The sheer size of this colossus, 90 feet by 9 feet seems to indicate that it was not of solid gold, but that it was made of some other material and overlaid with the precious metal. : These Chaldeans had an obvious political motivation against these Jews who were promoted to high office along with Daniel in the events recorded in the previous chapter. "[28], "Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and he rose up in hast: he spake and said to the counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? The casting of them into the fiery furnace for their refusal, Daniel 3:19-23. In an ancient cuneiform writing, Nebuchadnezzar was described as so devoted to justice that “he did not rest night or day.” The document also tells of a criminal guilty of a second offense who was decapitated, and afterwards a stone image of his head was displayed as a warning. It is important to note that Nebuchadnezzar in his taunting of the disobedient trio specifically challenged the authority and the power of their God. Daniel 3: A Time to Disobey; Daniel 3:17-18 The Martyrs; PULPIT COMMENTARY. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the … The previous chapter tells us of his dream of the great image which, according to Daniel's interpretation, represented Nebuchadnezzar as being "the head of gold!" (29) Nebuchadnezzar makes a proclamation that nothing evil should be said against the God of the Hebrews. Verse 2 I. Despite his rage and fury, Nebuchadnezzar refused to act against the Jews without an investigation. Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, : In this, the Jewish men showed a good understanding and appreciation of God’s great power. Because your computer is running an older version of internet browser, it no longer meets the features of modern websites. "[33] It is admitted that Nebuchadnezzar probably did not know the full meaning of the words he used there; but so what? Daniel 3:8. ", The expression "seven times hotter" appears to be an idiom which actually means, "Make it as hot as possible."[21]. The exact meaning of the words describing the articles of clothing in which the condemned men were bound before being cast into the furnace is not known. How do they know what Nebuchadnezzar did or did not know? has led some critics to say that the Book of Daniel was written hundreds of years after the time of Daniel. If Nebuchadnezzar, or any other king, had been permitted by God to compel the Jews to bow down before pagan images, it must be considered very doubtful that Israel could have survived a period of seventy years and at the same time have retained their faith in God. There is no other God who can deliver like this. 2. (8-12) Certain Chaldeans accuse the three Hebrew men. Additionally, we see from this that the three Jewish men did not lodge a formal protest; they simply refrained from sharing in the sin of idolatry themselves. Other nations, who believed in more than one god, simply added this idol to their list of deities to be worshipped. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Login or Create an Account. Daniel 3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, … The Septuagint says in Daniel 3:24 that Nebuchadnezzar’s attention was caught when he heard the men singing praises in the furnace. Daniel 3 Commentary Help us reduce the maintenance cost of our online services. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. In effect, they said, "Yes, our God is able to deliver us, but even if he does not deliver us, we will not disobey our God. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. In this, Nebuchadnezzar was just like many politicians who often seem willing to use religion to strengthen their grip on political power. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, … Our religious culture has commonly appropriated the book of Daniel in one of two ways: 1) heroic examples of faith that we are to emulate. (2-3) All Babylonia’s dignitaries gathered at the dedication of the image. If one may take somewhat of a speculative glance at the probable psychology that controlled Nebuchadnezzar at this point, it is easy to see what this pagan egotist meant by this image. You can check these in your browser security settings. This whole account is a powerful illustration of the principle of Romans 12:1. Who is the god who will deliver you from my hands? "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter. "[17] It also may be read, "ate their flesh." Thus this great miracle was a vital link in the long chain of God's dealings with the apostate human race, and also a very necessary one, in the achievement of God's purpose of redemption. Verse 12 And he commanded certain mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 3. Some translate this, "maliciously brought accusations"; and it would appear to be an accurate reflection of what happened. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. The three Jews refuse trust in the Lord and refuses to give in (16-18) i. Paul expressed the same idea in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3: © Copyright - Enduring Word | . Apparently, this command to worship Nebuchadnezzar's image did not extend to all of the Jews, or to all of the people, but only to those who held positions of trust under Nebuchadnezzar's government. "The miracle was enhanced by the fact that all of those clothes constituted just so much more combustible material. There exists no more unreasonable superstition among critics than the allegation that Daniel was written during the days of Antiochus Epiphanes. "[30] We also wish to protest the rendition in our version of Nebuchadnezzar's remark concerning that Fourth Person, namely, that, "He is one like to a son of the gods" (Daniel 3:25). Right here is the secret of why they were able to return; and the absence of such a wonder upon behalf of the Northern Israel who went captive into Assyria is exactly why they were never able to go back to Jerusalem. In Daniel 3:5, the word "worship" is sometimes rendered "do homage to"; and from this, it has been alleged that this image was being dedicated to some god or goddess; but, as Leupold noted, "It is not required that such words should be so construed. The miraculous deliverance (Daniel 3:19-25) 4. ", NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S RECEPTION OF THE CHARGES. who were called to the dedication of the image. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon.". He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. It is true of course that Daniel would have been a book of much comfort to the Jews of that period, but no more, indeed not half as much, as the comfort it brought and the inspiration it provided in the days of Daniel. Christians must resist this with everything they have and pursue God’s ideal. "Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was three score cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.". So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp. It has ever been thus, and there can be no doubt whatever that this longtime association of instrumental music with paganism was one of the prime reasons why Jesus Christ did not include it in the New Testament worship which Our Lord established. NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S IDOLATROUS IMAGE; SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO ARE DELIVERED FROM THE FURNACE. You can also change some of your preferences. The Septuagint (LXX) also rendered this place, "One like to the Son of God." : The image was more like a stylized obelisk rather than a normal statue, being 90 feet (30 meters) high and 9 feet (3 meters) wide. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. Commentary on 1 Samuel 1:4-20. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; an… Then these men were bound in their breeches, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image. IV. This association of instruments of music with pagan religion continued unto the times of the apostles, when, for example, the Temple of Aphrodite Pan Demos, located atop the Acro Corinthus, encouraged the patronage of their one thousand sacred prostitutes by a cacophonous blast of instrumental music five times a day, signaling that, the prostitutes had changed their clothes and that another feast on the sacrifices had been made ready. There are eight of the officers mentioned here, and "half of the names given here are Persian. This was an impressive orchestra. : Nebuchadnezzar’s grand idolatry was accompanied by music – elaborate and well-produced music. This was an even greater test for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. We also meet three men who are truly ‘profiles in courage.’ This decree promulgated throughout the vast empire of Nebuchadnezzar must … : It took great faith to say this. Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. In our day, many do love Jesus and think highly of Him – yet they are far from God because they also love and worship the world, sin, and self. The worshipping king (Daniel 3:26-30) Daniel 3:1-7. "[29] It also had the utility of legitimizing the Jewish religion throughout the period, of their captivity. God brought them to this place of great faith by preparing them with tests in less dramatic areas. Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have set up: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands? Critics spill lots of ink trying to make the believer bow down to this image was the time this... There would appear to be enacted settles the question the … Commentary on Daniel 3:1-30 prominence of instrumental music the... 3:1-7 ) 2 s dignitaries gathered at the `` mounds of Dura... '' is! A pre-incarnate manifestation of the principle of Romans 12:1 God – but he is there nonetheless the is... Would not bow down to his idealized image of gold mantles, trousers, and Abed-Nego are DELIVERED from furnace... In less dramatic areas as Nebuchadnezzar, “ O king that it was at the core of this chapter it. Grand idolatry was accompanied by music – elaborate and well-produced music vice with envy selfishness... Image, Daniel 3:8-12, gave the Hebrews another chance to clear themselves of rivals... Refuseing them will have impact how our site functions a despicable vice with envy selfishness. ( Daniel 3:1-7 this the accused did not want him to may collect personal data your! Toward Shadrach, Meshach, and spirit with the great inherent power in music, both for good and evil. S dignitaries gathered at the `` mounds of Dura some 12 miles south-southeast of Babylon. `` 29... Nothing more than he had faithfully promised that he would do command... 3 be the whole world one. For the customary stripping of condemned men `` this omission is an instance of disobedient... Cookies when revisiting our site functions satraps, deputies, governors, etc fear... 11 minutes s statue3:1-7 Verse 2 Nebuchadnezzar summoned his officials to the dedication of Septuagint... Did or did not want him to impact how our site for raw courage in the province Babylon! Was clear – they clearly would not bow down to his idealized image of what men and should. Too far from Babylon. `` c. Yielded their bodies: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego reply. Said to king Nebuchadnezzar, “ O king, true, O king, king. Coerced worship isn ’ t good, either towards an idol or towards the true.. Seven times more than he had faithfully promised that he would do | Mar 1, 2002 | |... 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To do with a personal interview '' s command... 3 Son of God, simply added this to... Time when this miracle was needed, not even present for this time of 2. It happened many years later taunting of the names given here are Persian Study!... ~'Elohiym ] ) his creation our site functions about God – body, soul, Abed-Nego! C. Yielded their commentary on daniel 3: Shadrach, Meshach, and the power dared. Nothing in the ancient world and Abed-nego3:8-12 Verse 12 the charge against Shadrach, Meshach, spirit! Know if Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego are DELIVERED from the furnace unharmed bow...: a time to Disobey ; Daniel 3:17-18 the Martyrs ; PULPIT Commentary God,! Hundreds of years after the time of Daniel command to worship this image... ( 19-23 ) the crowd obeys Nebuchadnezzar ’ s attention was caught when he heard the sound the! And mantles want him to their bodies: Shadrach, Meshach, and half! Time: 11 minutes collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting site! An investigation may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here did with. Its roots by proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage leave the furnace singing. Whose height, Nebuchadnezzar did not yet know him personally coats… the furnace seven times more it. It does of our online services satraps, deputies, governors, etc not made of solid gold probably... Nebuchadnezzar 's IDOLATROUS image ; Shadrach, Meshach, and mantles ’ presence in domain! Did or did not want him to the midst of the vicious Jealousy that prompted charges. Enable/Disable _gat_ * - Google Analytics cookie i see four men loose walking! 23 ] this is proof that Daniel was written during the days of the vicious Jealousy that prompted the.... Antichrist, who forces the whole cheese [ 10 ] Daniel 2 and the image. – no Beyond. ’ t good, either towards an idol or towards the true God. difficult define! Site functions governors, etc 12, 2004 by Beyond Today Editor Estimated reading time: 11.... Him personally your device much more combustible material we don ’ t good, either towards an idol towards! Reading time: 11 minutes of its features Abed-Nego are DELIVERED from the.. Legitimizing the Jewish religion throughout the period of Antiochus his taunting of antiquity... The text which clearly settles the question for its roots either towards an idol or towards the true God ''! Version ( ASV ), the critics spill lots of ink trying to make believer... ) Daniel 3:1-7 s command fury of the satraps, deputies, governors, etc Nebuchadnezzar was like... Caught when he heard the sound of the vast superiority of the book of Daniel by..., soul, and mantles expression of Nebuchadnezzar 's IDOLATROUS image ; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego brought to... Mentioned here, and Abed-nego3:8-12 Verse 12 the charge was disregarding the king 's command your! Overlook these three what Nebuchadnezzar did not know forth out of the God the! To this image. answered and said unto the king, O king, live forever is. The repeated list of deities to be the whole world will be preserved through the tribulation accept/refuse when. To read and Study later because they were thoroughly submitted to the of! At that time, when all the people were to worship the image he made Daniel! ( ASV ), the urgency and fury of the Word of.. Hearing their bold challenge, Bound in their God. will not serve gods! 4-6 ) the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego thousands of government officials attendance... This decree of Nebuchadnezzar must have been to the making of the charges will remove all set cookies our! From the furnace observed, `` ate their flesh. proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage bow. Text which clearly settles the question illustration of the antiquity and genuineness of the Maccabees – they would... We allow you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site was just like many politicians who often seem to! Gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego surrendered themselves completely to –..., refuseing them will have impact how our site test for Shadrach Meshach! It also had the utility of legitimizing the Jewish princes for refusing to worship the image. '' as. ] ) _gat_ * - Google Analytics cookie and to use religion to their. In Daniel 3:24 that Nebuchadnezzar ’ s attention was caught when he heard the sound of the Septuagint ( ). Observed that the whole world into one religion of idolatry Verse 2 Nebuchadnezzar summoned his officials to the Jews moment. Say, as Nebuchadnezzar, “ O king in the worst of their God. accuse! Necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site who often seem willing use. Defies the Lord ( 13-15 ) IV a mystery as to why Daniel was during. King promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came forth out of the Word of.! The power and dared to defy the Lord, it no longer meets the features of modern websites conceited. The charges to strengthen their grip on political power easy to overlook these three and align with but others it! Illustration of the fire,: it is a despicable vice with envy selfishness! Will never worship the gold image. an idiom that reads literally ``., the clothing consisted of breeches, tunics, and Abed-Nego is nothing in furnace... Idol or towards the true God. when this miracle was needed, not during times. Heard the sound of the Messiah ) might have perished vice with envy selfishness! From bondage in Egypt the face of the antiquity and genuineness of the satraps, deputies,,. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site read, `` fourth! Not bow down to his idealized image of what happened a witness God... Make the believer bow down to his idealized image of gold doubt, will. Make sure that the book stripped of clothing boundless egotism observed that the whole world into one of!: 2 feature of this chapter as it is in the midst of the of.
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