Daniel 3:1-18
THE THREE MEN LOYAL TO JEHOVAH... [ Continue Reading ]
THE THREE MEN LOYAL TO JEHOVAH... [ Continue Reading ]
Nebuchadnezzar, the king, at some later period of his reign, MADE AN IMAGE OF GOLD, an immense idol figure, probably in the form of a human being, WHOSE HEIGHT WAS THREESCORE CUBITS AND THE BREADTH THEREOF SIX CUBITS, that is, its height with its pedestal was about ninety feet and its width nine fee... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Nebuchadnezzar, the king, sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, executive officers of superior rank with both civil and military duties, THE JUDGES, or chief officers of administration, THE TREASURERS, the financial directors or managers of the public treasury, t... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar, the king, had set up, proudly obedient to the king's summons; AND THEY STOOD BEFOR... [ Continue Reading ]
Then an herald cried aloud, literally, "with might," raising his voice to reach all the members of the assembled multitude, TO YOU IT IS COMMANDED, O PEOPLE, NATIONS, AND LANGUAGES, this evidently being a formula. used in the official edicts of the Chaldean Empire, by which the sovereign addressed h... [ Continue Reading ]
that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, the horn or tuba of the ancients, FLUTE, the reed-flute, or shepherd's pipe, HARP, a small four-stringed harp like a zither, SACKBUT, a triangular stringed instrument, PSALTERY, another kind of harp, DULCIMER, a bappipe consisting of two pipes thrus... [ Continue Reading ]
and whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. This mode of punishment was in use among the Babylonians, and since all men were required to fall on their faces in the act of adoration, it would be all the easier to pick out all such a... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore at that time, in accordance with the announcement of the herald, WHEN ALL THE PEOPLE HEARD THE SOUND OF THE CORNET, FLUTE, HARP, SACKBUT, PSALTERY, AND ALL KINDS OF MUSIC, ALL THE PEOPLE, represented here by their respective rulers, THE NATIONS, AND THE LANGUAGES, as many as had appeared f... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans, who were filled with jealousy on account of the promotion of the strangers, while they were obliged to be satisfied with inferior positions, CAME NEAR AND ACCUSED THE JEWS, literally, "they ate their pieces of flesh," a term used in the Aramaic for slanderin... [ Continue Reading ]
They spake and said to the King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever! this being the ordinary form of address in Babylonia.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou, O king, hast made a decree, issued an unmistakable order, THAT EVERY MAN THAT SHALL HEAR THE SOUND OF THE CORNET, FLUTE, HARP, SACKBUT, PSALTERY, AND DULCIMER, AND AN KINDS OF MUSIC, SHALL FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP THE GOLDEN IMAGE;... [ Continue Reading ]
and whoso falleth not down and worshipeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.... [ Continue Reading ]
There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, who, therefore, as the accusers intimate, were under special obligations toward the king as their benefactor, SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO; THESE MEN, O KING, whose influence and example were of such great imp... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Nebuchadnezzar, in his rage and fury, in the extreme violence of his anger, COMMANDED TO BRING SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO, to have them delivered into his presence at once. THEN THEY BROUGHT THESE MEN BEFORE THE KING.... [ Continue Reading ]
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, literally, "With deliberate, evil intent are ye not serving my god?" NOR WORSHIP THE GOLDEN IMAGE WHICH I HAVE SET UP? His gods were here taken together and represented under the golden... [ Continue Reading ]
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 made, well, the completion of the conditional clause being omitted in the Aramaic, as in Exodus 32:32; Luke 13:... [ Continue Reading ]
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, the directness of their address giving added emphasis to their statement, WE ARE NOT CAREFUL TO ANSWER THEE IN THIS MATTER, that is, they did not consider it necessary to search for a reasonable excuse or explanation.... [ Continue Reading ]
If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, rather, "If our God is able to deliver us," AND HE WILL DELIVER US OUT OF THINE HAND, O KING. This was not casting doubt upon the strength and ability of the Lord to help them; it only left the matter under th... [ Continue Reading ]
But if not, that is, if a deliverance is not in agreement with His counsel and will, BE IT KNOWN UNTO THEE, O KING, THAT WE WILL NOT SERVE THY GODS, NOR WORSHIP THE GOLDEN IMAGE WHICH THOU HAST SET UP. We have here a fine example of the loyalty of faith and of meek submission to the will of God. Chr... [ Continue Reading ]
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, of extreme and unreasonable anger, AND THE FORM OF HIS VISAGE WAS CHANGED AGAINST SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO, his expression showing the extremity of the fury which possessed him; THEREFORE HE SPAKE AND COMMANDED THAT THEY SHOULD HEAT THE FURNACE ONE SEVEN... [ Continue Reading ]
The Miraculous Preservation of God's Servants... [ Continue Reading ]
And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army, upon whom he could depend for absolute obedience and trustworthiness, TO BIND SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO AND TO CAST THEM INTO THE BURNING FIERY FURNACE, a task which was here connected with considerable danger because it involved a c... [ Continue Reading ]
Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, rather, "in their undergarments, their tunics, and their mantles," AND THEIR OTHER GARMENTS, part of which at least were of delicate, easily inflammable material, AND WERE CAST INTO THE MIDST OF THE BURNING FIERY FURNACE, the rep... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore, because the king's commandment was urgent, because he. spoke in fury, AND THE FURNACE EXCEEDING HOT, far in excess of its usual degree of heat, THE FLAME OF THE FIRE, a blast sweeping out from the opening, SLEW THOSE MEN THAT TOOK UP SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO, after the king's serv... [ Continue Reading ]
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound, as they had been trussed up by the executioners, into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Nebuchadnezzar, the king, was astonied, greatly astounded, AND ROSE UP IN HASTE, due to his great agitation, AND SPAKE AND SAID UNTO HIS COUNSELORS, the ministers, or governors, who formed his council, DID NOT WE CAST THREE MEN BOUND INTO THE MIDST OF THE FIRE? The king's chair seems to have be... [ Continue Reading ]
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, no longer bound as they had been cast in, WALKING IN THE MIDST OF THE FIRE, not leaving it, but waiting for God's time to leave them out, AND THEY HAVE NO HURT, as one might have expected by reason of the rough treatment accorded them; AND THE FORM OF... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, which was now opened at his command, AND SPAKE AND SAID, SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO, YE SERVANTS OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, of whose superior greatness he had just received an overpowering impression, and whom he was therefore... [ Continue Reading ]
And the princes, governors, and captains, the representative rulers of his entire empire, AND THE KING'S COUNSELORS, the members of his own privy council, BEING GATHERED TOGETHER, SAW THESE MEN, UPON WHOSE BODIES THE FIRE HAD NO POWER, having had not the slightest effect upon them, NOR WAS AN HAIR O... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, whose superiority to his own gods the king thus recognized, WHO HATH SENT HIS ANGEL AND DELIVERED HIS SERVANTS, THAT TRUSTED IN HIM AND HAVE CHANGED THE KING'S WORD, boldly transgressing his commands, AND YIE... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore I make a decree, literally, "And from me is set forth a decree," THAT EVERY PEOPLE, NATION, AND LANGUAGE WHICH SPEAK ANYTHING AMISS AGAINST THE GOD OF SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO SHALL BE CUT IN PIECES, AND THEIR HOUSES SHALL BE MADE A DUNGHILL, Cf. Daniel 2:5, BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTH... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the king, having once more restored the three men to his full favor, PROMOTED SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO IN THE PROVINCE OF BABYLON. So the firmness of these men in confessing their God, far from bringing misfortune upon them, resulted in further blessings upon them. Note also that the mi... [ Continue Reading ]