DANIEL CHAPTER 3 Nebuchadnezzar setting up an image commandeth all persons to worship it, DANIEL 3:1. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are accused of disobeying the command, DANIEL 3:8. The king threateneth them; their resolute answer, DANIEL 3:13. They are cast into the fiery furnace, DANIEL 3:19. G... [ Continue Reading ]
This great statue, whether Nebuchadnezzar's own, or Bel, or any other of his gods, see DANIEL 3:14, must be solemnly dedicated, and therefore all the peers of the realm are called to it; but whether these ranks of men and officers are truly rendered from the Chaldee words is hard to determine, and n... [ Continue Reading ]
i. e. In the plains of Dura, where great multitudes might easily be gathered, and behold it lifted up on high, conspicuous to all; they beheld it with admiration, ready to adore it, in obedience to the king's will and pleasure, for whatsoever pleased him pleased them, walking willingly after the com... [ Continue Reading ]
AN HERALD: it is likely there were many heralds at the head of that great concourse, else they could not all hear. PEOPLE, NATIONS, AND LANGUAGES: proclamation was made therefore in several languages, to some of several nations assembled there, and to the representatives of all.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL KINDS OF MUSIC, i.e. wind and stringed instruments of various sorts and fashions, for we have here Syrian and Greek ones, as appears by the words, though in Chaldee letters, for this mighty monarch was lord over them all. YE FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP: mark, all that is required of them is only a ges... [ Continue Reading ]
This was a punishment usual among the Chaldeans, to scorch, roast, and burn offenders with fire, JEREMIAH 29:22: see /APC 1MA 7:3. And this the king of Moab imitated, 2 KINGS 3:27 AMOS 2:1. This shows the hellish malice and cruelty of wicked men, especially against those that cross their pride and s... [ Continue Reading ]
The same methods hath new Babylon followed, in the long slavery of their false catholic church, for the whole world wondered after the beast, and none could make war with him, REVELATION 13:3,4,7,8.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Now the devil's cloven foot appears, now ye have the bottom of the plot; one of these two is clear: these Chaldeans finding the Jews made courtiers, and preferred to places of trust and honour, they either put the king upon this work, or else made use of it, both to satisfy their ambition and wreak... [ Continue Reading ]
Why not Daniel too, because he was chief of all in honour? ANSW. Because the king had a greater favour for him, and he was popular, and beloved for his great wisdom and unblamable carriage; they would not meddle with him now, lest by his knowledge and interest in the king he might chance to spoil th... [ Continue Reading ]
Now when these men were brought before the king, though in rage, yet he doth not presently throw them into the fire, but makes inquiry by interrogatories, that he might see first if they were guilty, by hearing them speak for themselves, and telling them he expected obedience and conformity to his l... [ Continue Reading ]
Prodigious pride and blasphemy! for he doth not only insult over all gods in general, but particularly against the only true God, whom he lately confessed, DANIEL 2:47, to be A GOD OF GODS, AND A LORD OF KINGS. So the king of Assyria, 2 KINGS 18:30,33. Thus all the tyrants of the East, Turk, Mogul,... [ Continue Reading ]
Heb. WE CARE NOT, we may not, there is no need of any answer in this case, for it is in vain for us to deliberate and debate the matter; the king is resolved to have his will of us, and we are resolved on the contrary; for to obey him in this horrid thing will be disobedience against our God to the... [ Continue Reading ]
They were endued with a strong faith in their God, not only as to his power, which was omnipotent and unlimited, but also as to his will, which readily inclined him to succour his servants in their distress, for his name's sake, according to his promise and the saints experience in the like cases of... [ Continue Reading ]
They add this, BUT IF NOT, to show they did not presume to tie God to this deliverance absolutely, for God is arbitrary, and knows how to deliver, and sometimes to suffer his saints to glorify him by suffering. It was therefore all one to them, which way of the two God would honour himself, they wer... [ Continue Reading ]
The king's fury appeared in his face, and in his words; taking this answer for the highest affront and provocation, which as the case stood he could not bear, the pride of his heart made his indignation boil over, and therefore he made the FURNACE SEVEN TIMES HOTTER. Tyrants would burn the people of... [ Continue Reading ]
Did he think these three men would have resisted, or that their God would defend them from his power, or that, if he had, the king and his mighty men could have prevailed? None of all this was in the case, for God purposed to show his power when the king did his worst, and to quench the violence of... [ Continue Reading ]
This is observable and wonderful, that the fire should not catch their garments, being the most obnoxious to it.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KING'S COMMANDMENT WAS URGENT; which made them the more hasty and precipitate in their execution, and took less care for themselves against the violence of the flame. THE FIRE SLEW THOSE MEN; a signal hand of God upon such as execute wicked commands, who, though mighty men, had no might to escap... [ Continue Reading ]
All this is expressed with emphasis, to make the power of God more glorious in their preservation; for that flame that slew the executioners might much more easily have suffocated the three children before they fell down.... [ Continue Reading ]
ROSE UP IN HASTE: this fear, perturbation, and amazement as the word signifies, surprised the king, being surprised with the strangeness of it, beholding something supernatural in it, together with the disappointment of his design and cruel commands. TRUE, O KING: the Lord extorted this confession f... [ Continue Reading ]
I SEE; the fire gave light to see them, though it had no power of heat to burn them. LIKE THE SON OF GOD; a Divine, most beautiful, and glorious countenance; either of a mere angel, or rather of Jesus Christ, the Angel of the covenant, who did sometimes appear in the Old Testament before his incarna... [ Continue Reading ]
CAME NEAR; as near as he durst come, within hearing. _And spake_ with a milder tone than before, God having abated the fire of his fury. Now he could at once confess and acknowledge the true God to be the Most High above all gods, and the three worthies to be his faithful servants. CAME FORTH OF THE... [ Continue Reading ]
SAW THESE MEN, with great admiration, for the satisfaction of all by their sight of them, and by their smell. All the works of God are perfect, and there was nothing here wanting to make this wonderful deliverance complete. Here was a pure act of God's omnipotence, to divide between the fire and its... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus out of the mouths of blasphemers and contemners of God can the Lord ordain praise: yet all this did not draw off this king from his idolatry, for he saith, THE GOD OF SHADRACH, & c., not his God. Wonders will not work conversion till God work upon the heart, DEUTERONOMY 29:24. He blesseth God f... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, that though he doth not resolve to worship the true God, nor command others to do it, yet he would not allow the God of the Jews to be evil spoken of; this was all that he came up to. He was resolved to hold fast to the religion established, his own idols; nay, the great golden idol, w... [ Continue Reading ]
They that honour God, them will God honour. To suffer, and suffer shame and pains, for God, is to honour God. 1 THESSALONIANS 21:19 1 PETER 4:14. It is probable that the Chaldeans used to reproach the God of the Jews, and more upon this account, because for his sake these his servants refused confor... [ Continue Reading ]