Daniel 3:8-12

b. PERNICIOUS DENOUNCEMENT

TEXT: Daniel 3:8-12

8

Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusation against the Jews.

9

They answered and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, O king, live for ever.

10

Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image;

11

and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

12

There are certain Jews whom thou hast appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods; nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

QUERIES

a.

Who were the Chaldeans who brought accusation?

b.

Why their accusation?

PARAPHRASE

During this very time some of the Chaldeans, the leading class of court wisemen, came before the king and maliciously accused the Jews of disobedience to the king's edict. They said, O king, Hail, live forever! You made a royal decree that everyone must fall down and worship the golden image at the signal of all the musical instruments playing together. Your edict was that anyone who refuses will be thrown into a flaming furnace. But there are some JewsShadrach, Meshach, and Abednegowhom you have put in places of high position of government in the province of Babylon, who have defied you and they refuse to serve your gods and to worship the golden image you set up.

COMMENT

Daniel 3:8. CERTAIN CHALDEANS. BROUGHT ACCUSATION. The Chaldeans as we learned before were a prominent class of court astrologers or wisemen (cf. Daniel 2:2 ff). They held high positions of influence in government and, as in almost every human organizationespecially civil structures, there is a great amount of jealousy and status seeking. There is a common Semitic expression in the Aramaic text here which translated literally reads, ... they devoured the pieces of the Jews. and would be better translated, ... they accused the Jews with malice aforethought. Jealousy and envy over the quick promotion and success of the Hebrew youths motivated the Chaldeans throughout. Their wounded vanity and unreasoning jealousy is made to look like a patriotic disclosure as the words of accusation fall from their lips.

Daniel 3:9-12. CERTAIN JEWS. SERVE NOT THY GODS. The accusation is also made to sound like a charge of ingratitude. Here the king has honored these men by appointment to high office and they will not even so much as return the honor by doing homage to the golden image the king has made.

QUIZ

1.

Why do we think the accusation against the Jews was motivated by envy?

2.

How did the Chaldeans make their accusation sound patriotic?

3.

Why do we think they made the charge sound like the Jews were ungrateful?