Book of DANIEL
Compiled by WD Kemner January 2024
Chapter 3
The Fiery Furnace
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Daniel Chapter 3 verse 1 |
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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.
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The king had an image made of gold. It is likely that it would have been in his own likeness. It was 12.5 feet wide by 125 feet tall! Egypt with all of its statues had been conquered and now the king was going to introduce a state religion of worship with himself the central figure.
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Daniel Chapter 3 verses 2-3 |
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Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent 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.
Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, 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; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
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EVERYONE was gathered for the dedication. No matter the position. It would appear that Daniel must not have been in the country at the time it occurs. Would he have not been of influence on the king? This is true speculation but Daniel was of high rank, possibly second only to the king and therefore may have been “out of town” on some official capacity.
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Daniel Chapter 3 verse 4-7 |
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Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Therefore at that time, when all the people 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.
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Establishment of an ordinance to require worship of a statue of the king. This would of course be of an offense to the Jews who would be in violation of God’s commands regarding graven image worship.
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Daniel Chapter 3 verses 8-12 |
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Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. 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 musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain 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 thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
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Remember these are the same men that could not interpret the dream the king had previously.
They now begin to give the King flattery. Accusations are made against the three Jews because they were not kneeling to the idol.
It is also interesting to note that “no other” Jews are mentioned. Implication being they took part or were not there either. It is important to note that the three friends had positions of honor and would naturally be singled out by those jealous of the distinction.
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Daniel Chapter 3 verses 13-14 |
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Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
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The king most likely knew the three did not serve his gods based off his dealings with Daniel. Had he already forgotten what happened in chapter 2?
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Daniel Chapter 3 verses 15-18 |
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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 musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: 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?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 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 thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
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In other words, they “did not have to think or consider” what their answer was going to be. They said their God would deliver them and if not they would still not worship the idol. They answered the king “…we are not careful to answer…”
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Daniel Chapter 3 verse 19 |
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Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
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Full of fury called for the furnace to be heated up seven times hotter.
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Daniel Chapter 3 verse 20 |
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And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
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The king had mighty men bound the three Jews and throw them into the fire. No one could break those bonds. They were tied by men who knew what they were doing with prisoners.
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Daniel Chapter 3 verses 21 |
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Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
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The Jews being dressed in ALL their garments. They were layered as thought it was fifty degrees BELOW zero temperature outside. Coats, hats and “other garments”!
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Daniel Chapter 3 verses 22 |
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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.
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The mighty men died in the attempt to get the boys into the furnace.
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Daniel Chapter 3 verse 23 |
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And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
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Their bonds were so tight that they fell into the furnace and could not help themselves to their own feet.
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Daniel Chapter 3 verses 24-25 |
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Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
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Upon looking in the furnace the king found NOT three men BUT four! They were walking around NOT even bound. The ropes had burned off but the men were not harmed. The king states that the fourth man is like the son of God. Would it be nice to eavesdrop on the conversation inside the furnace? I see them praising God and suddenly; their voices are joined by an angelic one!
Source: public domain
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The Apocrypha contains books that are not considered “canon” for inclusion with the Bible.
One of these is a book called: “The Song of the Three” or sometimes “The Prayer of Azariah”. Both are the same text. It is an account of the praises they sang or the prayer recited in the furnace.
That story says that the king’s men were throwing pitch and other things into the furnace to get it hotter. The flames went up to forty-nine cubits. Depending upon who’s conversions you use, that translates to anywhere from 75-95 feet above the furnace!
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“The Song of the Three” - 1611 KJV Book of Prayer of Azariah
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/The-song-of-the-three-children_1_1611/
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Daniel Chapter 3 verses 26-30 |
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Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.
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The king called them out of the furnace. Remember no one could go near without dying from the heat alone. When they came out, not a hair was burnt nor a garment harmed from the fire. Not even the smell of smoke! The king honored them and their God and made a decree against anyone who would speak against their God. The boys were then promoted again!
For additional perspective see the Bibles Word Final Blog https://bibleswordfinal.blogspot.com
Review the article “Fiery Furnace - A Different Perspective”