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Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Image
…5As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.6And whoeverdoes notfall downand worshipwill immediatelybe thrownintothe blazingfieryfurnace.”7Therefore, as soon as all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and all kinds of music, the people of every nation and language would fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.…

Treasury of Scripture

And whoever falls not down and worships shall the same hour be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace.

falleth.

Daniel 3:11,15
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth,that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace…

Exodus 20:5
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy Godam a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourthgeneration of them that hate me;

Isaiah 44:17
And the residue thereof he maketh a god,even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippethit, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thouart my god.

the same.

Daniel 2:5,12,13
The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill…

Mark 6:27
And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

a burning.

Genesis 19:28
And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

Jeremiah 29:22
And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah whichare in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;

Ezekiel 22:18-22
Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all theyare brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they areeven the dross of silver…

BlazingBurningCastFallFallethFallingFieryFireFlamingFurnaceHourImmediatelyMidstObeisanceThrownWorshipWorshippethWorshippingBlazingBurningCastFallFallethFallingFieryFireFlamingFurnaceHourImmediatelyMidstObeisanceThrownWorshipWorshippethWorshipping1.Nebuchadnezzar dedicates a golden image in Dura.
3.They being threatened, make a good confession.
8.Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are accused for not worshipping the image.
19.They are cast into the furnace,
24.from which God delivers them.
28.Nebuchadnezzar seeing the miracle blesses God, and advances them.

And whoever does not fall down and worship
This phrase highlights the absolute authority and demand for allegiance by King Nebuchadnezzar. In the ancient Near Eastern context, rulers often demanded worship as a demonstration of loyalty and unity within their empire. The act of falling down and worshiping was a physical demonstration of submission and reverence, common in many ancient cultures. This decree sets the stage for a test of faith for the Jewish exiles, who are commanded by their own religious laws to worship only Yahweh (Exodus 20:3-5). The refusal to worship the image is a direct challenge to the king's authority and a test of fidelity to God's commandments.

will immediately be thrown
The immediacy of the punishment underscores the severity and non-negotiable nature of the king's decree. It reflects the absolute power wielded by Nebuchadnezzar and the swift justice typical of ancient monarchies. This immediate consequence serves as a deterrent to disobedience and emphasizes the king's intolerance for dissent. The urgency of the punishment also highlights the tension between the king's edict and the faith of the Jewish exiles, who must choose between immediate physical danger and spiritual compromise.

into the blazing fiery furnace.
The fiery furnace is a symbol of intense trial and judgment. In the ancient world, furnaces were used for smelting metals and were capable of reaching extremely high temperatures. Archaeological evidence from Babylon suggests that such furnaces were indeed used for executions. The furnace represents a test of faith and a place of purification, drawing parallels to other biblical themes of fire as a means of testing and refining (1 Peter 1:7,Malachi 3:2-3). This imagery also foreshadows the New Testament concept of fiery trials and the ultimate deliverance through faith in God. The furnace can be seen as a type of Christ's suffering and the believer's call to endure persecution for righteousness' sake, with the promise of divine presence and deliverance.

1.King Nebuchadnezzar
The Babylonian king who erected a golden statue and commanded all to worship it.

2.The Golden Statue
A massive idol set up by Nebuchadnezzar on the plain of Dura, symbolizing his power and authority.

3.The Plain of Dura
The location in the province of Babylon where the statue was erected.

4.The Fiery Furnace
A punishment method used by Nebuchadnezzar for those who refused to worship the statue.

5.Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Jewish exiles who refused to bow to the statue, demonstrating faithfulness to God.Faithfulness Under Pressure
The account of the fiery furnace challenges believers to remain faithful to God even when faced with severe consequences.

Idolatry in Modern Times
While we may not face literal statues, modern idolatry can take many forms, such as materialism or the pursuit of power.

God's Presence in Trials
Just as God was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, He promises to be with us in our own fiery trials.

Courage to Stand Alone
The courage of these three men inspires us to stand firm in our convictions, even if we must stand alone.

The Cost of Discipleship
Following Christ may require us to make difficult choices that go against societal norms or expectations.1.What is the meaning of Daniel 3:6?

2.What consequences did Nebuchadnezzar decree for not worshiping the golden image in Daniel 3:6?

3.How does Daniel 3:6 illustrate the importance of standing firm in faith?

4.Compare Daniel 3:6 with Exodus 20:3. How do they relate to idolatry?

5.How can Daniel 3:6 inspire Christians facing pressure to compromise their beliefs today?

6.What lessons from Daniel 3:6 can strengthen our resolve against cultural pressures?

7.Why did Nebuchadnezzar demand worship of the golden statue in Daniel 3:6?

8.How does Daniel 3:6 challenge the concept of religious freedom?

9.What historical evidence supports the events described in Daniel 3:6?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Daniel 3?

11.What are the main themes in the Book of Daniel?

12.What happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Babylon?

13.Psalm 138:4-5 speaks of all kings praising God. Is there any historical evidence that surrounding nations' rulers ever truly honored Israel's God in this way?

14.What does the Bible say about civil disobedience?And whoever

- The decree was universal, leaving no exemptions for ethnicity, rank, or previous loyalties (Romans 2:11;Revelation 13:15).

- By beginning with “whoever,” the king declared himself the ultimate authority over every individual, challenging God’s rightful sovereignty.

- For believers, this reminds us that earthly powers can demand what only God deserves, and we must discern the difference (Acts 5:29).

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does not fall down

- “Fall down” shows physical submission. Refusing to bow was a visible, public stand (Exodus 20:5;Philippians 2:10).

- The action was not neutral; it signified allegiance. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose visible faithfulness, accepting social and political fallout (Hebrews 11:24-27).

- Today, our culture may ask for less dramatic gestures, yet the principle remains: whom we visibly honor reveals whom we truly serve.

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and worship

- Bowing might look like mere ceremony, but Scripture ties posture to worship of the heart (Matthew 4:10;Revelation 14:7).

- The Babylonian statue represented state-sanctioned idolatry. To comply was to betray the first commandment (Exodus 20:3).

- Genuine worship cannot be shared; it belongs to God alone. The young Hebrews understood that compromise in worship is still apostasy.

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will immediately

- The king attached instant consequences—no appeal, no delay (Joshua 7:25;Acts 5:5, 10).

- Urgency heightens the test: obedience to God often requires split-second decisions.

- God’s people can trust Him even when the threats are pressing and the timeline is short.

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be thrown

- The punishment was deliberate and forceful, an act of violent coercion (Jeremiah 38:6;Luke 4:29).

- Faith sometimes leads right into the hands of hostile authorities, yet God remains in control of both captors and captivity (Daniel 3:17).

- The verb underscores that suffering for righteousness is not accidental but often imposed.

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into the blazing fiery furnace

- The furnace symbolized ultimate human wrath and absolute finality (Matthew 13:42;Revelation 20:14-15).

- Politically, it was a public spectacle meant to deter dissent; spiritually, it foreshadowed divine judgment on rebellion against God (Isaiah 48:10).

- God later entered that same fire with His servants, proving He is present even in the hottest trials (Daniel 3:25).

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summary

Daniel 3:6 sets up a stark choice: worship the idol or face immediate, lethal punishment. The verse illustrates the clash between totalitarian demands and absolute loyalty to God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s refusal teaches that true worship is exclusive, courageous, and worth any cost. Earthly fires may rage, but the Lord who walks in the flames delivers those who remain faithful.

(6)Shall be cast . . .--This punishment was not uncommon among the Babylonians. One instance of it is mentioned by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:22; see alsoTransactions of the Society of Biblical Arch?ology, vol. ii., p. 361). The occasion being a national festival, any refusal to worship the national gods would be regarded as high treason. Any foreign subjects would be expected to take part in the ceremony, their gods being supposed to have been conquered, and being regarded as demons. (Comp.2Kings 19:12;2Chronicles 28:23.)

Verse 6. -And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. The only difference between the Septuagint and the Massoretic text is that instead of rendering, "shall be cast," it is put in the plural active, "they shall cast him." There may have been a difference of reading -יִרְמונֵה instead ofיִתְרְמֵא. It is, perhaps, more probable that it is simply that the translator preferred this construction to the one which would have resulted from a more literal translation. Theodotion,the Peshitta, and Vulgate agree with the Massoretic.In that very hour. It has been suggested by Professor Fuller that the way the shadow fell would enable them to fix the hour. This, however, is giving an exact astronomical meaning to what had only a rhetorical significance. The wordsha'a is very vague; it means "time" in general, it means "any short interval of time," from some days to a moment.Shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. The wordאַתּוּן is of uncertain derivation; it is found in both dialects of Aramaic. It occurs in the Targum of pseudo-Jonathan, in the story of the death of Haran and the preservation of Abraham, which seems distinctly imitated from the events related here. In Smith's 'Life of Asshurbanipal,' we find this punishment more than once resorted to,e.g. pp. 163, 164. Professor Bevan maintains, in answer to Lenormant's appeal to this as a proof of the author's accurate knowledge of Babylonian methods of punishment, that this is derived fromJeremiah 29:22, Zedekiah and Ahab, "whom the King of Babylon roasted in the fire." Only the action implied by the verbקָלָה (qalah) is not complete burning, as that implied in the punishment before us, but rather the more cruel torture of slowly burning The word is used of "parched corn" (Leviticus 2:14;Judges 5:11); it is used also of the heat of fever (Psalm 38:8). There is no verbal indication that the author of Daniel was at all influenced by this passage.

Parallel Commentaries ...


And whoever
וּמַן־(ū·man-)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4479:Who, what

does not
לָ֥א(lā)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3809:Not, no

fall down
יִפֵּ֖ל(yip·pêl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5308:To fall

and worship
וְיִסְגֻּ֑ד(wə·yis·guḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5457:To prostrate oneself

will immediately
שַׁעֲתָ֣א(ša·‘ă·ṯā)
Noun - feminine singular determinate
Strong's 8160:A brief time, moment

be thrown
יִתְרְמֵ֔א(yiṯ·rə·mê)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7412:To throw, set, assess

into
לְגֽוֹא־(lə·ḡō·w-)
Preposition | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1459:Midst, middle

the burning
יָקִֽדְתָּֽא׃(yā·qiḏ·tā)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular determinate
Strong's 3345:To burn

fiery
נוּרָ֖א(nū·rā)
Noun - common singulard
Strong's 5135:A fire

furnace.”
אַתּ֥וּן(’at·tūn)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 861:A fire-place, furnace


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OT Prophets: Daniel 3:6 And whoever doesn't fall down and worship (Dan. Da Dn)