Lexical Summary
segid: To bow down, to worship
Original Word:סְגִד
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:cgid
Pronunciation:seh-GEED
Phonetic Spelling:(seg-eed')
NASB:worship, did homage, worshiped
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) corresponding toH5456 (סָגַד - falls down)]
1. worship
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
worship
(Aramaic) corresponding tocagad -- worship.
see HEBREWcagad
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to
sagadDefinitionto do homage
NASB Translationdid homage (1), worship (10), worshiped (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(by prostration) ( Syriac; Biblical Hebrew (late)); —
Perfect3masculine singularDaniel 2:46;Imperfect3masculine singularDaniel 3:6 +, 3 masculine pluralDaniel 3:28, etc.;Participle active pluralDaniel 3:7 #NAME?do homageDaniel 3:5,7,10,12,14,15,18, of false godDaniel 3:28; omitted,Daniel 3:6;Daniel 3:11;Daniel 3:15;Daniel 2:46 (perhaps as representing God, compare vb, yet see Dr).
Topical Lexicon
Overviewסְגִד (sgid) is the Aramaic verb “to worship” or “do homage,” appearing twelve times, all inDaniel 2–3. Its concentration in this narrative highlights a sustained confrontation between counterfeit and authentic worship.
Occurrences in Daniel
•Daniel 2:46 – Nebuchadnezzar, awed by the God-given interpretation of his dream, “fell facedown and paid homage to Daniel”. The king’s action exposes the human tendency to misdirect worship toward the messenger rather than the God who speaks through him.
•Daniel 3:5–7, 10–15 – The king commands every subject to “fall down and worship the golden statue” (3:5). Sevenfold repetition of סְגִד underscores the totalitarian demand for idolatry.
•Daniel 3:18 – The three Hebrews reply, “we will not serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up”, pairing negative refusal with positive fidelity to the covenant.
•Daniel 3:28 – After divine deliverance from the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar praises God for rescuing “those who trusted in Him, who violated the king’s command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God”. The final use of סְגִד vindicates exclusive allegiance to the Lord.
Historical Context
Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon sought to merge political loyalty with religious conformity, a hallmark of ancient Near Eastern imperial policy. The massive golden image (likely a stylized representation of the king and his gods) stood on the Plain of Dura, an ideal stage for empire-wide spectacle. In that milieu, “worship” carried overt political weight; to refuse סְגִד was treason. Daniel and his companions therefore model resistance not merely to false religion but to an idolatrous state ideology.
Contrasting True Worship and Idolatry
1. Recipient
• False: a human king (Daniel 2:46) or a man-made image (Daniel 3:5).
• True: “the Most High God” (Daniel 3:26).
2. Motive
• False: coercion, fear of punishment (Daniel 3:6).
• True: covenantal love and trust even in peril (Daniel 3:17-18).
3. Outcome
• False: threatened death, yet ultimately impotent (Daniel 3:29).
• True: divine presence in the furnace and public testimony of God’s glory (Daniel 3:25, 28).
Theological Significance
• Exclusive Worship – The repeated imperative to סְגִד clarifies that true worship cannot be shared. The Shema’s demand for undivided love (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) is unbroken even in exile and under foreign tongues.
• Divine Sovereignty – God’s ability to deliver (Daniel 3:17) or permit martyrdom (Daniel 3:18) rests on His sovereign will, not on the worshipers’ calculations. Worship is offered for who God is, not merely for expected outcomes.
• Christological Echo – The fourth figure “like a son of the gods” walking in the flames (Daniel 3:25) foreshadows the incarnate Redeemer who is present with His people in suffering and who alone is worthy of universal worship (Philippians 2:10).
Ministry Applications
• Courageous Fidelity – Congregations facing cultural pressure can draw onDaniel 3 as a template for steadfast obedience. Worship that costs nothing achieves little; worship that risks everything magnifies God’s worth.
• Discernment in Honor – Respect for authorities (Romans 13:1) must never cross into worship. Modern believers must distinguish rightful civic honor from idolatrous homage.
• Corporate Witness – The collective refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shows the power of united faith. Churches today model true סְגִד when they gather around Scripture and sacrament rather than personalities or programs.
Summary
Every use of סְגִד in Daniel forces a choice: bow to the image or stand for the living God. The narrative vindicates those who reserve worship for the One who alone delivers, preserving a timeless call to “worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness” (Psalm 29:2).
Forms and Transliterations
וְיִסְגֻּ֑ד וְיִסְגֻּ֖ד וְתִסְגְּדוּן֙ וְתִסְגְּדוּן֮ ויסגד ותסגדון יִסְגְּדוּן֙ יסגדון נִסְגֻּֽד׃ נסגד׃ סְגִ֑ד סָֽגְדִֽין׃ סָֽגְדִין֙ סָגְדִֽין׃ סגד סגדין סגדין׃ תִסְגְּד֔וּן תסגדון nis·guḏ nisGud nisguḏ sā·ḡə·ḏîn sageDin sāḡəḏîn sə·ḡiḏ seGid səḡiḏ ṯis·gə·ḏūn tisgeDun ṯisgəḏūn vetisgeDun veyisGud wə·ṯis·gə·ḏūn wə·yis·guḏ wəṯisgəḏūn wəyisguḏ yis·gə·ḏūn yisgeDun yisgəḏūn
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