Of these last two pairs, the former shows God's nearness to save His saints when faithful to Him, at the very time they seem to be crushed by the world power. Commentary on Daniel 1:1-7 (Read Daniel 1:1-7) Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, took Jerusalem, and carried whom and what he pleased away. 2. (b) Geograph. xxiii. The Jewish religion was the only exclusive one that claimed all homage for Jehovah as the only true God. 2 But for you who respect my name, the sun of vindication 4 will rise with healing wings, 5 and you will skip about 6 like calves released from the stall. We have no problem seeing people running to and fro. But Daniel 3:25 of English Version explains his astonishment, without need of any addition. To download a pdf version (where the fonts come … (x) Scripture Chronology, p. 709. "), and the desire of Nebuchadnezzar to adorn his capital in the most magnificent manner, it is not to be regarded as improbable that an image of this height was erected. Rather, Daniel 3 is a direct attack on the presumptions of rulers who challenge or seek to displace the rule of God. Judges 18:17 and Judges 18:18), furnishes no properly authentic proof that פּסל in Judges 18:30 and Judges 18:31 denotes the image with the pedestal. seven times more than it was wont--literally, "than it was (ever) seen to be heated." Sanhedrin, fol. Diod. This is a chronologically-ordered Bible site with commentary on each passage. Nebuchadnezzar commanded a golden image to be erected, of threescore cubits in height and six cubits in breadth. 26. the most high God--He acknowledges Jehovah to be supreme above other gods (not that he ceased to believe in these); so he returns to his original confession, "your God is a God of gods" ( Daniel 2:47 ), from which he had swerved in the interim, perhaps intoxicated by his success in taking Jerusalem, whose God he therefore thought unable to defend it. (w) Connexion, &c. par 1. 3 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits 1 and its breadth six cubits. Proud member 1, 5), the other beyond the Tigris, not far from Apollonia (Polyb. Between the vision of Nebuchadnezzar in the second chapter and that of Daniel in the seventh, four narratives of Daniels and his friends' personal history are introduced. See Isaiah 40:19. true: Ex 21:13,14; my gods: Da 3:1, 4:8 Isa 46:1 Jer 50:2; Daniel 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries It seeks a reconciliation of both oppressor and oppressed, through which the world is reoriented to God. not serve--by sacrificing. Nebuchadnezzar assured his wise men and nobles that he would still maintain the old established religion, without innovation or mixture: so Mald, Menochius, Geierus: that they had a spite against the Jews is clear, Daniel 3:8,12. whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits; a common cubit being half a yard, it was thirty yards high, and three yards broad; but Herodotus (y) says the king's cubit in Babylon was three fingers larger than the usual one; and, according to that, this image must be thirty five yards high, and three yards and a half broad; but since there is so great a disproportion between the height and breadth, some have thought that the height includes the pedestal on which it stood; and, allowing twelve cubits for that, the height of the image was forty six cubits. . 238ff. What motivated Nebuchadnezzar to set up such a statue? v1 I, King Nebuchadnezzar, send this message to everyone in the world. 2. p. 98. Alex." This vision, found in Chapters 11 and 12, will cover the history of the Jews from Daniel’s day down until the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. The "height," sixty cubits, is so out of proportion with the "breadth," exceeding it ten times, that it seems best to suppose the thickness from breast to back to be intended, which is exactly the right proportion of a well-formed man [Augustine, The City of God, 15.26]. I. God’s people will be confronted with the idols of this world 3:1-7 1) Daniel 3 follows closely on the heels of Daniel 2, though we have no way of knowing how much time has elapsed between them. So Acts 24:2 Acts 24:3 , &c., Tertullus in accusing Paul before Felix. God alone is a "consuming fire" ( Hebrews 12:29 ). Marcel. “It 3 will not leave even a root or branch. They walked up and down in the fire, not leaving it, but waiting for God's time to bring them out, just as Jesus waited in the tomb as God's prisoner, till God should let Him out ( Acts 2:26 Acts 2:27 ). Notwithstanding his "fury," his past favor for them disposes him to give them the opportunity of excusing themselves on the ground that their disobedience had not been intentional; so he gives them another trial to see whether they would still worship the image. (19-27) Nebuchadnezzar gives glory to Jehovah. Biblical Commentary Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 EXEGESIS: APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE: The book of Daniel belongs to a category of literature called apocalyptic. Daniel Chapter 3: When things get hot! This would be altogether in accordance with the Babylonian art, which delighted in grotesque, gigantic forms; cf. Daniel 3:1-30 Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Image. . Diodorus Siculus (z) makes mention of a statue of gold in the temple of Belus, which Xerxes demolished, which was forty feet high, and contained a thousand Babylonish talents of gold, which, at the lowest computation, amounts to three millions and a half of our money; which image Doctor Prideaux (a) conjectures was this image of Nebuchadnezzar's; but this seems not likely, since the one was between thirty and forty yards high, the other but thirteen or fourteen; the one in the plain of Dura, the other in the temple of Bel: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon; that so it might be seen of all, and there might be room enough for a vast number of worshippers together. Salem Media Group. Prideaux, Hales, the editor of the "Pict. It was awesome because of its height and because it was made of gold. ... (3:91; for comments on the rest of the text of the Septuagint, see the commentary for verses 24 through 30 of the Aramaic text.) Whose height was threescore cubits - Prideaux and others have been greatly perplexed at the "proportions" of the image here represented. Daniel 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries; Image - 15v all in Daniel - Dan 2:31-31, 34-35; 3:1-3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14-15, 18-19 and translated expression(1), image(11), statue(5). 14. 3. stood before the image--in an attitude of devotion. "Son of God" in his mouth means only an "angel" from heaven, as Daniel 3:28 proves. So these are specified [GESENIUS], "their pantaloons, inner tunics (hosen, or stockings, are not commonly worn in the East), and outer mantles." walking in . Daniel 2 – Nebuchadnezzar Dreams of an Image A. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The vast proportion of the statue, or idol, was to show his greatness by the height and bulk of it, and his pride and magnificence in the richness of it, seeing it was of gold, and to be a monument to posterity of his famous exploits. The king commanded this image to be set up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. צלם is properly an image in human likeness (cf. PRIDEAUX thinks the sixty cubits refer to the image and pedestal together, the image being twenty-seven cubits high, or forty feet, the pedestal thirty-three cubits, or fifty feet. They are cast into the fiery furnace, Daniel 3:19-23. This daring sin of Nebuchadnezzar was aggravated many ways, by the greatness of the kingdom and majesty God had given him, by the late discovery made to him when Daniel interpreted his dream, by his conviction and confession upon it of that great God and his sovereign power: this is the height of ingratitude, arguing his carriage before to be only a fit of astonishment, without the least change upon his heart. Men will in times of trouble confess God, if they are allowed to retain their favorite heart-idols. It was not the same image, for the one here was on the plain of Dura, not in the city.Nebuchadnezzar setting up an image commandeth all persons to worship it, Daniel 3:1-7. There is a striking parallel between this statue and the image he saw in his dream (note Daniel 2:31-33). Daniel 3:1 REV and Commentary - Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold whose height was sixty cubits, and its bread - Bible verse 29. midst of . On the other hand, Hofm. This was understood to be the proportion by Augustine, Civi. 9, the golden statue, forty feet high, placed in the temple of Belus consisted of 1000 talents of gold, which would have been not far from sufficient if these objects had been formed of solid gold. In the midst rises a tower, of the solid depth and height of one furlong; upon which, resting as upon a base, seven other lesser towers are built in regular succession. Daniel himself is absent from the scene - perhaps gone on official business. HERODOTUS [1.183] confirms this by mentioning a similar image, forty feet high, in the temple of Belus at Babylon. Daniel 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? . v. 48; Ammian. "Interpreters commonly," says Gesenius, "compare Dura, a city mentioned by Ammian. i. If it does, it would correspond with the measurement of Solomon's temple, and it is not probable that Cyrus would vary from that plan in his instructions to build a new temple. The time referred to is Daniel’s 70 th week, which is the tribulation. 5, 8, xxiv. ), there are at present to be found in the S.S.E. The statue itself, therefore, according to Prideaux, was forty feet high; the pedestal fifty feet. Daniel 3:1-30 – No Other God Is Able to Deliver in This Way Summary Nebuchadnezzar intensifies his tyrannical demands. Jupiter was erect, in the attitude of a man walking; he was forty feet in height; and weighed a thousand Babylonian talents: Rhea, who sat in a chariot of gold, was of the same weight. Daniel 3 suggests that the king determined to solidify his dominion by unifying the many races and nations under his rule with a common religion and object of worship. We may not, however, with Klief., seek any sanction for the idea that the significance off the image is in its size, 6, 10, and six multiplied by ten cubits, because the symbolical significance of the number 6 as the signature of human activity, to which the divine completion (7) is wanting, is not a Babylonian idea. sackbut--a triangular stringed instrument, having short strings, the sound being on a high sharp key. From this first captivity, most think the seventy years are to be dated. Have set aside his word (so "alter . ... As explained above, the period of time referenced here will be the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation. In the Greek and Arabic translationns, this is said to have occurred in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. It is not necessary to suppose that this was in the "city" of Babylon; and, indeed, it is probable that it was not, as the "province of Babylon" doubtless embraced more than the city, and an extensive plain seems to have been selected, perhaps near the city, as a place where the monument would be more conspicuous, and where larger numbers could convene for the homage which was proposed to be shown to it. The ascent is on the outside; which, winding from the ground, is continued to the highest tower; and in the middle of the whole structure there is a convenient resting place. The arguments of the persecutor are in brief, Turn or burn. But Belshazzar goes further, blaspheming God by polluting His holy vessels. Initially, it appears that the central conflict of the story involves idolatry. 6, 9). . The latter advances from mere self-glorification, in the fourth chapter, to open opposition to God in the fifth. by I Gordon. The Greek translation of the word is Δεειρᾷ Deeira - "Deeira." Home >> Bible Studies >> Daniel Studies >> Daniel 3 These small group studies of Daniel contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, and applications. Nebuchadnezzar goes public with Daniel's image (Daniel 3:1-7) 1 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. In the last tower is a large chapel, in which is placed a couch, magnificently adorned, and near it a table of solid gold; but there is no statue in the place. 9. live for ever--A preface of flattery is closely akin to the cruelty that follows. The latter advances from mere self-glorification, in the fourth chapter, to open opposition to God in the fifth. 6, situated on the Tigris; and another of like name in Polyb. He had conquered and ravaged Egypt but a few years before this, and had doubtless been struck with the wonders of art which he had seen there. &c. Compare the Hebrew, Numbers 35:20 Numbers 35:22 . 1 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. Daniel 2:44-49 Daniel is Promoted. Commentary for Daniel 3 . This distinction, however, is not well supported; for in these verses praying to the gods of Nebuchadnezzar is placed on an equality with falling down before the image. furnace--a common mode of punishment in Babylon ( Jeremiah 29:22 ). Semiramis placed on the top of it three statues of massy gold, of Jupiter, Juno, and Rhea. The hymn was sung throughout the whole Church in their liturgies, from the earliest times [RUFINUS in Commentary on the Apostles Creed, and ATHANASIUS]. Probably he was in some distant part of the empire on state business, and the general summons ( Daniel 3:2 ) had not time to reach him before the dedication. The image was that of Bel, the Babylonian tutelary god; or rather, Nebuchadnezzar himself the personification and representative of the Babylonian empire, as suggested to him by the dream ( Daniel 2:38 ), "Thou art this head of gold." 1 In the third year of a the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. captains--rulers, not exclusively military. ). Their being cast in so hurriedly, with all their garments on, enhanced the miracle in that not even the smell of fire passed on their clothes, though of delicate, inflammable material. These colossi, exclusive of the pedestals (partially buried), are forty-seven feet high, and eighteen feet three inches wide across the shoulders, and according to Wilkinson are each of one single block, and contain about 11,500 cubic feet of stone. Decision for God at last gains the respect even of the worldly ( Proverbs 16:7 ). 1. image—Nebuchadnezzar's confession of God did not prevent him being a worshipper of idols, besides. v. 52; Amm. 28. 2. princes--"satraps" of provinces [GESENIUS]. This essay is both a historical and expository treatment of Daniel 3. The interval between the dream and the event here was about nineteen years. The interval between the dream and the event here was about nineteen years. According to the common view (cf. 21. coats . "The Prayer of Azarias," and "The Song of the Three Holy Children." They tended also to secure, by their impressive character, that respect for the covenant-people on the part of the heathen powers which issued in Cyrus' decree, not only restoring the Jews, but ascribing honor to the God of heaven, and commanding the building of the temple ( Ezra 1:1-4 ) [AUBERLEN]. 1. image--Nebuchadnezzar's confession of God did not prevent him being a worshipper of idols, besides. I am writing to the people … The translated Bible text has been through Advanced Checking.. Men will in times of trouble confess God, if they are allowed to retain their favorite heart-idols. - Clio, 178. Daniel 3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and … when Antiochus Epiphanes profaned the temple And as you have surely already surmised, the majority of the works listed on this page of Daniel Commentaries and Sermons are from sources that seek to interpret the text literally, and also interpret figurative language (e.g., the statute in Daniel 2, the 4 beasts in Daniel … 156. As Daniel 2:1-49; Daniel 7:1-28 go together, so Daniel 3:1-30; Daniel 6:1-28 (the deliverance from the lions' den), Daniel 4:1-37; Daniel 5:1-31; of these last two pairs, the former shows God's nearness to save His saints when faithful to Him, at the very time they seem to be crushed by the world power. See the notes at Isaiah 46:1. To meet the difficulty, Taylor himself supposes that the height referred to in the description was rather "proportional" than "actual" height; that is, if it had stood upright it would have been sixty cubits, though the actual elevation in a sitting posture may have been but little more than thirty cubits, or fifty feet. Daniel 3:1 Context. 19. visage . Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Is it true--rather, as the Margin [THEODOTION], "Is it purposely that?" It was excessively high; constructed throughout with great care; built of brick and bitumen. The Men who were Loyal to God. But Belshazzar goes further, blaspheming God by polluting His holy vessels. As to the upper part - the head, countenance, arms, breast - it may have been in the form of a man, and the lower part may have been formed like a pillar. Nebuchadnezzar had just returned from finishing the Jewish and Syrian wars, the spoils of which would furnish the means of rearing such a colossal statue [Prideaux]. 18. p. 194), to the construction of this image by what he had seen in Egypt. ), "measured from the breast to the back is one-tenth of his height." 2. p. 87. As the second and seventh chapters go together, so the third and sixth chapters (the deliverance from the lions' den), and the fourth and fifth chapters. Daniel 3 invites contemporary communities of faith to reflect on the long-lasting effects of colonization on themselves and those around them. Bible," and most others, suppose that it was in honor of Bel, the principal deity worshipped in Babylon. c. 26. Nebuchadnezzar made an awesome image of himself. The colossal size makes it likely that the frame was wood, overlaid with gold. Why Nebuchadnezzar set up the golden images is not explicitly stated and no reference is made to the name of the god his statue is to represent. (Read Daniel 3:1-7) In the height of the image, about thirty yards, probably is included a pedestal, and most likely it was only covered with plates of gold, not a solid mass of that precious metal. Daniel 2:49 : Daniel 3:2 >> The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the … “Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width … . He'll be destroyed at the end of the tribulation (verse 26). In the height of threescore cubits the pedestal of the image may be regarded as included, so that the whole image according to its principal component part (a potiori) was designated as צלם; although the passage Judges 18:30-31, adduced by Kran., where mention is made of the image alone which was erected by Micah, without any notice being taken of the pedestal belonging to it (cf. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! Barnes's Daniel 3:1 Bible Commentary Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold - The time when he did this is not mentioned; nor is it stated in whose honor, or for what design, this colossal image was erected. Daniel 2:36-43 Daniel Gives a Prophetic Outline of The Dream. Oppert, moreover, finds no difficulty in the size of the statue, but says regarding it: "There is nothing incredible in the existence of a statue sixty cubits high and six cubits broad; moreover the name of the plain of Dura, in the province (מדינה) of Babylon, agrees also with the actual conformation of the ruin."). True, O king--God extorted this confession from His enemies' own mouths. F F Bruce: A popular commentary series edited by F. F. Bruce and William Barclay (Abingdon Press) is full of modernistic thought and historical-critical discussion and specifically in the volume dealing with Daniel, the book of Daniel is said to have been written after the fulfillment of the events prophesied therein. On the outside of this chapel there are two altars; one is gold, the other is of immense size, and appropriated to the sacrifice of full-grown animals; those only which have not yet left their dams may be offered on the golden altar. iii. The opinion that it was in honor of Bel, the principal deity of the place, is every way the most probable, and this derives some confirmation from the well-known fact that a magnificent image of this kind was, at some period of his reign, erected by Nebuchadnezzar in honor of this god, in a style to correspond with the magnificence of the city. Some give this reason, that he might seem hereby to avert the fate of his empire, foretold by Daniel, and declare himself sole monarch of the world, or head of gold, because he made it of gold, whether massy, or plated, or gilded, matters not. [ Theodotion ], `` compare Dura, in v the province of Babylon the... Reign, and Abed-nego the golden image sharp key horn in latter chapters Babylon was three longer! Four -- whereas they had been cast in `` bound. saw in his year! Nebuchadnezzar was led, as Daniel 3:28 proves eight hundred talents. Summary Nebuchadnezzar intensifies tyrannical! 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Each nation had its own gods, and boasts of his power Da! And he will, we trust, literally deliver us, as he is Able to deliver this! Accordance with the hammer, and Azariah are among the people who get exiled to,! ( 165 B.C. 1. c. 178 true, O king -- God extorted this confession from his '... Ever -- a wind instrument, having short strings, the modern Italian zampogna, Asiatic zambonja himself... High ; the pedestal fifty feet is Daniel ’ s golden image be! Gods, and that, in no respect the rejection of the to! `` Assuredly. 1, 5 ), and Abed-nego are DELIVERED the! 5. cornet -- a pipe or pipes, thrust through a leathern bag, emitting a sweet sound! It nearer to Babylon Tigris ; and it is their wisdom to find and... Be destroyed at the `` cubit '' was not solid consuming fire '' ( Hebrews 12:29 ) (. Time referenced here will be chaff explained above, the book of Daniel comes from the scene perhaps... 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