We don’t know where Daniel is during this story. There is no mention made of him one way or another. Some have speculated that he was away on business or that his high rank protected him, but it is just that, speculation.
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.
We don’t know what this image looked like. It could have been an image of Nebuchadnezzar, or just a plain obelisk or anything in between. The height (about 90 feet) may have included a pedestal.
2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3 Then the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, 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.
4 Then a herald cried aloud, “To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
5 “That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
Cornet, flute, harp, and dulcimer are all instruments that are still common today. A sackbut is similar to a trombone. A psaltery is from the zither family, a type of lap harp.
6 “And whoso falls not down and worships shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”
This was a serious threat for those who refuse the king’s new god. He didn’t tell them they had to give up their old gods, just add this one to them.
7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Everyone obeyed the king.
8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
9 They spake and said to the king “Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever.
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 falls not down and worships, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12 “There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
These men were most likely tattling out of jealousy, not devotion to the king and his idol.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, “Is it true O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15 “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 music, 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?”
The king was insulted that they wouldn’t worship his god along with their own. When you have many gods, it is no big deal to add another. He didn’t understand only worshiping one God. Wouldn’t have approved if he had.
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
“We don’t even have to think about our answer.”
17 “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.
18 “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.”
“Our fate is not in your hands, oh king. Our God will decide if we live or die, not you. We won’t deny Him or insult Him by worshiping your idol.”
19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
This furnace was probably either the heater for the palace or, more likely, the city bread oven. Either way, Nebuchadnezzar ordered it to be heated seven times hotter than it usually was.
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 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
22 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 Abednego.
The furnace was so hot that the men who threw the men into the fire died.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counselors, “Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said unto the king, “True, O king.”
25 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.”
The king was a bit shook up. He knew he threw three men in, but saw four. And they weren’t writhing around in agony. They were up and walking around. The fourth one looked like the son of a God (remember, the king is a polytheist at this point. He has no knowledge of the True God. The capital letters were added to the King James Bible in the 1700’s)
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27 And the Princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
They didn’t even smell like smoke, much less have anything actually burnt. Remember, this is the same fire that killed the men that threw them into it.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 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.
29 “Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 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.”
Nebuchadnezzar decreed that everyone respect Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s God. I suspect he had a bit of fear of this new God.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.