Daniel 3 13

Daniel 3:13 kjv

Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

Daniel 3:13 nkjv

Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king.

Daniel 3:13 niv

Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,

Daniel 3:13 esv

Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king.

Daniel 3:13 nlt

Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in,

Daniel 3 verses

Daniel 3 13 meaning

Daniel 3:13 vividly portrays King Nebuchadnezzar's immediate and furious reaction upon learning that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship his golden image. Driven by intense rage, he commanded their swift appearance before him. This act highlights the king's absolute power and the imminent, life-threatening danger the three men faced for their unwavering faith.

Daniel 3 13 Context

Chapter 3 opens with King Nebuchadnezzar erecting a colossal golden image, decreeing that at a specific musical signal, everyone must bow down and worship it or face immediate execution in a fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, high-ranking Jewish officials who had previously received royal favor, staunchly refused. Envious Chaldean officials informed the king of their disobedience (Dan 3:8-12), challenging the king's authority and state religion. Verse 13 is Nebuchadnezzar’s instant and enraged response, directly leading to their confrontation and trial of faith. This event unfolds in Babylon during the Jewish exile, illustrating the profound clash between the pagan empire's idolatrous demands and the monotheistic commitment of God's people. Culturally, worship of the king’s image was a political declaration of loyalty, making the refusal an act of rebellion and lèse-majesté (a crime against the monarch).

Daniel 3 13 Word analysis

• בֵּאדַיִן (bē'ḏa•yin): Aramaic, meaning "Then" or "At that time." It emphasizes the immediate, abrupt reaction of Nebuchadnezzar, marking a swift turn of events in response to the news.
• נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר֙ (Nəḇūḵaḏneṣṣar): Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. His name, associated with Babylonian gods (Nabu), underscores the clash of faiths. He is consistently depicted as a powerful, absolute ruler with a volatile temper in Daniel.
• בְּחֵמָ֣ה וּבִקְצַ֗ף (bəḥēmāh ūḇiqqəṣap̄): Aramaic for "with rage and with fury." This double expression intensely describes the king’s emotional state, emphasizing not mere displeasure but a burning, destructive anger.
  • חֵמָה (ḥēmāh): "Burning anger," often implies a passionate and intense fury.
  • קְצַף (qəṣap̄): "Wrath, indignation," suggests extreme displeasure that often leads to severe consequences. The combination highlights his unchecked imperial fury.
• אֲמַר֙ (’ămar): Aramaic, "he commanded/said." This is a forceful directive, indicative of a sovereign decree rather than a simple statement.
• לְהַיְתָיָ֣ה (ləhayṯāyāh): Aramaic, "to bring/to be brought." This word signifies an imperative, a direct order to have the men presented without delay, reflecting the king's unassailable authority.
• לְשַׁדְרַךְ֙ מֵישַׁ֣ךְ וַעֲבֵ֣ד נְג֔וֹ (ləŠaḏraḵ Mēšaḵ wā‘Ăḇēḏ-nəḡō): Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These are their Babylonian names, given during their assimilation into the royal court. Their identity in God, despite these names, remains foundational to their defiance.
• וְדֵין֙ (wəḏēn): Aramaic, "and these." Refers directly and explicitly to the three accused men.
• מֵיְתַ֣יִן (mêyṯayin): Aramaic, "were brought." This passive construction confirms the immediate and undeniable execution of the king's order, emphasizing their forced presence.
• קֳדָ֣ם (qōḏām): Aramaic, "before/in front of." This signifies a direct and immediate audience, placing the three men under the king’s personal scrutiny and judgment.
• מַלְכָּֽא (malkā): Aramaic, "the king." Reinforces Nebuchadnezzar's supreme status and absolute authority in this confrontation.

Words-group analysis:

• "Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar": This opening phrase encapsulates the volatility and despotic nature of the king. His anger, stemming from a direct challenge to his authority and command, drives the subsequent actions, illustrating a typical reaction of ancient absolute monarchs when disobeyed.
• "summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego": This command signifies an impending confrontation. It is not an invitation for dialogue but a royal summons to face judgment. The very act of summoning reflects the king's supreme authority, where refusal to appear is not an option.
• "So these men were brought before the king": This clause confirms the king's absolute power and the efficiency of his command structure. The immediate bringing of the men to his presence marks the commencement of their pivotal trial, positioning them directly before their furious accuser and judge.

Daniel 3 13 Bonus section

• The immediate response of the king—fury followed by a summons—demonstrates the swift, often unthinking, reaction typical of rulers who perceive themselves as gods or instruments of their gods, and whose authority is seen as unquestionable. This forms a direct polemic against the idea of a mortal king having absolute, unchallenged power over conscience.
• This verse can be seen as an essential prelude to the theological climax of Daniel 3, where the sovereignty of the True God will be magnificently displayed through divine protection in the fiery furnace, profoundly challenging the idolatry and tyrannical power of Babylon.
• The accusations by the Chaldeans, motivated by jealousy, carefully highlighted that these were Jews—foreigners—who "paid no attention" to the king's decree, deliberately aggravating Nebuchadnezzar's nationalistic pride and asserting the perceived weakness of their God compared to Babylonian deities.

Daniel 3 13 Commentary

Daniel 3:13 acts as the pivotal entry point to the grand narrative of faith under persecution. Nebuchadnezzar's characteristically furious wrath, doubled in intensity by the phrases "rage and fury," highlights the deep affront he felt when his authority was directly challenged by these three Jewish exiles. For him, the refusal to worship his golden image was not just religious defiance but an act of high treason. The king's immediate summons signifies the commencement of a grave trial, not a deliberation. Their enforced presence "before the king" placed them at the mercy of an infuriated monarch, where their unwavering faith in the face of such absolute power would soon be tested and displayed for all of Babylon to witness. This sets the stage for God's extraordinary intervention and the vindication of His loyal servants.