Daniel 3:24 kjv
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
Daniel 3:24 nkjv
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king."
Daniel 3:24 niv
Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, Your Majesty."
Daniel 3:24 esv
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king."
Daniel 3:24 nlt
But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, "Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?" "Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did," they replied.
Daniel 3 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel 3:24 | Then King Nebuchadnezzar was greatly astonished and rose in haste. He said to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" | Kings' amazement at divine power. |
| Exodus 3:5 | He said, "Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." | Divine presence sanctifying a place. |
| Psalm 34:7 | The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. | Angels as deliverers in danger. |
| Psalm 91:11-12 | For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their | God's protection through angelic presence. |
| Isaiah 43:2 | When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. | God's presence through trials. |
| Jeremiah 1:8 | Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord. | God's assurance of presence and deliverance. |
| Matthew 18:20 | For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. | Christ's presence with believers. |
| Matthew 28:20 | ...teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the | Jesus' promise of perpetual presence. |
| Acts 7:55-56 | But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. | Vision of heavenly beings accompanying faithfulness. |
| 1 Corinthians 10:13 | No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. | God providing a way of escape in trials. |
| Hebrews 1:14 | Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? | Angels serving believers. |
| Revelation 7:9-10 | After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, | Heavenly worship alongside divine protection. |
| Exodus 3:15 | Moreover, he said, "This is what you are to say to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations." | God revealing Himself in power and remembrance. |
| Deuteronomy 7:21 | You shall not be turned away in fear, nor shall you make for yourselves a covenant with them. | Not fearing or aligning with pagan powers. |
| Psalm 23:4 | Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. | God's presence providing comfort in danger. |
| Isaiah 11:2 | And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. | Divine empowerment and presence. |
| Ezekiel 3:12 | Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the roar of the voice of the LORD, "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place." | The Spirit of God's active support. |
| Daniel 6:23 | Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be raised out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of hurt was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. | Similar miraculous deliverance from danger. |
| Matthew 10:19-20 | when they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. | Divine inspiration and utterance in difficult times. |
| 1 Peter 4:14 | If in Christ's name you are reviled, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. | Blessings for suffering for Christ, Spirit's presence. |
| Psalm 110:1 | The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." | Exaltation and divine power of the Lord. |
Daniel 3 verses
Daniel 3 24 Meaning
This verse records the astonished exclamation of King Nebuchadnezzar upon seeing a fourth figure walking within the fiery furnace alongside Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The fourth figure is described as being "like a son of the gods," signifying divine presence and protection for the three Hebrews who refused to bow to the king's golden image, thus demonstrating their unwavering faith and God's miraculous intervention.
Daniel 3 24 Context
Chapter 3 of Daniel recounts the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's defiance of King Nebuchadnezzar's command to worship a golden idol. They were subsequently thrown into a blazing furnace. This verse occurs immediately after this event, describing the king's astonished reaction to seeing a fourth, divine-like figure with the three men in the fire, unharmed. The broader context is Daniel's time in Babylon, where he and his companions faced pressure to assimilate into Babylonian culture and worship its gods, while maintaining their Jewish faith. This event highlights God's power and His protection of His faithful servants against pagan might and religious persecution.
Daniel 3 24 Word Analysis
- Then (וְ-) : (və-) A conjunction, indicating sequence. Connects the following action to the previous events of the men being cast into the fire.
- King (מַלְכָּא) : (malkāʾ) The ruler, referring specifically to Nebuchadnezzar. In Aramaic, reinforcing his royal authority over his domain.
- Nebuchadnezzar (נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר) : (Nəḇûḵaḏneṣṣar) The Babylonian king who erected the golden image.
- was greatly astonished (תְּמַהּ) : (təmāh) Verb, meaning to be astonished, amazed, surprised. Emphasizes a profound emotional and intellectual reaction to the unexpected.
- and rose (וְקָם) : (wə-qām) Verb, meaning to stand up. Denotes a physical response, showing the intensity of his shock and perhaps respect or unease.
- in haste (בְּהִתְבָּהֲלוּתָא) : (bə-hiṯbāhălûṯā) Noun in adverbial use, meaning haste, consternation, alarm. Indicates the sudden and urgent nature of his movement, driven by his amazement.
- He said (וַאֲמַר) : (wā-ʾămar) Verb, conjunction plus verb, meaning and he said. Introduces his direct speech.
- to his counselors (לְסָֽגַּ֫נָוִוהִי) : (lə-sāganāwîhî) Preposition "to" (לְ) + noun "officials/counselors" (סָגַּן - sāgan) with possessive suffix "his" (־ַוִ֫הִי - wî). The king addresses those closest to him, sharing his incredible observation.
- Did we not (הֲלָא) : (hălāʾ) A particle indicating an interrogative, similar to "Is it not" or "Did we not". It is used to confirm a fact already known or evident, highlighting his astonishment at what he is seeing.
- cast (רָמִינוּ) : (rāmînû) Verb, meaning to cast, throw. Past tense, plural, first person. "We cast."
- three (תְּלָתָה) : (ṯəlāṯā) Cardinal number, three. Refers to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
- men (גֻּבְרִין) : (guḇrîṇ) Noun, men, males. Plural.
- bound (כְּפִ֫י יָת) : (kəpî ṯ) Preposition "as/like" (כְּפִי) + accusative marker (that can be present implicitly or explicit 'it/them' yat). The state in which the men were thrown into the fire. "Bound ones".
- into the fire (בִּגוֹ) : (biḡô) Preposition "in/into" (בִּ) + noun "middle/within" (גּוֹ). This specifies the fiery furnace itself as the place.
Group Analysis:
- "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" - The king's rhetorical question confirms the established reality of their judgment. His amazement is heightened because he knows they are in there, yet something entirely different is happening—they are walking freely. This is not merely surprise but a confrontation with inexplicable divine power that contradicts his own senses and prior actions. The phrase "like a son of the gods" spoken previously implies he recognizes this intervention as supernatural.
Daniel 3 24 Bonus Section
The Babylonian belief system included a pantheon of gods, and recognizing a "son of the gods" within the furnace implies the king was identifying a divine being protecting the men, which was contrary to his expectations of them being consumed by the fire. This verse, and the narrative surrounding it, challenges the absolute power and divinity that pagan rulers and their idols claimed. It underscores that the God of Israel, whom the Hebrews served, possessed a power far superior to any earthly king or Babylonian deity. The Hebrew translation of "son of the gods" (בַּר אֱלָהִין - bar elahin) can also be translated as "son of a god," leaving room for interpretation among the Babylonians but clearly identifying a divine entity for Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 3 24 Commentary
Nebuchadnezzar's astonished question "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" reveals the profound impact of witnessing the miraculous preservation of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He is not just surprised; he is deeply disturbed and forced to question his reality and the power he thought he commanded. The king's inability to reconcile the observable outcome (three unharmed men) with his decree (men cast into the fire) points to a supernatural intervention. The presence of the fourth figure, identified as divine, confirms God's active role in protecting those who are faithful to Him, even in the face of overwhelming human authority and persecution. This event serves as a powerful testament to the Lord's sovereignty and His ability to deliver His people.