Daniel 3:22-23 Daniel 3:22-Shadrach
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Daniel 3:22-23 Daniel 3:22-Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego’s Executioners Are Killed Because The Command To Execute Them Was Uncompromisingly Severe So That The Furnace Was Excessively Hot Review of Daniel 3:1-21 Daniel 3:1 records Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon erecting a gold statue of himself, ninety feet tall, nine feet wide in the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon. Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king sculptured an image composed of gold, its height ninety feet, its width nine feet. He erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon. (Author’s translation) Daniel 3:1 records Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon sculpturing an image composed of gold, which was ninety feet tall and nine feet wide. It was erected on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon. This action taken by the king is the direct result of Daniel’s interpretation in Daniel 2:38, which records Daniel telling him that he was the head of gold of the statue. There are some commentators who suggest like Archer that the statue was not of himself but of one of the Babylonian gods, like Nabu. However, there is an obvious connection between the head of gold in the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter 2 and the gold statue constructed by the king in chapter 3. That the events recorded in chapter 3 follow the events recorded in chapter 2 is indicated by the fact Daniel’s three friends are functioning in their new positions of authority (3:12) to which they were appointed by Nebuchadnezzar (2:49) per Daniel’s request. Furthermore, chapter 4 records the Lord judging Nebuchadnezzar and deposing him for seven years and giving a mind of an animal resulting like the king acting like an animal for those years. This was to bring the king to the place where he acknowledges the Lord’s sovereignty over him and that he is subordinated to the Lord. Lastly, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2:38 that wherever members of the human race, wild animals of the field or birds of the sky live, the God ruling the heavens has given them into his power. Consequently, God has caused him to rule over each and every one of them. Thus, we see Nebuchadnezzar, an unregenerate man interpreting this revelation from Daniel as giving him authority to demand their worship, which of course was not the response God wanted from him. He wanted the king to worship Him rather than demand the worship of himself. The construction of this image of himself was due to his megalomania, which the Lord deals with in chapter 4, which records the Lord’s response to the arrogance of Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in chapter 3. 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1 Nebuchadnezzar’s actions in constructing an image of himself to be worshipped, was not unusual in the ancient world. The Assyrian kings also set up statues of themselves symbolizing their dominion. Also, the Hellenistic kings did the same. The Roman emperors deified themselves as well. J. Vernon McGee addresses the issue as to why Nebuchadnezzar would do such a thing after just receiving revelation from God that He will destroy all Gentile power and establish His kingdom on earth. He writes “What did Nebuchadnezzar really have in mind in making this image? We can observe here three things: (1) The making of this image shows the rebellion of Nebuchadnezzar against the God of heaven who had given him world dominion. Instead of gratitude, this is a definite act or rebellion. (2) This also shows his vaunted pride in making an image which evidently was self-deification. The Roman emperors also attempted this later on. (3) Obviously, Nebuchadnezzar was seeking a unifying principle to weld together the tribes and tongues and peoples of his kingdom into one great totalitarian government. In other words, he was attempting to institute a world religion. This was nothing in the world but a repetition of the tower of Babel-a forming of one religion for the world.” (McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, volume 3: Genesis-Deuteronomy; pages 545-544; Published in Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas Nelson Inc. 1981) Daniel 3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar, the king issued an order to assemble the satraps, military commanders as well as the governors, advisers, treasurers, lawyers, judges in other words, each and every one of the dignitaries from the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue, which Nebuchadnezzar erected. (Author’s translation) Daniel 3:2 describes the next event that took place after Nebuchadnezzar sculptured an image of gold and erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon. Thus, it continues to describe Nebuchadnezzar’s response to Daniel interpreting his dream and specifically telling him that he is the head of gold on the statue in his dream. In Daniel 3:2, we have Nebuchadnezzar issuing an order to assemble each and every one of the dignitaries in the various provinces of his kingdom to attend the dedication of the gold statue he erected. “The satraps ” is the noun ʾǎḥǎ š·dǎr·pǎn which refers to group of officials who were the chief representatives of Nebuchadnezzar. They were governors of certain types of provinces. They were the highest officials in his kingdom, which is supported by the statement in Daniel 6:1, which records that Darius appointed 120 satraps over his kingdom who would be in charge of the entire kingdom. “The military commanders ” is the noun seḡǎ n, which refers to the military commanders of the various provinces throughout Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2 “The governors ” is the noun pě·ḥā(h) , which refers to the civil administrators or governors of civil government in the various provinces throughout Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. “The advisers ” is the noun ʾǎḏǎ r·gā·zǎr, which refers to those individuals who give counsel or advise those in governmental authority. “The treasurers ” is the noun geḏā·ḇǎ r, which refers to those individuals in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom who were in charge of the finances of the various provinces throughout the kingdom. They administered the funds in the various provinces throughout Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. They were the superintendents of the treasuries in the various provinces throughout the empire. “The lawyers ” is the noun deṯā·ḇǎ r, which refers to those individuals who were administrators of the law in the various provinces throughout Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. “The judges ” is the noun tip̄ ·tāy , which refers to the judges in the various provinces throughout the Babylonian kingdom who passed judgment in keeping with the law. “Each and every one of the dignitaries from the provinces ” is an explicative clause meaning that it clarifies the list of seven classes of officials who were ordered by Nebuchadnezzar to assemble for the dedication of the gold statue which he erected on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon. It is describing in summary fashion the list of seven classes of officials who were ordered by Nebuchadnezzar to assemble for the dedication of the gold statue which he erected on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon. It refers to to those individuals who possesses an exalted rank or position of dignity and honor in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. Thus it does not refer to lesser officials who were subordinate to the satraps or governors. It is used to define the seven classes of officials previously listed by Daniel. It describes in summary fashion that the satraps, military commanders, governors, advisers, treasurers, lawyers, judges were all officials of high standing or dignitaries in Nebuchadnezzar’s government. This explicative clause emphasizes that there were no exceptions with the order meaning every one had to attend. “The dedication ” is the noun ḥǎnǔk·kā(h) , which denotes solemn ceremony in which Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue was consecrated as the symbol of world-wide worship and power of himself as a divine being. Politically, this dedication was intended to symbolize the unity of the various provinces under Nebuchadnezzar’s authority. Religiously, this dedication was an act of worshipping the gold statue, which represented Nebuchadnezzar. That this dedication is religious is clearly indicated by verses 3-7. Therefore, this dedication is an attempt by Nebuchadnezzar to join religion with politics, which has been attempted throughout history by various rulers and will be successfully attempted by the 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3 Antichrist during Daniel’s Seventieth Week who will demand worship from the inhabitants of the earth as symbolized by the abomination of desolation in the rebuilt Jewish temple in the midway point of Daniel’s Seventieth Week. Daniel 3:3 Then when the satraps, military commanders as well as the governors, advisers, treasurers, lawyers, judges in other words, each and every one of the dignitaries from the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue, which Nebuchadnezzar, the king had erected, they stood directly in front of the statue which Nebuchadnezzar had erected. (Author’s translation) Daniel 3:3 records the satraps, military commanders, governors, advisers, treasurers, lawyers, judges from the various provinces in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom obeying the king’s orders by assembling for the dedication of the ninety foot tall gold statue of himself. Messengers were dispatched by the king to the various provinces in order to contact the various dignitaries who were subordinate to him. The dedication of the statue was a ceremony, which was both political and religious.