12 There are H383 certain H1400 Jews H3062 whom H3487 thou hast set H4483 over H5922 the affairs H5673 of the province H4083 of Babylon, H895 Shadrach, H7715 Meshach, H4336 and Abednego; H5665 these H479 men, H1400 O king, H4430 have H7761 not H3809 regarded H2942 thee: H5922 they serve H6399 not H3809 thy gods, H426 nor H3809 worship H5457 the golden H1722 image H6755 which thou hast set up. H6966
Then Daniel H1841 requested H1156 of H4481 the king, H4430 and he set H4483 Shadrach, H7715 Meshach, H4336 and Abednego, H5665 over H5922 the affairs H5673 of the province H4083 of Babylon: H895 but Daniel H1841 sat in the gate H8651 of the king. H4430
Then H116 answered H6032 they and said H560 before H6925 the king, H4430 That Daniel, H1841 which is of H4481 the children H1123 of the captivity H1547 of Judah, H3061 regardeth H7761 H2942 not H3809 thee, H5922 O king, H4430 nor the decree H633 that thou hast signed, H7560 but maketh H1156 his petition H1159 three H8532 times H2166 a day. H3118
And the women H802 answered H6030 one another as they played, H7832 and said, H559 Saul H7586 hath slain H5221 his thousands, H505 and David H1732 his ten thousands. H7233 And Saul H7586 was very H3966 wroth, H2734 and the saying H1697 displeased H3415 H5869 him; and he said, H559 They have ascribed H5414 unto David H1732 ten thousands, H7233 and to me they have ascribed H5414 but thousands: H505 and what can he have more but the kingdom? H4410 And Saul H7586 eyed H5770 David H1732 from that day H3117 and forward. H1973 And it came to pass on the morrow, H4283 that the evil H7451 spirit H7307 from God H430 came H6743 upon Saul, H7586 and he prophesied H5012 in the midst H8432 of the house: H1004 and David H1732 played H5059 with his hand, H3027 as at other times: H3117 and there was a javelin H2595 in Saul's H7586 hand. H3027 And Saul H7586 cast H2904 the javelin; H2595 for he said, H559 I will smite H5221 David H1732 even to the wall H7023 with it. And David H1732 avoided out H5437 of his presence H6440 twice. H6471
And Haman H2001 said H559 unto king H4428 Ahasuerus, H325 There is H3426 a certain H259 people H5971 scattered abroad H6340 and dispersed H6504 among the people H5971 in all the provinces H4082 of thy kingdom; H4438 and their laws H1881 are diverse H8138 from all people; H5971 neither keep H6213 they the king's H4428 laws: H1881 therefore it is not for the king's H4428 profit H7737 to suffer H3240 them.
Saying, G3004 Did G3853 not G3756 we straitly G3852 command G3853 you G5213 that ye should G1321 not G3361 teach G1321 in G1909 this G5129 name? G3686 and, G2532 behold, G2400 ye have filled G4137 Jerusalem G2419 with your G5216 doctrine, G1322 and G2532 intend G1014 to bring G1863 this G5127 man's G444 blood G129 upon G1909 us. G2248
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Daniel 3
Commentary on Daniel 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
In the close of the foregoing chapter we left Daniel's companions, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in honour and power, princes of the provinces, and preferred for their relation to the God of Israel and the interest they had in him. I know not whether I should say. It were well if this honour had all the saints. No, there are many whom it would not be good for; the saints' honour is reserved for another world. But here we have those same three men as much under the king's displeasure as when they were in his favour, and yet more truly, more highly, honoured by their God than there they were honoured by their prince, both by the grace wherewith he enabled them rather to suffer than to sin and by the miraculous and glorious deliverance which he wrought for them out of their sufferings. It is a very memorable story, a glorious instance of the power and goodness of God, and a great encouragement to the constancy of his people in trying times. The apostle refers to it when he mentions, among the believing heroes, those who by faith "quenched the violence of fire,' Heb. 11:34. We have here,
Dan 3:1-7
We have no certainty concerning the date of this story, only that if this image, which Nebuchadnezzar dedicated, had any relation to that which he dreamed of, it is probable that it happened not long after that; some reckon it to be about the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar, a year before Jehoiachin's captivity, in which Ezekiel was carried away. Observe,
Dan 3:8-18
It was strange that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, would be present at this assembly, when, it is likely, they knew for what intent it was called together. Daniel, we may suppose, was absent, either his business calling him away or having leave from the king to withdraw, unless we suppose that he stood so high in the king's favour that none durst complain of him for his noncompliance. But why did not his companions keep out of the way? Surely because they would obey the king's orders as far as they could, and would be ready to bear a public testimony against this gross idolatry. They did not think it enough not to bow down to the image, but, being in office, thought themselves obliged to stand up against it, though it was the image which the king their master set up, and would be a golden image to those that worshipped it. Now,
Dan 3:19-27
In these verses we have,
Dan 3:28-30
The strict observations that were made, super visum corporis-on inspecting their bodies, by the princes and governors, and all the great men who were present upon this public occasion, and who could not be supposed partial in favour of the confessors, contributed much to the clearing of this miracle and the magnifying of the power and grace of God in it. That indeed a notable miracle has been done is manifest, and we cannot deny it, Acts 4:16. Let us now see what effect it had upon Nebuchadnezzar.