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.
2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, 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 captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, 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 an 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 musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
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 for ever.
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 musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, 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.
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 musick, 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?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
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.
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.
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 flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
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 counsellors, 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.
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 counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
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.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
<html><b>made an image</b> He had an urge to make an image of gold. <b>its width six cubits; he set it up etc.</b> If its thickness was only six [cubits], how could it stand at a height of sixty cubits? Said Rav Bibi: They would set it up and it would fall, until they brought all the gold of Jerusalem and poured a base around its feet, to fulfill what was said (Ezek. 7:19): “and their gold will be for a repugnant thing.” <b>in the plain of Dura</b> the name of a place.</html>
<html><b>the satraps</b> Aram. לַאֲחַשְּׁדַרְפְּנַיָּא dukes. <b>governors</b> rulers. <b>the judges, the treasurers, etc.</b> They are all names of nations. <b>the dedication of the image</b> the beginning of its worship.</html>
<html><b>And the announcement was issued aloud</b> [as translated,] and the announcement was issued aloud. <b>To you we are saying, O peoples</b> [as translated,] To you, all peoples and nations, we are announcing the command of the king as a message from the king.</html>
<html><b>At the time you hear the sound of the whistling horn</b> Aram. קָל קַרְנָא מַשְּׁרוֹקֵיתָא, the sound of the whistling horn, like (Zech. 10:8) “I will whistle (אֶשְּׁרְקָא) to them, and I will gather them.” <b>the clavichord, the harp, etc.</b> They are all musical instruments. <b>kinds of music</b> Aram. זְנֵי זְמָרָא kinds of music. (Gen. 1:11) “After its kind,” Onkelos renders: לִזְנוֹהִי.</html>
<html><b>a fiery furnace</b> a pit that is made to burn rocks into lime, and that is כִּבְשָּׁן in all the Scriptures.</html>
<html><b>In view of this</b> in view of this, that they took heed to observe the king’s command concerning this. bagpipes would be played. <b>at that time</b> At the time that they hear the sound of the music, which is a sign that those who prostrate themselves should come to prostrate, all peoples would fall etc.</html>
<html><b>In view of this</b> in view of this, that their enemies saw that there is a time to denounce them. <b>some Chaldean men approached and denounced</b> Aram. וַאֲכַלוּ קַרְצֵיהוֹן informed about them. (Lev. 19: 16) “Do not go as a talebearer among your people,” is translated by Targum as קוּרצִין לָא תֵיכוּ I say that it was the custom of talebearers to eat a meal in the place where they informed, and that was a sign of the verification of their words; for at that time it was incumbent upon them to clarify their words and to verify the slander that they spoke, and that meal was called eating קוּרצִין, an expression of (Prov. 6:13) “he winks (קוֹרֵץ) with his eyes,” which is a sign of slander.</html>
<html><b>They spoke up and said</b> Aram. עֲנוֹ, they shouted. Every [expression of] עֲנִיָה in Scriptures is an expression of raising the voice.</html>
<html><b>gave an order</b> issued a decree.</html>
<html><b>There are</b> Aram. אִיתַי <b>Judahite men</b> of the tribe of Judah. <b>these</b> Aram. אִלֵּךְ <b>did not take counsel to follow your decree</b> Aram. לָא שָּׂמוּ עֲלָיִךְ מַלְכָּא טְעֵם. They did not care to give themselves counsel to care for your decrees.</html>
<html><b>ordered to bring</b> [as translated,] ordered to bring. <b>were brought</b> [as translated,] were brought.</html>
<html><b>Is it meaningless</b> Aram. הַצְדָא. Are my decrees void and desolate and an empty thing in your eyes, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not worship my god? The “hey” of הַצְדָא is used as an interrogative expression. <b>that I have set up</b> [as translated,] that I have set up.</html>
<html><b>Now, behold you are destined</b> Now, behold you are destined against your will to accept this upon yourselves. <b>and if you do not prostrate yourselves</b> and if you do not prostrate yourselves, you shall be cast. <b>into</b> into the midst of. <b>and who is a god</b> and who is a god who will save you from my hands?</html>
<html><b>to the king, ‘Nebuchadnezzar</b> Why is his name mentioned? But this is what they said to him: “If [it concerns] taking upon ourselves to pay taxes, either the tax from the crops or the head taxes, you are king over us, [but] if [it concerns] denying the Holy One, blessed be He, [you are merely] Nebuchadnezzar. In our eyes, you are a lowly person and the most despised of the people. You and a dog are equal.” <b>we do not care</b> We do not care to take counsel on what to answer you, for the answer is ready and fluent in our mouths.</html>
<html><b>He can save us</b> He can save us from all our troubles. <b>From the burning fiery furnace and from your hands, O king, He will save us</b> from the furnace and from your hands He will save.</html>
<html><b>And if not</b> And if He will not wish to save our bodies, let it be known to you, etc.</html>
<html><b>was filled with wrath</b> [as translated,] was filled with wrath. <b>and the features of his face changed</b> [as translated,] and the features of his face changed. <b>to heat the furnace</b> to light the fiery furnace and to heat it. <b>seven times as much as it should be heated</b> instead of once, seven times as much as they calculated to heat it up; and it was as though they would kindle it seven times as much as it required. <b>to be heated</b> lit. to heat it.</html>
<html><b>certain mighty men in his army</b> [as translated,] certain mighty men in his army. <b>And he commanded…to bind</b> He commanded to bind them because he saw that they were strengthening themselves to answer him harshly, and he said, “These are mighty”; so he commanded the mighty men in his army to bind them.</html>
<html><b>these men</b> [as translated,] these men. <b>were bound in their cloaks</b> They were bound in the garments in which they enwrapped themselves. <b>their trousers, their robes</b> types of royal raiment that they had; and although they were going forth to be judged before Nebuchadnezzar regarding their death sentence, they did not change their clothes to humble their greatness. From here the Sages learned that even in times of danger, a person should not change from the ruling position to which he has become accustomed. <b>their robes</b> Aram. וְכַרְבְּלָתְהוֹן. There is a word similar to this (in I Chron. 15: 27): “And David was clothed (מְכֻרְבָּל). <b>and they were cast into the burning, fiery furnce</b> [as translated,] and they were cast into the burning, fiery furnace.</html>
<html><b>In view of this</b> in view of this, that the king’s command was strong. <b>and the furnace was heated excessively</b> and the furnace was heated to a great degree. <b>these men</b> these mighty men who had bound Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah and had cast them into the furnace. <b>were killed by a spark of fire</b> The power of a spark of fire burned them.</html>
<html><b>bound</b> [as translated,] bound.</html>
<html><b>was bewildered</b> Aram. תְּוַהּ, wondered. <b>and stood up in haste</b> Aram. וְקָם בְּהִתְבְּהָלָה. <b>answered and said</b> Aram. עָנַיִן וְאָמְרִין They answered and said to the king. <b>The king is true</b> Aram. יַצִיבָא מַלְכָּא The king has spoken the truth.</html>
<html><b>free men walking in the midst of the fire</b> freed from their bonds and walking in the midst of the fire. <b>and there is no wound upon them</b> [as translated,] and there is no wound upon them. <b>and the form of the fourth</b> [as translated,] and the form of the fourth. <b>is like [that of] an angel</b> It is like the angel I saw when I was with Sannecherib, when his armies were burned, as it is said (II Kings 19: 35): “[And an angel of the Lord went forth] and slew…of the camp of Assyria.” And Nebuchadnezzar was there and fled among the ten who fled from them.</html>
<html><b>approached the gate of the… fiery furnace</b> He approached the gate of the court, in which the furnace was situated, to speak with them, and at first, he saw them from afar. <b>Step out and come</b> “step out and come,” but he did not say to them, “step out and ascend.” From here we learn that the floor of the furnace floated up and became even with the ground, so that they should not be troubled to go up. <b>Then…came out</b> Although they were confident of the miracle that had been performed for them, they did not dare to treat the king lightly, to go out without permission.</html>
<html><b>And the satraps…gathered</b> Four nations were counted above in the first gathering who were not counted here: Adargazeria, Dethaveria, Gedaveria, Tiftaei. They are the mighty men whom the spark of fire had killed when they cast Hananiah and his colleagues into the fire. <b>saw these men</b> saw these men: Hananiah and his colleagues. <b>that the fire had taken no effect on their bodies</b> [as translated,] that the fire had taken no effect on their bodies. <b>on their bodies</b> בְּגֶשְּׁמְהוֹן, their bodies, in Aramaic, and there are many [instances of it] in this Book. <b>the hair of their heads was not singed</b> [as translated,] the hair of their heads was not singed. <b>their robes were not changed</b> They did not change from their appearance. <b>and the smell of fire had not been absorbed by them</b> Aram. לָא עֲדַת בְּהוֹן, did not pass into their midst.</html>
<html><b>Nebuchadnezzar cried out</b> [as translated,] Nebuchadnezzar cried out. <b>who trusted him</b> [as translated,] who trusted him. <b>deviated from the command of the king</b> They deviated from the king’s command by not fulfilling it. <b>and risked their lives</b> lit. delivered their bodies. <b>except to their God</b> [as translated,] except to their God.</html>
<html><b>Now an order is issued by me</b> [as translated,] Now an order is issued by me. <b>that will speak amiss</b> that will speak in error, i.e., any disrespectful word. <b>limb from limb</b> Aram הַּדָּמִין limbs; i.e., they will cut him into limbs. <b>shall be made a dungheap</b> [as translated,] shall be made a dungheap. <b>that can save in this manner</b> [as translated,] that can save in this manner.</html>
<html><b>made…prosper</b> made them prosper and aggrandized them.</html>
<html><b>King Nebuchadnezzar [says] to all peoples</b> This is the text of the missive: King Nebuchadnezzar greets all peoples.</html>
<html><b>it behooves me to recite</b> It is good for me to tell.</html>