Daniel 3:12

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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
are	אִיתַ֞י 'i.Tai	H383	properly · noun, common both genders singular construct
certain	גֻּבְרִ֣ין guv.Rin	H1400	a person · noun, common masculine plural absolute
Jews	יְהוּדָאיִ֗ן ye.hu.da.Yin	H3062	a Jehudaite (or Judaite) · noun, gentilic masculine plural absolute
whom	יָתְהוֹן֙ ya.te.hOn	H3487	a sign of the object of a verb · preposition + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
set	מַנִּ֤יתָ ma.Ni.ta	H4483	to count · verb, piel perfect, 2nd person masculine singular
over	עַל 'al-	H5922	above · preposition
affairs	עֲבִידַת֙ 'a.vi.Dat	H5673	labor or business · noun, common feminine singular construct
province	מְדִינַ֣ת me.di.Nat	H4083	properly · noun, common feminine singular construct
Babylon	בָּבֶ֔ל ba.Vel	H895	Babel (i.e. Babylon) · proper noun, a place name
Shadrach	שַׁדְרַ֥ךְ shad.Rakh	H7715	Shadrak · proper noun, a man's name
Meshach	מֵישַׁ֖ךְ mei.Shakh	H4336	Meshak · proper noun, a man's name
Abed-nego	וַעֲבֵ֣ד va.'a.Ved	H5665	Abed-Nego · conjunction + proper noun, a man's name
these	אִלֵּ֗ךְ 'i.Lekh	H479	these · demonstrative particle
men	גֻּבְרַיָּ֣א guv.rai.Ya'	H1400	a person · noun, common masculine plural determined + particle of affirmation
king	מַלְכָּא֙ mal.Ka'	H4430	a king · noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
have	שָׂ֨מֽוּ Sa.mu	H7761	to put (used in a great variety of applications · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine plural
not	לָא la'-	H3809	not (the simple or abs. negation) · negative particle
regarded	טְעֵ֔ם te.'Em	H2942	properly · noun, common both genders singular absolute
thee	עֲלָ֤ךְ a.la.yikh	H5922	above · preposition + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
serve	פָלְחִ֔ין fa.le.Chin	H6399	to serve or worship · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
not	לָ֣א la'	H3809	not (the simple or abs. negation) · negative particle
gods	לֵֽאלָהָךְ֙ le.la.ha.yikh	H426	God · preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
nor	לָ֥א la'	H3809	not (the simple or abs. negation) · negative particle
worship	סָגְדִֽין sa.ge.Din	H5457	to prostrate oneself (in homage) · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
golden	דַּהֲבָ֛א da.ha.Va'	H1722	gold · noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
image	וּלְצֶ֧לֶם u.le.Tze.lem	H6755	an idolatrous figure · conjunction + preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct
up	הֲקֵ֖ימְתָּ ha.Kei.me.ta	H6966	to rise (in various applications · verb, hiphil perfect, 2nd person masculine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Daniel 6:13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, no…
Daniel 2:49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat…
Acts 17:7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
1 Samuel 18:7-11 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
Esther 3:8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy ki…
Ecclesiastes 4:4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of s…
Acts 5:28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Daniel 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 s…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Daniel 3:12

serve not thy gods--not only not the golden image, but also not any of Nebuchadnezzar's gods.

Adam Clarke on Daniel 3:8

Accused the Jews - That is, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. The other Jews were left unnoticed; and probably at this time Daniel was too high to be touched; but we may rest assured that he was not found among these idolaters, see Dan 3:12.

John Gill on Daniel 3:12

There are certain Jews,.... Men, by birth, by nation, and religion, despicable, foreigners, exiles, and captives; this they observe by way of contempt, and tacitly suggest that they were never worthy of the king's regard, and improper persons to be put in places of profit and trust, and that the king had done a wrong thing in advancing them: whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon; not to see that the streets, ways, and walls, were kept in order, as Saadiah observes; for this is mentioned as an aggravation of their crime, that, being set in such high places, should be guilty of such ingratitude to the king, and set such a bad example to his subjects: Shadrach, Meshac…

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The Church Fathers

When in Babylon an image had been made, And everyone against his will worshiped the lifeless things as though it were alive, Then, as Scripture tells, three youths, Having received in their hearts divine guidance, did not leave the straight path, For they considered the madness of many as a path that leads astray. And so the steadfast young men did not follow it. But, advancing on the straight road, always toward the truth, They mocked the trickery of the Persians, Or rather, the sainted boys mourned and lamented, For a righteous person does not rejoice over the destruction of another but with groans prays: "Hasten, Merciful One; and in compassion come quickly To our aid, since you are able to do what you will."
— Romanos the Melodist, KONTAKION ON THE THREE CHILDREN 2

Verse 12. "Now then, there are certain Jews whom thou hast appointed over the affairs of the district of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who have despised thy decree" (the Vulgate reads: "those men of thine have despised the decree, O king"). To a certain extent their statement amounts to this: "Those captives and slaves whom thou hast preferred before us and hast made to be governors have lifted themselves up in pride and despise thine orders, not serving thy gods, and not worshipping the golden statue thou hast set up." The assertion we made at the commencement of the commentary on the vision is more abundantly proved in this passage, namely that the gods of Nebuchadnezzar were not to be identified with the golden statue which he had ordered to be erected for the worship of himself, for in what follows the king himself says:
— Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER THREE

Consider thou also with me the wickedness of those who were their accusers, and how maliciously and bitterly they brought the accusation! "There are," say they, "certain Jews whom thou hast set up over the works of the province of Babylon." They did not merely make mention of the nation, but they also bring to mind their honourable condition, that they may inflame the wrath of the king; almost as if they had said, "These slaves, these captives, who are without a city, thou hast made rulers over us. But they shew contempt for such honour, and treat insolently him who has given them this honour!" Therefore they say this; "The Jews whom thou hast set over the works of the province of Babylon, obey not thy decree, nor serve thy gods." The accusation becomes their greatest praise; and the crimes imputed, their encomium; a testimony indeed that is indubitable, since their enemies bring it forward.

Dictionary and topics

Abednego — Servant of Nego=Nebo, the Chaldee name given to Azariah, one of Daniel’s three companions (Dan. 2:49). With Shadrach and Meshach, he was delivered from the burning fiery furnace (3:12-30).
Jew — The name derived from the patriarch Judah, at first given to one belonging to the tribe of Judah or to the separate kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 16:6; 25:25; Jer. 32:12; 38:19; 40:11; 41:3), in…
Meshach — The title given to Mishael, one of the three Hebrew youths who were under training at the Babylonian court for the rank of Magi (Dan. 1:7; 2:49; 3:12-30). This was probably the name of some Chaldean…
Nebuchadnezzar — In the Babylonian orthography Nabu-kudur-uzur, which means “Nebo, protect the crown!” or the “frontiers.” In an inscription he styles himself “Nebo’s favourite.” He was the son and successor of…
Abed-Nego · .A Jewish — .A Jewish
Coercion · RELIGIOUS — RELIGIOUS
Conspiracy · .Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego — .Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego
Furnace · into, by Nebuchadnezzar — into, by Nebuchadnezzar
Hatred · Exemplified: Chaldeans — Exemplified: Chaldeans
Indictments · .Three Hebrew — .Three Hebrew
Meshach · A name given by the chief eu — A name given by the chief eu
Persecution · Spirit of — Exemplified: Chaldeans — Spirit of — Exemplified: Chaldeans

Daniel 3:12

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Daniel 3:8-18

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Daniel 3:12

Adam Clarke on Daniel 3:8

John Gill on Daniel 3:12

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Daniel 3:12

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Daniel 3:8-18

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Daniel 3:12

Adam Clarke on Daniel 3:8

John Gill on Daniel 3:12

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Daniel 3:8-12

Keil & Delitzsch on Daniel 3:1-13

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Daniel 3:12

Rashi on Daniel 3:12