Abed-Nego · conjunction + proper noun, a man's name
answered
עֲנ֗וֹa.No
H6032
properly · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine plural
said
וְאָמְרִ֖יןve.'a.me.Rin
H560
to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
king
לְמַלְכָּ֑אle.mal.Ka'
H4430
a king · preposition + noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
Nebuchadnezzar
נְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּ֔רne.vu.khad.ne.Tzar
H5020
Nebukadnetstsar (or -retstsar · proper noun, a man's name
we
אֲנַ֧חְנָה'a.Nach.nah
H586
we · personal pronoun
not
לָֽאla'-
H3809
not (the simple or abs. negation) · negative particle
careful
חַשְׁחִ֨יןchash.Chin
H2818
to be necessary (from the idea of convenience) or (tran… · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
answer
לַהֲתָבוּתָֽךְla.ha.ta.vu.Takh
H8421
specifically (transitive and ellip.) to reply · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
in
עַל'al-
H5922
above · preposition
this
דְּנָ֛הde.Nah
H1836
this · demonstrative particle
matter
פִּתְגָ֖םpit.Gam
H6600
a word · noun, common both genders singular absolute
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 1:7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Misha…
Daniel 3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king,…
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…
not careful to answer thee--rather, "We have no need to answer thee"; thou art determined on thy side, and our mind is made up not to worship the image: there is therefore no use in our arguing as if we could be shaken from our principles. Hesitation, or parleying with sin, is fatal; unhesitating decision is the only safety, where the path of duty is clear (Mat 10:19, Mat 10:28).
Adam Clarke on Daniel 3:16
We are not careful - We have no need to put thee to any farther trouble; we have made up our minds on this subject, and have our answer ready: Be it known unto thee, We Will Not Serve Thy Gods. This was as honest as it was decisive.
John Gill on Daniel 3:16
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king,.... In a mild and gentle manner, without affronting his majesty, or insulting his gods, and yet without the least degree of servile fear or fawning flattery:
O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter; about worshipping the image; we are not solicitous about a choice of words, or in what manner to draw up our answer, it is ready in our mouths; we have no need to take time and consider of this matter, and think what to say, we are at a point about it: as thou art peremptory in thy will to have thine image worshipped, we are as resolute, as determined, never to worship it; so that there is no need to spend…
The Church Fathers
Preserve then, my sons, that friendship you have begun with your brothers, for nothing in the world is more beautiful than that. It is indeed a comfort in this life to have one to whom you can open your ear, with whom you can share secrets and to whom you can entrust the secrets of your heart. It is a comfort to have a trusty person by your side who will rejoice with you in prosperity, sympathize in troubles, encourage in persecution. What good friends those Hebrew children were whom the flames of the fiery furnace did not separate from the love of each other!
When they heard these words, the young people Laughed at the great vanity of the king. However, lest he consider himself to be very wise, The wise youths raised their eyes and said: "O Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, We have no need to talk this over with them, For no one answers you if you say foolish things, For thus it is written in the Scripture: 'Do not give reply to a fool that is of similar kind.' Therefore, we have chosen to keep silent, and we pray in silence: 'Hasten, Merciful One, and in compassion come quickly To our aid, since you are able to do what you will.' "
Verse 16. "King Nebuchadnezzar, we ought not to render thee answer concerning this matter." In the Hebrew original there is no vocative "King" as there is in the Septuagint, lest they should seem to address the ungodly man with servile flattery or to term him a king who was trying to force them to wickedness. But if it be contended that the reading, "O king!" should be included, then we may say that the youths were not impudently challenging the king to shed their blood but rendering him due honor so as to avoid injury to the true religion of God. But as for their statement. "We ought not to render thee answer concerning this matter," the meaning is: "Thou hast no need to hear words from men whose bravery and firmness thou wilt presently test by actual deeds."
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
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).
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
Care, Overmuch · Trust in God should free us from — Trust in God should free us from
Coercion · RELIGIOUS — RELIGIOUS
Conspiracy · .Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego — .Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego
Courage · .The three Hebrews, who refused to bow down to the image of Nebuchadnezzar — .The three Hebrews, who refused to bow down to the image of Nebuchadnezzar
Furnace · into, by Nebuchadnezzar — into, by Nebuchadnezzar
Indictments · .Three Hebrew — .Three Hebrew
Meshach · A name given by the chief eu — A name given by the chief eu
Mishael · .Thrown into the fiery furnace — .Thrown into the fiery furnace
Daniel 3:16-18
16. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
16. Responderunt Sadrach, Mesach, et Abednego, et dixerunt regi; Nebuchadnezer, non sumus soliciti super hoc sermone, [184] quid respondeamus tibi. [185]
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.
17. Ecce est Deus noster, quem nos colimus, potens, id est, potest, liberare nos e fornace ignis ardentis, et e manu tua, rex eruet.
18. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which…
The trial of the accused.
Dan 3:14
The question הצדא the old translators incorrectly explain by Is it true? In the justice of the accusation Nebuchadnezzar had no doubt whatever, and צדא has not this meaning. Also the meaning, scorn, which אּצדי in Aram. has, and L. de Dieu, Hv., and Kran. make use of, does not appear to be quite consistent, since Nebuchadnezzar, if he had seen in the refusal to do homage to the image a despising of his gods, then certainly he would not have publicly repeated his command, and afforded to the accused the possibility of escaping the threatened punishment, as he did (Dan 3:15). We therefore agree with Hitz. and Klief., who interpret it, after the Hebr. צדיּה, N…
The three men declared their faithfulness to God above all. They were entrusting themselves to the God who had rescued the entire nation of Israel from the power of Pharaoh (Exod 18:10). God later revealed that those who remain faithful unto death will be delivered even after they have died (Dan 12:1-3).
Rashi on Daniel 3:16
to the king, ‘Nebuchadnezzar 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.”
we do not care We do not care to take counsel on what to answer you, for the answer is ready and fluent in our mouths.
Missionaries, All Christians Should Be As · Exemplified: Shadrach, &c — Exemplified: Shadrach, &c
Persecution · Spirit of — Exemplified: Chaldeans — Spirit of — Exemplified: Chaldeans
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
