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Daniel 3:2

in Daniel 3

Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue he had set up.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, 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.

KJV

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.

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This verse in Daniel 3

Commentary

8 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Sent to gather together the princes - It is not easy to show what these different offices were, as it is difficult to ascertain the meaning of the Chaldee words. Parkhurst analyzes them thus: - The Princes - אחשדרפניא achashdarpenaiya, from אחש Achash, great or eminent, and דר dar, “to go about freely,” and פנים panim, “the presence.” Satraps or privy counsellors who had free access to the presence of the king. The Governors - סגניא signaiya, lieutenants or viceroys, for סגן sagan, among the Hebrews, was the name of the high priest’s deputy.

This site's exposition

an image of gold

on Daniel 3:1-7

The image of gold stands sixty cubits by six on the plain of Dura, and the commentators set it beside chapter 2: the king who was told his golden head would pass has built a figure gold from head to foot, dream defied in metal. The state liturgy is drawn in full, the officials listed twice, the six instruments named and renamed, worship at the sound of music on pain of the furnace, and the repetitions are the satire, as the bench reads the chapter's style: idolatry as bureaucracy, faith commanded by orchestra. All the people fell down; the chapter's whole question is who did not.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

Jerome

St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER THREE · Written before 420.

proposed

Verse 2. "Nebuchadnezzar sent therefore to the satraps, magistrates and judges, the dukes and potentates, and the prefects and all the princes of the various districts that they should gather themselves together." It is the higher ranks which stand in the greater peril, and those who occupy the loftier position are the more sudden in their fall.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

HOMILIES CONCERNING THE STATUES 4:8 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

The enemy prepares the theatre, and he himself collects together the spectators, and prepares the lists; a theatre too, not of chance persons, or of some private individuals, but of all those who were honourable and in authority, to the end that their testimony may be worthy of credit with the multitude. They had come summoned for one thing; but they all departed having beheld another thing. They came in order to worship the image; and they departed, having derided the image, and struck with wonder at the power of God, through the signs which had taken place with respect to these young men. And observe, where the field for this display was spread out. No city, nor select enclosure furnished room for this theatre of the whole world, but smooth and naked plains. For in the plain of Dura, outside the city, he set up the image.

A commentator

Hippolytus of Rome

Commentary on Daniel 2.15.4 · Written before 235.

proposed

And having sent out a command he summoned together the governors, captains and rulers and all of those in authority to come to the consecration of the image, which Nebuchadnezzar the king set up.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes,.... He sent letters, or dispatched messengers, into the several provinces of his empire, and parts of his dominions, to convene all the peers of his realm, and governors of provinces, and all officers, civil, military, and religious, expressed by various names and titles: the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces; who are particularly and distinctly designed is not easy to say.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

This mirth and gaiety in the worship would be very agreeable to carnal sensual minds, that are strangers to that spiritual worship which is due to God who is a spirit.
1 more voice on this verse

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Then, Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes - It is difficult now, if not impossible, to determine the exact meaning of the words used here with reference to the various officers designated; and it is not material that it should be done. The general sense is, that he assembled the great officers of the realm to do honor to the image. The object was doubtless to make the occasion as magnificent as possible. Of course, if these high officers were assembled, an immense multitude of the people would congregate also. That this was contemplated, and that it in fact occurred, is apparent from Dan 3:4, Dan 3:7. The word rendered “princes” (אחשׁדרפניא 'ăchashedarepenayâ') occurs only in Daniel, in Ezra, and in Esther. In Dan 3:2-3, Dan 3:27; Dan 6:1-4, Dan 6:6-7, it is uniformly rendered “princes;” in Ezr 8:36; Est 3:12; Est 8:9; Est 9:3, it is uniformly rendered “lieutenants.” The word means, according to Gesenius (Lex.), “satraps, the governors or viceroys of the large provinces among the ancient Persians, possessing both civil and military power, and being in the provinces the representatives of the sovereign, whose state and splendor they also rivaled.” The etymology of the word is not certainly known. The Persian word “satrap” seems to have been the foundation of this word, with some slight modifications adapting it to the Chaldee mode of pronunciation. The governors - סגניא sı̂genayâ'. This word is rendered “governors” in Dan 2:48 (see the note at that place), and in Dan 3:3, Dan 3:27; Dan 6:7. It does not elsewhere occur. The Hebrew word corresponding to this - סגנים segânı̂ym - occurs frequently, and is rendered “rulers” in every place except Isa 41:25, where it is rendered “princes:” Ezr 9:2; Neh 2:16; Neh 4:14 (7); Neh 5:7, Neh 5:17; Neh 7:5; Jer 51:23, Jer 51:28, Jer 51:57; Eze 23:6, Eze 23:12, Eze 23:23, et al. […]

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וּנְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֣רand Nebuchadnezzar

    unevukhadnetzarH5020 →31 times

  • מַלְכָּ֡אking the

    malka'H4430 →180 times

  • שְׁלַ֡חhe sent

    shelachH7972 →14 times

  • לְמִכְנַ֣שׁ׀to gather

    lemikhnashH3673 →3 times

  • לַֽאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֡א<obj.> satraps the

    laachashdarpenaiya'H324 →9 times

  • סִגְנַיָּ֣אprefects the

    signaiya'H5460 →5 times

  • וּֽפַחֲוָתָ֡אand governors the

    ufachavata'H6347 →10 times

  • אֲדַרְגָּזְרַיָּא֩counselors the

    ʾadargazeraiya'H148 →

  • גְדָ֨בְרַיָּ֤אministers the

    gedaveraiya'H1411 →

  • דְּתָבְרַיָּא֙judges the

    detaveraiya'H1884 →

  • תִּפְתָּיֵ֔אmagistrates the

    tiftaye'H8614 →

  • וְכֹ֖לand all

    vekholH3606 →82 times

  • שִׁלְטֹנֵ֣י[the] authorities of

    shiltoneiH7984 →

  • מְדִֽינָתָ֑אprovinces the

    medinata'H4083 →11 times

  • לְמֵתֵא֙to come

    lemete'H858 →16 times

  • לַחֲנֻכַּ֣תto [the] dedication of

    lachanukatH2597 →

  • צַלְמָ֔אimage the

    tzalma'H6755 →17 times

  • דִּ֥יwhich

    diH1768 →345 times

  • הֲקֵ֖יםhe had set up

    hakeimH6966 →35 times

  • נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֥רNebuchadnezzar

    nevukhadnetzarH5020 →31 times

  • מַלְכָּֽא׃king the

    malka'H4430 →180 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

11 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Daniel 3:27and when the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisers had gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men. Not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them.4 worksDaniel 6:7All the royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce a decree that for thirty days anyone who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions.4 worksDaniel 6:6–7So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said, “O King Darius, may you live forever!3 worksDaniel 6:1–4Now it pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,3 worksNumbers 25:2who also invited them to the sacrifices for their gods. And the people ate and bowed down to these gods.3 works1 Kings 12:32And Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had set up, and he installed priests in Bethel for the high places he had set up.3 works
The other 5 cross-references, with their words ▾
Proverbs 29:12If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.3 worksJudges 16:23Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.”3 worksExodus 32:4–6He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”3 worksRevelation 17:2The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”2 worksEsther 9:3And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen upon them.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Daniel 3:27

    and when the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisers had gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men. Not a hair of their heads was singed,…

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 43:2

      When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched;…

    • Hebrews 11:34

      quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.

    • Isaiah 26:11

      O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!

    • Acts 27:34

      So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”

  • Through

    Numbers 25:2

    who also invited them to the sacrifices for their gods. And the people ate and bowed down to these gods.

    it leads to

    • 1 Corinthians 10:20

      No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

    • Exodus 20:5

      You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth…

    • Exodus 34:15–16

      Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices.

    • Psalms 106:28

      They yoked themselves to Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.

Where this verse is studied

About Daniel

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the Furnace — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the Furnace — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Daniel: the study guide →Read Daniel 3 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 2.15.4; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER THREE; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES CONCERNING THE STATUES 4:8; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Daniel 3 →