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Verse

Daniel 3:15

ESV Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?"
NIV Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
NASB Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can rescue you from my hands?'
CSB Now if you’re ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you don’t worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire—and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?"
NLT I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?'
KJV 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?
NKJV Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

What does Daniel 3:15 mean?

It's possible Nebuchadnezzar did not fully trust his court advisors (Daniel 2:8–11). When he elevated certain captive Jewish men (Daniel 1:6–7) to positions of power (Daniel 2:48–49), it may have inspired jealousy. The claim that these men did not follow a command to worship an idol (Daniel 3:1–7) may have been completely fabricated (Daniel 3:8). In other words, it's possible that the accusers were merely harassing the Hebrew men out of spite. The king calls the three men and interrogates them about their obedience. Here, he offers them an opportunity to prove their submission to his rule.

Nebuchadnezzar saw himself as more authoritative and powerful than any god. He thought no god could undo his sentence of death. His question is rhetorical: a statement of his view that no deity could keep someone from death if the king of Babylon so ordered. Yet the king failed to realize that the God of the three Jews wasn't just another pagan idol. Their God created the heavens and earth (Genesis 1:1), controlled all nature, and could surely deliver His faithful worshipers from the burning fiery furnace. If Nebuchadnezzar cast Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace, he would be setting up a conflict between himself and the one and only true God.

The three men won't dispute the charges against them, nor wait for the next command to worship. Instead, they neatly inform Nebuchadnezzar that they refuse to participate in idolatry (Daniel 3:16–18).

This verse is one of several which repeats the exact same list of musical instruments (Daniel 3:5, 7, 10). That repetition may be a way of satirizing Babylon's overly controlling, bureaucratic nature.
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