Daniel 3:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.

NIV: Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire,

NASB: Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he said, 'Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!' Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out of the middle of the fire.

CSB: Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and called: "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God—come out!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.

NLT: Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: 'Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!' So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.

Leading up to this moment, Babylon's king, Nebuchadnezzar, was absolutely enraged by the defiance of three Hebrew captives (Daniel 3:16–18). In his anger, he commanded them to be thrown, immediately, into a superheated furnace (Daniel 3:19–23). Apparently, the king wanted to see the results of his spite—but instead of three charred corpses, he saw four men, all alive, and one with a supernatural appearance (Daniel 3:24–25). This abruptly changes the king's attitude. In fact, he not only wants the men to come out from the furnace, but he also wants to speak with them in person.

Here, the pagan king calls out to his intended victims, referring to them as "servants of the Most High God." His meaning is literal, and different from how that phrase might be used by a modern believer. Nebuchadnezzar still believed in many deities—but this experience has convinced him that the God of Israel is not merely strong (Daniel 2:47), but that He is the most powerful of these varied gods (Daniel 3:29).

This verse repeats the names of these three men, in the same pattern seen over a dozen times throughout the passage (Daniel 3:12, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30). Repetition is a theme of this passage, in part for poetic rhythm, and partly to point out the heavy-handed nature of Nebuchadnezzar's rule.

Daniel 3:26–30 records the aftermath of king Nebuchadnezzar's failed attempt to punish those who defied his command to worship an idol (Daniel 3:16–19). The three men were seen alive inside a furnace, along with a fourth person (Daniel 3:24–25). When the three emerge completely unaffected by the flames, the king shockingly acknowledges that their faith was well-placed and that they were right to defy his order. He commands the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be protected from all criticism and promotes the three Hebrews once again (Daniel 2:48–49).

Nebuchadnezzar builds a golden idol, possibly inspired by the explanation of his own dream (Daniel 2:36–38). He commands all people to worship it, at a given musical signal, on pain of death. Three Hebrew men openly defy this command and are thrown into a superheated furnace. To his shock, the king sees a supernatural figure with the still-living Israelites. Not only do they survive, but their clothes aren't singed nor even smelling like smoke. The king praises their faith, and their God, commanding that no one speak ill of the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

The first chapter of Daniel explained how four captive Israelite boys became respected advisors to a Babylonian king. Chapter 2 showed these men praying for divine wisdom to untangle that same king's dream. These events set the stage for this chapter and the famous trio of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The men refuse to bow to an idol and are rescued from fiery death by God. This is the last mention of these men in Scripture, as focus shifts back to Babylon's kings and the prophet Daniel.

The book of Daniel contains famous Old Testament stories and prophecies. Daniel was taken from the Israelite people and made an advisor for a conquering empire. He demonstrates faithfulness and wisdom during many years serving in this role. Though Daniel does not deliver a public message, Jesus refers to him as a "prophet" (Matthew 24:15). The first portion of the book mostly describes Daniel's interpretations of dreams and other events. The second portion looks ahead to the end times. Daniel is classified in English Bibles as a "major" prophet, meaning the book is relatively long and the content has broad implications. The book of Revelation echoes and expands on many of the same themes.