Daniel 3:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

NIV: The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,

NASB: For this reason, because the king’s command was harsh and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.

CSB: Since the king's command was so urgent and the furnace extremely hot, the raging flames killed those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

NLT: And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in.

KJV: Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

NKJV: Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.

The furnace used here was probably a lime kiln: a large earthen dome with an open top to insert fuel and a hole on the side to remove waste. In his intense rage, King Nebuchadnezzar had ordered it superheated for an execution (Daniel 3:16–19). Strong men were commanded to tie up three Hebrew captives (Daniel 1:6–7) and throw them into this furnace immediately. This urgency contributed to the deaths of these executioners (Daniel 3:20–21). To respond so quickly, they may have neglected to put on protective clothing. They likely had no time to arrange a careful way to put the victims into the top of the furnace.

These were respected soldiers in the army of Babylon, previously referred to with the term "mighty men" (Daniel 3:20). But the greatest warrior is no match for heat that can melt bronze. Nor is such a man strong enough to resist judgment by the One True God, whom these Hebrew men worshiped. Someday, during what is commonly called the "end times," all nations of the world will attempt a military coup against God, but they will not be able to withstand His judgment (Revelation 20:7–10). Psalm 2:1 asks, "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lᴏʀᴅ and against his Anointed." Psalm 2:5 says God "will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury."

Based on the king's comments later (Daniel 3:24–25), it's not likely the soldiers fell into the furnace. More likely, they were overcome with the heat coming from the opening and died on the surface.

Daniel 3:19–25 follows the description of Nebuchadnezzar's angry response to an accusation: that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 1:6–7) refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar's golden image (Daniel 3:1–7, 8–12). Rather than begging for mercy, the men openly refuse to commit idolatry (Daniel 3:16–18). This enrages the king, who tries to make an example of them, which is thwarted by God (Daniel 3:22–27). The passage is recorded in Aramaic, highlighting its importance to non-Jewish people of the ancient world.

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.