Daniel 2:24-3:30
1599 Geneva Bible
24 ¶ Therefore Daniel went unto Arioch, whom the King had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babel: he went and said thus unto him, Destroy not [a]the wise men of Babel, but bring me before the king, and I will declare unto the king the interpretation.
25 Then Arioch brought Daniel before the king in all haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the children of Judah that were brought captives, that will declare unto the king the interpretation.
26 Then answered the king, and said unto Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to show me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded, can neither the wise, the astrologians, the enchanters, nor the soothsayers declare unto the king.
28 But there is a God in [b]heaven that revealeth secrets, and showeth the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the things which thou hast seen in thine head upon thy bed, is this:
29 O king, when thou wast in thy bed, thoughts came into thy mind, what should come to pass hereafter, and he that revealeth secrets, telleth thee what shall come.
30 As [c]for me, this secret is not showed me for any wisdom that I have more than any other living, but only to show the king the interpretation, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thine heart.
31 O king, thou sawest, and behold, there was a great image: this great image whose glory was so excellent, stood before thee, and the form therefore was terrible.
32 This image’s head was of fine [d]gold, his breast, and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33 His legs of iron, and his feet were part of iron, and part of clay.
34 Thou beheldest it till a stone was cut without hands, which smote the image upon his feet, that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold broken all together, and became like the chaff of the summer flowers, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
36 This is the dream, and we will declare before the king the interpretation thereof.
37 ¶ O king, thou art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And in all places where the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all: thou art [e]this head of gold.
39 And after thee shall rise another kingdom, [f]inferior to thee, of silver, and another [g]third kingdom shall be of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: for as iron breaketh in pieces, and subdueth all things, and as iron bruiseth all these things, so shall it break in [h]pieces, and bruise all.
41 Whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter’s clay, and part of iron: the kingdom shall be [i]divided, but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, as thou sawest the iron mixed with the clay, and earth.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so shall the kingdom be partly strong, and partly broken.
43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with clay and earth, they shall mingle themselves with [j]the seed of men: but they shall not join one with another, as iron cannot be mixed with clay.
44 And in the days of these kings, shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which [k]shall never be destroyed: and this kingdom shall not be given to another people, but it shall break, and destroy all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
45 Whereas thou sawest, that the [l]stone was cut of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold: so the great God hath showed the king, what shall come to pass hereafter, and the dream is true, and the interpretation thereof is sure.
46 ¶ Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and [m]bowed himself unto Daniel, and commanded that they should offer meat offerings, and sweet odors unto him.
47 Also the King answered unto Daniel, and said, I know of a truth that your [n]God is a God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and the revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest open this secret.
48 So the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many and great [o]gifts. He made him governor over the whole province of Babel, and chief of the rulers, and above all the wise men of Babel.
49 Then Daniel [p]made request to the King, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the charge of the province of Babel: but Daniel sat in the [q]gate of the king.
3 1 The king setteth up a golden image. 8 Certain are accused because they despised the king’s commandment, and are put into a burning oven. 15 By belief in God they are delivered from the fire. 25 Nebuchadnezzar confesseth the power of God after the sight of the miracle.
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made [r]an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babel.
2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent forth to gather together the nobles, the princes and the dukes, the judges, the receivers, the counselors, the officers, and all the governors of the provinces, that they should come to the [s]dedication of the image, which Nebuchadnezzar the [t]King had set up.
3 So the nobles, princes, and dukes, the judges, the receivers, the counselors, the officers, and all the governors of the provinces were assembled unto the dedicating of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the King had set up and they stood before the image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Then an herald cried aloud, Be it known to you, O people, [u]nations, and languages,
5 That when ye hear the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all instruments of music, ye fall down, and worship the golden image, that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up.
6 And whosoever falleth not down, and worshippeth, shall the same hour be cast into the midst of an hot fiery furnace.
7 Therefore as soon as all the people heard the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all instruments of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down, and worshipped the golden image, that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8 ¶ By reason whereof at that same time came men of the Chaldeans, and grievously accused the Jews.
9 For they spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O King, live forever.
10 Thou, O King, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all instruments of music, shall fall down, and worship the golden image.
11 And whosoever falleth not down, and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of an hot fiery furnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the charge of the province of Babel, [v]Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: these men, O King, have not regarded thy commandment, neither will they serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image that thou hast set up.
13 ¶ Then Nebuchadnezzar in his anger and wrath commanded that they should bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, so these men were brought before the king.
14 And Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said unto them, What disorder? will not you, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, serve my god, nor worship the golden image that I have set up?
15 [w]Now therefore are ye ready when ye hear the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all instruments of music, to fall down, and worship the image which I have made? for if ye worship it not, ye shall be cast immediately into the midst of an hot fiery furnace: for who is that God, that can deliver you out of mine hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the King, O Nebuchadnezzar, we [x]are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 Behold, our God whom we serve, is [y]able to deliver us from the hot fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19 ¶ Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of rage, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he charged and commanded that they should heat the furnace at once seven [z]times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 And he charged the most valiant men of war that were in his army, to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the hot fiery furnace.
21 So these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their cloaks, with their other garments, and cast into the midst of the hot fiery furnace.
22 Therefore, because the king’s commandment was strait, that the furnace should be exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that brought forth Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fell down bound into the midst of the hot fiery furnace.
24 ¶ Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? Who answered, and said unto him, It is true, O king.
25 And he answered, and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the [aa]son of God.
26 Then the King Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the hot fiery furnace, and spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the servants of the high God, go forth and come hither: so Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego [ab]came forth of the midst of the fire.
27 Then the nobles, princes, and dukes, and the king’s counselors came together to see these men, because the fire had no power over their bodies: for not an hair of their head was burnt, neither were their coats changed, nor any smell of fire came upon them.
28 Wherefore Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, [ac]Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who hath sent his Angel, and delivered his servants, that put their trust in him, and have changed the king’s commandment, and yielded their bodies rather than they would serve or worship any god save their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree that every people, nation, and language, which speak any [ad]blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be drawn in pieces, and their houses shall be made a jakes, because there is no god that can deliver after this sort.
30 Then the King promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babel.
Footnotes
- Daniel 2:24 Whereby appeareth that many were slain, as verse 13, and the rest at Daniel’s offer were preserved on condition: not that Daniel favored their wicked profession, but that he had respect to equity, because the King proceeded according to his wicked affection, and not considering if their science were lawful or no.
- Daniel 2:28 He affirmeth that man by reason and art is not able to attain to the cause of God’s secrets, but the understanding only thereof must come of God: whereby he smiteth the king with a certain fear and reverence of God, that he might be the more apt to receive the high mysteries, that should be revealed.
- Daniel 2:30 Because he had said that God only must reveal the signification of this dream, the King might have asked, why Daniel did enterprise to interpret it, and therefore he showeth that he was but God’s minister and had no gifts, but such as God had given him to set forth his glory.
- Daniel 2:32 By gold, silver, brass and iron, are meant the Chaldean, Persian, Macedonian and Roman kingdoms, which should successively rule all the world till Christ (which is here called the stone) come himself, and destroy the last: and this was to assure the Jews, that their affliction should not end with the empire of the Chaldeans, but that they should patiently abide the coming of Messiah, which should be at the end of this fourth monarchy.
- Daniel 2:38 Daniel leaveth out the kingdom of the Assyrians, which was before the Babylonian, both because it was not a Monarchy and general empire, and also because he would declare the things that were to come, to the coming of Christ, for the comfort of the elect among these wonderful alterations, and he calleth the Babylonian kingdom the golden head, because in respect of the other three, it was the best, and yet it was of itself wicked and cruel.
- Daniel 2:39 Meaning, the Persians which were not inferior in dignity, power, and riches, but were worse touching ambition, cruelty, and all kind of vice, showing that the world should grow worse and worse, till it was restored by Christ.
- Daniel 2:39 That is, of the Macedonians shall be of brass, not alluding to the hardness thereof, but to the vileness in respect of silver.
- Daniel 2:40 That is, the Roman empire shall subdue all these other aforenamed, which after Alexander were divided into the Macedonians, Grecians, Syrians and Egyptians.
- Daniel 2:41 They shall have civil wars, and continual discords among themselves.
- Daniel 2:43 They shall by marriages and affinities think to make themselves strong: yet shall they never be joined in hearts.
- Daniel 2:44 His purpose is to show, that all the kingdoms of the world are transitory, and that the kingdom of Christ shall only remain forever.
- Daniel 2:45 Meaning Christ, who was sent of God, and not set up by man, whose kingdom at the beginning should be small and without beauty to man’s judgment, but should at length grow and fill the whole earth, which he calleth a great mountain, as verse 35. And this kingdom which is not only referred to the person of Christ, but also to the whole body of his Church, and to every member thereof, shall be eternal: for the Spirit that is in them is life eternal, Rom. 8:10.
- Daniel 2:46 Though this humbling of the king seemed to deserve commendation, yet because he joined God’s honor with the Prophet’s, it is to be reproved, and Daniel herein erred, if he suffered it: but it is credible that Daniel admonished him of his fault, and did not suffer it.
- Daniel 2:47 This confession was but a sudden motion, as it was also in Pharaoh, Exod. 9:28, but his heart was not touched, as appeared soon afterward.
- Daniel 2:48 Not that the Prophet was desirous of gifts or honor, but because by this means he might relieve his poor brethren, which were grievously oppressed in this their captivity, and also he received them, lest he should offend this cruel king, which willingly gave them.
- Daniel 2:49 He did not this for their private profit: but that the whole Church, which was then there in affliction, might have some release and ease by this benefit.
- Daniel 2:49 Meaning, that either he was a judge, or that he had the whole authority, so than none could be admitted to the king’s presence, but by him.
- Daniel 3:1 Under pretence of religion, and holiness in making an image to his idol Bel, he sought his own ambition and vain glory: and this declareth that he was not toucheth with the true fear of God before but that he confessed him on a sudden motion as the wicked when they are overcome with the greatness of his works. The Greek interpreters write, that this was done eighteen years after the dream, and as may appear, the King feared lest the Jews by their religion, should have altered the state of his commonwealth, and therefore he meant to bring all to one kind of religion, and so rather sought his own quietness than God’s glory.
- Daniel 3:2 Showing that the idol is not known for an idol so long as he is with workmen: but when the ceremonies and customs are recited and used, and the consent of the people is there, then of a block they think they have made a god.
- Daniel 3:2 This was sufficient with the wicked at all times to approve their religion, if the king’s authority were alleged for the establishment thereof, not considering in the mean season what God’s word did permit.
- Daniel 3:4 These are the two dangerous weapons, wherewith Satan used to fight against the children of God, the consent of the multitude, and the cruelty of the punishment: for though some feared God, yet the multitude, which consented to the wickedness, astonied them: and here the King required, not an inward consent, but an outward gesture, that the Jews might by little and little learn to forget their true religion.
- Daniel 3:12 It seemeth that they named not Daniel, because he was greatly in the king’s favor, thinking if these three had been destroyed, they might have had better occasion to accuse Daniel: and this declareth that this policy of erecting this image was invented by the malicious flatterers which sought nothing but the destruction of the Jews, whom they accused of rebellion and ingratitude.
- Daniel 3:15 Signifying that he would receive them to grace if they would now at the length obey his decree.
- Daniel 3:16 For they should have done injury to God, if they should have doubted in this holy cause, and therefore they say, that they are resolved to die for God’s cause.
- Daniel 3:17 They ground on two points, first on the power and providence of God over them, and secondly on their cause, which was God’s glory, and the testifying of his true religion with their blood, and so make open confession, that they will not so much as outwardly consent to idolatry.
- Daniel 3:19 This declareth that the more that tyrants rage, and the more witty they show themselves inventing strange and cruel punishments, the more is God glorified by his servants to whom he giveth patience and constancy to abide the cruelty of their punishment: for either by delivereth them from death, or else for this life giveth them a better.
- Daniel 3:25 For the Angels were called the sons of God, because of their excellency: therefore the king called this Angel whom God sent to comfort his in these great torments, the son of God.
- Daniel 3:26 This commendeth their obedience unto God, that they would not for any fear depart out of this furnace, till the time appointed, as Noah remained in the ark, till the Lord called him forth.
- Daniel 3:28 He was moved by the greatness of the miracle to praise God, but his heart was not touched. And here we see that miracles are not sufficient to convert men to God, but that doctrine most chiefly be adjoined, without the which there can be no faith.
- Daniel 3:29 If this heathen king moved by God’s Spirit would not see blasphemy unpunished, but made a law and set a punishment to such transgressors, much more ought all they that profess religion, take order that such impiety reign not, lest according as their knowledge and charge is greater, so they suffer double punishment.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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