The Meaning of Daniel 3:2 Explained

Daniel 3:2

KJV: Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellers, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

YLT: and Nebuchadnezzar the king hath sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the honourable judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the province, to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath raised up.

Darby: And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the justices, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

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.

Discover Daniel 3:2

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Daniel 3:2?

MEANING: What does Daniel 3:2 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Daniel 3:2 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Daniel 3:2?

What is the context of Daniel 3:2?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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.

What does Daniel 3:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Nebuchadnezzar summoned his officials to the image for what he probably intended to be a demonstration of loyalty to him.

"The fairly recent date of the establishment of the Babylonian Empire as the successor to Assyria (at least in its southern half) made it appropriate for Nebuchadnezzar to assemble all the local and provincial leaders from every part of his domain and, in essence, exact from them a solemn oath of loyalty ..." ^[1]

The religious connotations of the gathering are unclear, but it was probably not a summons to worship one idol as God. The Babylonians were a polytheistic people and worshiped many gods.

"A refusal to yield homage to the gods of the kingdom, they regarded as an act of hostility against the kingdom and its monarch, while every one might at the same time honour his own national god. This acknowledgment, that the gods of the kingdom were the more powerful, every heathen could grant; and thus, Nebuchadnezzar demanded nothing in a religious point of view which every one of his subjects could not yield. To him, therefore, the refusal of the Jews could not but appear as opposition to the greatness of his kingdom." ^[2]

Context Summary

Daniel 3:1-18 - Loyalty Severely Tested

The king, at the close of the foregoing chapter, acknowledged the supremacy of Daniel's God, yet here he erects an image to Bel and to himself, demanding divine honor. Probably there was state policy in this. In so heterogeneous an empire of peoples, nations, and languages, there could be no unity but in universal prostration before one and the same object. Nineteen years had elapsed since the recovery of the lost dream. In that period successful wars had been waged and vast treasures accumulated which made this vast expenditure possible. Imagine the assembled myriads, the glittering array of princes, satraps, viceroys, statesmen, and priests, the grouped bands, and in the background the furnace. The three youths could not have stood alone amid the prostrate throng, had they not been supported by a living faith in the God of their fathers, Hebrews 11:33-34. They would not argue, but they could die, if God willed. Their attitude must be taken and maintained altogether apart from any expectation of deliverance. Our God whom we serve is able-and He will. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 3

¹ Nebuchadnezzar dedicates a golden image in Dura
³ They being threatened, make a good confession
⁸ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are accused for not worshipping the image
¹⁹ They are cast into the furnace,
²⁴ from which God delivers them
²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar seeing the miracle blesses God, and advances them

What do the individual words in Daniel 3:2 mean?

And Nebuchadnezzar King sent [word] to gather together satraps the administrators the and governors the counselors the treasurers the judges the magistrates and all the officials of provinces the to come to the dedication of image the which had set up Nebuchadnezzar King

וּנְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֣ר מַלְכָּ֡א שְׁלַ֡ח לְמִכְנַ֣שׁ ׀ לַֽאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֡א סִגְנַיָּ֣א וּֽפַחֲוָתָ֡א אֲדַרְגָּזְרַיָּא֩ גְדָ֨בְרַיָּ֤א דְּתָבְרַיָּא֙ תִּפְתָּיֵ֔א וְכֹ֖ל שִׁלְטֹנֵ֣י מְדִֽינָתָ֑א לְמֵתֵא֙ לַחֲנֻכַּ֣ת צַלְמָ֔א דִּ֥י הֲקֵ֖ים נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֥ר מַלְכָּֽא

וּנְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֣ר	And Nebuchadnezzar
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר Sense: the great king of Babylon who captured Jerusalem and carried Judah captive.
מַלְכָּ֡א	King
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate Root: מֶלֶךְ Sense: king.
שְׁלַ֡ח	sent [word]
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular Root: שְׁלַח Sense: to send.
לְמִכְנַ֣שׁ ׀	to gather together
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct Root: כְּנַשׁ Sense: to gather.
לַֽאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֡א	satraps the
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural determinate Root: אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפַּן Sense: satrap, a governor of a Persian province.
סִגְנַיָּ֣א	administrators the
Parse: Noun, masculine plural determinate Root: סְגַן Sense: prefect, governor.
וּֽפַחֲוָתָ֡א	and governors the
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural determinate Root: פֶּחָה Sense: governor.
אֲדַרְגָּזְרַיָּא֩	counselors the
Parse: Noun, masculine plural determinate Root: אֲדַרְגָּזַר Sense: judge (diviner), counsellor.
גְדָ֨בְרַיָּ֤א	treasurers the
Parse: Noun, masculine plural determinate Root: גְּדָבַר Sense: treasurer.
דְּתָבְרַיָּא֙	judges the
Parse: Noun, masculine plural determinate Root: דְּתָבַר Sense: lawyer, interpreter of decrees, judge.
תִּפְתָּיֵ֔א	magistrates
Parse: Noun, masculine plural determinate Root: תִּפְתָּי Sense: magistrate.
וְכֹ֖ל	and all
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct Root: כֹּל Sense: all, whole, the whole.
שִׁלְטֹנֵ֣י	the officials
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct Root: שִׁלְטֹן Sense: governor, ruler, official.
מְדִֽינָתָ֑א	of provinces the
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate Root: מְדִינָה Sense: district, province.
לְמֵתֵא֙	to come
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct Root: אֲתָה Sense: to come, arrive.
לַחֲנֻכַּ֣ת	to the dedication
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct Root: חֲנֻכָּה Sense: dedication.
צַלְמָ֔א	of image the
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate Root: צְלֵם Sense: image, idol.
הֲקֵ֖ים	had set up
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular Root: קוּם Sense: to arise, stand.
נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֥ר	Nebuchadnezzar
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר Sense: the great king of Babylon who captured Jerusalem and carried Judah captive.
מַלְכָּֽא	King
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate Root: מֶלֶךְ Sense: king.

What are the major concepts related to Daniel 3:2?

Loading Information...

Similar Scriptures for Daniel 3:2

		Daniel 3:27 [4]
		Daniel 6:6-7 [3]
		Judges 16:23 [2]
		Proverbs 29:12 [2]
		1 Kings 12:32 [2]
		Numbers 25:2 [2]
		Exodus 32:4-6 [2]
		Daniel 6:1-4 [2]
		Revelation 17:2 [1]
read less