The Meaning of Daniel 3:7 Explained

Daniel 3:7

KJV: Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

YLT: Therefore at that time, when all the peoples are hearing the voice of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and all kinds of music, falling down are all the peoples, nations and languages, doing obeisance to the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath raised up.

Darby: Therefore at that time when all the peoples heard the sound of the cornet, pipe, lute, sambuca, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

ASV: Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore  at that time,  when  all  the people  heard  the sound  of the cornet,  flute,  harp,  sackbut,  psaltery,  and all  kinds  of musick,  all  the people,  the nations,  and the languages,  fell down  [and] worshipped  the golden  image  that Nebuchadnezzar  the king  had set up. 

What does Daniel 3:7 Mean?

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 3:7 mean?

all according to therefore at that time when heard all people the the sound of horn the flute - harp [and] lyre in symphony with and all kinds of music fell down people the nations and languages [and] worshiped image gold the which had set up Nebuchadnezzar King
כָּל־ קֳבֵ֣ל דְּנָ֡ה בֵּהּ־ זִמְנָ֡א כְּדִ֣י שָֽׁמְעִ֣ין כָּֽל־ עַמְמַיָּ֡א קָ֣ל קַרְנָא֩ מַשְׁר֨וֹקִיתָ֜א [קיתרס] (קַתְר֤וֹס) שַׂבְּכָא֙ פְּסַנְטֵרִ֔ין וְכֹ֖ל זְנֵ֣י זְמָרָ֑א נָֽפְלִ֨ין עַֽמְמַיָּ֜א אֻמַיָּ֣א וְלִשָּׁנַיָּ֗א סָֽגְדִין֙ לְצֶ֣לֶם דַּהֲבָ֔א דִּ֥י הֲקֵ֖ים נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֥ר מַלְכָּֽא

קֳבֵ֣ל  according  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: קֳבֵל  
Sense: front prep.
בֵּהּ־  at 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
זִמְנָ֡א  that  time 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: זְמַן  
Sense: a set time, time, season.
שָֽׁמְעִ֣ין  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שְׁמַע  
Sense: to hear.
עַמְמַיָּ֡א  people  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: עַם  
Sense: people.
קָ֣ל  the  sound 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָל  
Sense: voice, sound.
קַרְנָא֩  of  horn  the 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: קֶרֶן  
Sense: horn.
מַשְׁר֨וֹקִיתָ֜א  flute 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: מַשְׁרֹוקִי  
Sense: pipe.
[קיתרס]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
(קַתְר֤וֹס)  harp 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קַתְרֹוס 
Sense: a musical instrument.
שַׂבְּכָא֙  [and]  lyre 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: סַבְּכָא 
Sense: trigon, musical instrument.
פְּסַנְטֵרִ֔ין  in  symphony  with 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּסַנְתֵּרִין  
Sense: a stringed instrument (triangular).
וְכֹ֖ל  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, whole, the whole.
זְנֵ֣י  kinds 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: זַן  
Sense: kind, sort.
זְמָרָ֑א  of  music 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: זְמָר  
Sense: instrumental music, music.
נָֽפְלִ֨ין  fell  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: נְפַל  
Sense: to fall.
עַֽמְמַיָּ֜א  people  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: עַם  
Sense: people.
אֻמַיָּ֣א  nations 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural determinate
Root: אֻמָּה  
Sense: people, tribe, nation.
וְלִשָּׁנַיָּ֗א  and  languages 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: לִשָּׁן  
Sense: tongue, language.
סָֽגְדִין֙  [and]  worshiped 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: סְגִד  
Sense: to prostrate oneself, do homage, worship.
לְצֶ֣לֶם  image 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צְלֵם  
Sense: image, idol.
דַּהֲבָ֔א  gold  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: דְּהַב  
Sense: gold.
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.