Daniel 3 · Verse 2

Daniel 3:2

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.
Daniel 3:2, King James Version

Daniel 3:2 in other translations

BSBThen King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue he had set up.
WEBThen Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the local governors, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
ASVThen 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.
YLTand 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.
DARBYAnd 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.
BBEAnd Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to get together all the captains, the chiefs, the rulers, the wise men, the keepers of public money, the judges, the overseers, and all the rulers of the divisions of the country, to come to see the unveiling of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had put up.
WebsterThen Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to convene the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sherifs, 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?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. princes--"satraps" of provinces [Gesenius]. captains--rulers, not exclusively military. sheriffs--men learned in the law, like the Arab mufti [Gesenius].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Sent to gather together the princes - It is not easy to show what these different offices were, as it is difficult to ascertain the meaning of the Chaldee words. Parkhurst analyzes them thus: - The Princes - אחשדרפניא achashdarpenaiya, from אחש Achash, great or eminent, and דר dar, "to go about freely," and פנים panim, "the presence." Satraps or privy counsellors who had free access to the presence of the king. The Governors - סגניא signaiya, lieutenants or viceroys, for סגן sagan, among the Hebrews, was the name of the high priest's deputy. The Captains - פחותא pachavatha, from פח pach, to extend, because set over those provinces that had been annexed to the kingdom by conquest. Pashas - This word and office are still in use in Asiatic countries. By corruption we pronounce bashaw. The Judges - אדרגזריא adargazeraiya, from אדר adar, noble or magnificent, and גזר gazar, to decree. The nobles, the assistants to the king in making laws, statutes, etc. The same probably in Babylon, as the House of Lords in England. The Treasurers - גדבריא gedaberaiya, from גנז ganaz, (the ז zain being changed into ד daleth, according to the custom of the Chaldee), to treasure up, and בר bar, pure. Those who kept the current coin, or were over the mint; the treasurers of the exchequer in Babylon. The Counsellors - דתבריא dethaberaiya, from דת dath, a statute, and בר bar, "to declare the meaning of the law;" for in all ages and countries there has been what is termed the glorious uncertainty of the law; and therefore there must be a class of men whose business it is to explain it. What a pity that law cannot be tendered to the people as other sciences are, in plain, unsophisticated, and intelligible terms, and by persons whose business it is to show what is just and right, and not pervert truth, righteousness, and judgment. The Sheriffs - תפתיא tiphtaye, from תפת taphath, in Hebrew, שפת shaphath, "to set in order." Probably civil magistrates. And all the rulers of the provinces - All other state or civil officers, not only to grace the solemnity, but to maintain order. My old Bible renders them: Satrapis, or wise men. Magistratis. Jugis. Duykis, Tyrauntis, or stronge men. Prefectis, and alle the Princes of Cuntreese.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Daniel 3:1-7

Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. (Dn 3:1-7) Shadrach and his companions refuse to worship it. (Dn 3:8-18) They are cast into a furnace, but are miraculously preserved. (Dn 3:19-27) Nebuchadnezzar gives glory to Jehovah. (Dn 3:28-30) Verses 1-7 In the height of the image, about thirty yards, probably is included a pedestal, and most likely it was only covered with plates of gold, not a solid mass of that precious…

Read the full comment on Daniel 3:1-7 →

Daniel 3:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּנְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֣רu.ne.vu.khad.ne.Tzarand NebuchadnezzarH5020
מַלְכָּ֡אmal.Ka'king theH4430
שְׁלַ֡חshe.Lachhe sentH7972
לְמִכְנַ֣שׁ\׀le.mikh.Nashto gatherH3673
לַֽאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֡אla.'a.chash.dar.pe.nai.Ya'<obj.> satraps theH324
סִגְנַיָּ֣אsig.nai.Ya'prefects theH5460
וּֽפַחֲוָתָ֡אu.fa.cha.va.Ta'and governors theH6347
אֲדַרְגָּזְרַיָּא֩'a.dar.ga.ze.rai.Ya'counselors theH148
גְדָ֨בְרַיָּ֤אge.Da.ve.rai.Ya'ministers theH1411
דְּתָבְרַיָּא֙de.ta.ve.rai.Ya'judges theH1884
תִּפְתָּיֵ֔אtif.ta.Ye'magistrates theH8614
וְכֹ֖לve.Kholand allH3606
שִׁלְטֹנֵ֣יshil.to.Nei[the] authorities ofH7984
מְדִֽינָתָ֑אme.di.na.Ta'provinces theH4083
לְמֵתֵא֙le.me.Te'to comeH858
לַחֲנֻכַּ֣תla.cha.nu.Katto [the] dedication ofH2597
צַלְמָ֔אtzal.Ma'image theH6755
דִּ֥יdiwhichH1768
הֲקֵ֖יםha.Keimhe had set upH6966
נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֥רne.vu.khad.ne.TzarNebuchadnezzarH5020
מַלְכָּֽא\׃mal.Ka'king theH4430

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Daniel 3:2

  • Daniel 3:27

    And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

  • Proverbs 29:12

    If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.

  • Daniel 6:1-4

    It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

  • Exodus 32:4-6

    And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

  • Daniel 6:6-7

    Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

  • Judges 16:23

    Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

  • 1 Kings 12:32

    And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Beth–el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth–el the priests of the high places which he had made.

  • Numbers 25:2

    And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

  • Revelation 17:2

    With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sent.
Ex 32:4-6; Nu 25:2; Jud 16:23; 1Ki 12:32; Pr 29:12; Re 17:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Daniel 3:1

    Nebuchadnezzar the king made 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 Babylon.

  • Daniel 3:2

    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.

  • Daniel 3:3

    Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Read all of Daniel 3

Daniel 3:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y envió el rey Nabucodonosor á juntar los grandes, los asistentes y capitanes, oidores, receptores, los del consejo, presidentes, y á todos los gobernadores de las provincias, para que viniesen á la dedicación de la estatua que el rey Nabucodonosor había levantado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Nebucadnetsar, le roi, envoya un ordre pour assembler les satrapes, les préfets, les gouverneurs, les grands juges, les trésoriers, les conseillers, les légistes, et tous les magistrats des provinces, afin qu’ils viennent pour la dédicace de la statue que Nebucadnetsar, le roi, avait dressée.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der König Nebukadnezar sandte aus, um die Satrapen, die Statthalter und die Landpfleger, die Oberrichter, die Schatzmeister, die Gesetzeskundigen, die Rechtsgelehrten und alle Oberbeamten der Landschaften zu versammeln, damit sie zur Einweihung des Bildes kämen, welches der König Nebukadnezar aufgerichtet hatte.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Itaque Nabuchodonosor rex misit ad congregandos satrapas, magistratus, et judices, duces, et tyrannos, et præfectos, omnesque principes regionum, ut convenirent ad dedicationem statuæ quam erexerat Nabuchodonosor rex.