Daniel 3 · Verse 23

Daniel 3:23

And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Daniel 3:23, King James Version

Daniel 3:23 in other translations

BSBAnd these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, firmly bound, fell into the blazing fiery furnace.
WEBThese three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the middle of the burning fiery furnace.
ASVAnd these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
YLTAnd these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, have fallen down in the midst of the burning fiery furnace--bound.
DARBYAnd these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
BBEAnd these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, with the cords about them, went down into the burning and flaming fire.
WebsterAnd these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

What does Daniel 3:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
23. fell down--not cast down; for those who brought the three youths to the furnace, perished by the flames themselves, and so could not cast them in. Here follows an addition in the Septuagint, Syrian, Arabic, and Vulgate versions. "The Prayer of Azarias," and "The Song of the Three Holy Children." It is not in the Chaldee. The hymn was sung throughout the whole Church in their liturgies, from the earliest times [Rufinus in Commentary on the Apostles Creed, and Athanasius]. The "astonishment" of Nebuchadnezzar in Da 3:24 is made an argument for its genuineness, as if it explained the cause of his astonishment, namely, "they walked in the midst of the fire praising God, but the angel of the Lord came down into the oven" (vs. 1 and vs. 27 of the Apocryphal addition). But Da 3:25 of English Version explains his astonishment, without need of any addition.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 And these three men - fell down bound - There is a most evident want of connection between this and the following verse; and it is between these verses that the apocryphal Song of the Three Children, as it is called, has been inserted by St. Jerome and others; but with this note: Quae sequuntur in Hebraeis voluminibus non reperi; "What follows I have not found in the Hebrew books." And then begins, "They walked in the midst of the flame, praising God, and blessing the Lord." The Septuagint and Arabic read the twenty-fourth verse thus: "Then Nebuchadnezzar heard them singing praise, and was astonished." To connect the two verses Houbigant adds two verses found in the Vulgate, which are the forty-ninth and the twenty-third: "But an angel of the Lord went down with Azariah and his companions into the furnace, and drove out the flame of fire from the furnace; and they walked in the midst of the furnace." This verse (the forty-ninth) has been added to show the reason of Nebuchadnezzar's astonishment, and also to account for the appearance of a fourth person in the furnace, as in verse 25.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Daniel 3:19-27

Let Nebuchadnezzar heat his furnace as hot as he can, a few minutes will finish the torment of those cast into it; but hell-fire tortures, and yet does not kill. Those who worshipped the beast and his image, have no rest, no pause, no moment free from pain, Rev. 14:10,11. Now was fulfilled in the letter that great promise, Is. 43:2, When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned. Leaving it to that God…

Read the full comment on Daniel 3:19-27 →

Daniel 3:23 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.

וְגֻבְרַיָּ֤אve.guv.rai.Ya'and men theH1400
אִלֵּךְ֙'i.leKhtheseH479
תְּלָ֣תֵּה֔וֹןte.La.te.Honthree of themH8532
שַׁדְרַ֥ךְshad.RakhShadrachH7715
מֵישַׁ֖ךְmei.ShakhMeshachH4336
וַעֲבֵ֣דva.'a.Vedand Abed-H5665
נְג֑וֹne.Go-negoH5665
נְפַ֛לוּne.Fa.luthey fellH5308
לְגֽוֹא\־le.goy'-to [the] midst ofH1459
אַתּוּן\־'a.tun-[the] furnace ofH861
נוּרָ֥אnu.Ra'fire theH5135
יָֽקִדְתָּ֖אya.kid.Ta'<the> burningH3345
מְכַפְּתִֽין\׃\ \פme.kha.pe.TinboundH3729

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

Cross references for Daniel 3:23

  • Jeremiah 38:6

    Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

  • Daniel 6:16-17

    Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

  • Psalms 34:19

    Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

  • Psalms 124:1-5

    A Song of degrees of David. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: …

  • Psalms 66:11-12

    Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

  • Lamentations 3:52-54

    Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause. They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.

  • 2 Corinthians 1:8-10

    For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

  • 1 Peter 4:12-13

    Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

  • 2 Corinthians 4:17

    For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
fell.
6:16,17; Ps 34:19; 66:11,12; 124:1-5; Jer 38:6; La 3:52-54
2Co 1:8-10; 4:17; 1Pe 4:12,13

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

Context

  • Daniel 3:22

    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 Abed–nego.

  • Daniel 3:23

    And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

  • Daniel 3:24

    Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

Read all of Daniel 3

Daniel 3:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y estos tres varones, Sadrach, Mesach, y Abed-nego, cayeron atados dentro del horno de fuego ardiendo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et ces trois hommes, Shadrac, Méshac et Abed-Nego, tombèrent liés au milieu de la fournaise de feu ardent.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und diese drei Männer, Sadrach, Mesach und Abednego, fielen gebunden in den brennenden Feuerofen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Viri autem hi tres, id est, Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago, ceciderunt in medio camino ignis ardentis, colligati.