Daniel 3 · Verse 25

Daniel 3:25

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 Son of God.
Daniel 3:25, King James Version

Daniel 3:25 in other translations

BSB“Look!” he exclaimed. “I see four men, unbound and unharmed, walking around in the fire—and the fourth looks like a son of the gods!”
WEBHe answered, “Look, I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed. The appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
ASVHe answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods.
YLTHe answered and hath said, ‘Lo, I am seeing four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like to a son of the gods.'
DARBYHe answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of God.
BBEHe made answer and said, Look! I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not damaged; and the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods.
WebsterHe 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 son of God.

What does Daniel 3:25 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
25. four--whereas but three had been cast in. loose--whereas they had been cast in "bound." Nebuchadnezzar's question, in Da 3:24, is as if he can scarcely trust his own memory as to a fact so recent, now that he sees through an aperture in the furnace what seems to contradict it. walking in ... midst of ... fire--image of the godly unhurt, and at large (Joh 8:36), "in the midst of trouble" (Psa 138:7; compare Psa 23:3, 4). They walked up and down in the fire, not leaving it, but waiting for God's time to bring them out, just as Jesus waited in the tomb as God's prisoner, till God should let Him out (Ac 2:26, 27). So Paul (2Co 12:8, 9). So Noah waited in the ark, after the flood, till God brought him forth (Ge 8:12-18). like the Son of God--Unconsciously, like Saul, Caiaphas (Joh 11:49-52), and Pilate, he is made to utter divine truths. "Son of God" in his mouth means only an "angel" from heaven, as Da 3:28 proves. Compare Job 1:6; 38:7; Psa 34:7, 8; and the probably heathen centurion's exclamation (Mt 27:54). The Chaldeans believed in families of gods: Bel, the supreme god, accompanied by the goddess Mylitta, being the father of the gods; thus the expression he meant: one sprung from and sent by the gods. Really it was the "messenger of the covenant," who herein gave a prelude to His incarnation.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 25 Is like the Son of God - A most improper translation. What notion could this idolatrous king have of the Lord Jesus Christ? for so the place is understood by thousands. בר אלהין bar elahin signifies a son of the gods, that is, a Divine person or angel; and so the king calls him in Dan 3:28 : "God hath sent his Angel, and delivered his servants." And though even from this some still contend that it was the Angel of the covenant, yet the Babylonish king knew just as much of the one as he did of the other. No other ministration was necessary; a single angel from heaven was quite sufficient to answer this purpose, as that which stopped the mouths of the lions when Daniel was cast into their den.

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 3:25 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.

עָנֵ֣ה'a.Neh[he was] replyingH6032
וְאָמַ֗רve.'a.Marand [he was] sayingH560
הָֽא\־ha'-look!H1888
אֲנָ֨ה'a.NahIH576
חָזֵ֜הcha.Zeh[am] seeingH2370
גֻּבְרִ֣יןguv.RinmenH1400
אַרְבְּעָ֗ה'ar.be.'AhfourH703
שְׁרַ֙יִן֙she.Ra.yinloosedH8271
מַהְלְכִ֣יןmah.le.Khin[they are] walkingH1981
בְּגֽוֹא\־be.goy'-in [the] midst ofH1459
נוּרָ֔אnu.Ra'fire theH5135
וַחֲבָ֖לva.cha.Valand hurtH2257
לָא\־la'-notH3809
אִיתַ֣י'i.TaithereH383
בְּה֑וֹןbe.Hon[is] on them
וְרֵוֵהּ֙ve.re.Vehand appearance hisH7299
דִּ֣יdiofH1768
רְֽבִיעָאָ֔הre.vi.'a.ya'fourth theH7244
דָּמֵ֖הda.Meh[is] likeH1821
לְבַר\־le.var-<obj.> a son ofH1247
אֱלָהִֽין\׃\ \ס'e.la.Hin[the] godsH426

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

Cross references for Daniel 3:25

  • Isaiah 43:2

    When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

  • Acts 28:5

    And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

  • Mark 16:18

    They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

  • Psalms 91:3-9

    Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. …

  • Job 1:6

    Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

  • 1 Peter 3:13

    And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

  • Psalms 34:7

    The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

  • Daniel 3:28

    Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

  • Daniel 3:18

    But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

  • Job 38:7

    When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

  • Proverbs 30:4

    Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?

  • Romans 1:4

    And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
walking.
Isa 43:2
they have no hurt. Chal. there is no hurt in them.
Ps 91:3-9; Mr 16:18; Ac 28:5; 1Pe 3:13
the Son of God.Or, as {bar elahin} may be rendered, "a son of the gods," i.e., a divine person or angel.
18,28; Job 1:6; 38:7; Ps 34:7; Pr 30:4; Lu 1:35; Joh 19:7,8
Ro 1:4

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Daniel 3:25

    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 Son of God.

  • Daniel 3:26

    Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

Read all of Daniel 3

Daniel 3:25 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Respondió él y dijo: He aquí que yo veo cuatro varones sueltos, que se pasean en medio del fuego, y ningún daño hay en ellos: y el parecer del cuarto es semejante á hijo de los dioses.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Il répondit et dit: Voici, je vois quatre hommes déliés, se promenant au milieu du feu, et ils n’ont aucun mal; et l’aspect du quatrième est semblable à un fils de Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Er antwortete und sprach: Siehe, ich sehe vier Männer frei wandeln mitten im Feuer, und keine Verletzung ist an ihnen; und das Aussehen des vierten ist gleich einem Sohne der Götter
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Stans autem Azarias oravit sic, aperiensque os suum in medio ignis, ait: