Joseph Knabenbauer's Commentary on Daniel 3:7-23, 91-97

 

Joseph Knabenbauer's Commentary on Daniel 3

The Fiery Furnace and the Song of the Three Young Men

b. The Piety and Fortitude of the Youths (3:7–23)

Introduction to the Scene By the king's edict, all worshippers of gods obey, professing by their very habit and adoration that which, according to their opinion of the gods, had truly happened: namely, that the king's god had manifested himself as more powerful and superior to the gods of the other conquered nations.

Dan 3:7: "After this, therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the trumpet, the pipe, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and the symphony, and of all kind of music, all the nations, tribes, and languages fell down and adored the golden statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up."

The Accusation There are those who think such a ceremony was suggested to the king by those who envied the dignity conferred by the king on the Hebrew youths, so that on that occasion they might lay snares for them (Maldonatus, Sanctius, Lapide, Rohling). However, this cannot be proved from the narrative; but that the accusers of the youths eagerly seized this occasion out of envy, and watchfully sought an opportunity to accuse them and cast them down from their royal dignity and favor, is clearly evident from the event itself (cf. St. Jerome, Calmet). For immediately, with all haste, they report the matter to the king with minds as malevolent as possible, as is expressed by the very words in the text:

Dan 3:8: "And immediately at that time, certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews."

On the Phrase "Devoured the Flesh" Literally, "they devoured the pieces of the flesh of the Jews," i.e., they persecuted them with notable hatred so as to destroy them. The expression is customary among Syrians and Arabs to denote a malevolent detractor, calumniator, or sycophant, as the notion is similar to that by which the Latins say "to tear someone's reputation," "to gnaw at someone," an image apparently drawn from rabid dogs.

Daniel's Absence It is also asked why Daniel himself was not present at the dedication, or why they did not denounce him. St. Chrysostom thinks the Chaldeans, fearing him, did not denounce him, and Calmet is of the opinion that envy was turned away from Daniel due to his dignity and fame. But it seems more probable, and consistent with human customs, that the more a foreigner is constituted in greater dignity and royal favor, the more he is exposed to the malice of the envious. Perhaps you might suspect Daniel prevailed so much in authority with the king that they did not dare bring an accusation against him lest they turn the king's wrath upon themselves. But leaving aside all such opinion, it must be held that Daniel was not present at the dedication (Sanctius).

A sufficiently probable reason for his absence can be gathered from verse 2: for the prefects and magistrates of the regions or provinces are summoned, and with others those who are called sagania (satraps). Daniel, however, was in the royal court and was rab sagania (chief of the satraps) (2:48–49). Hence you may easily conclude that the supreme magistrates and courtiers of the king, who were as it were his individual companions, were not summoned to prostrate themselves in adoration along with the crowd of others. Just as it is not credible that the king himself, at the voice of the herald and the sound of the instruments, prostrated himself to adore with the crowd of subjects, but rather stood by as a witness and spectator of this scene. Therefore, since in verse 2 it is not said that the princes of the prefects were also summoned, the absence of Daniel is explained; nor is there need to hold with Calmet that he pretended some excuse and withdrew himself so far from the danger and avoided the inquiry of enemies. Nor is there need to hold with Sanctius and Rohling that on the first day of the dedication, or for the first act of adoration, only the lesser magistrates were summoned, lest the king, as he had conceived in mind, should call the greater ones and Daniel with them to a further solemnity, but he was prevented by that wonderful event conspicuous in the safety of the youths.

The Accusers' Speech Those accusers declare sufficiently by their manner of speaking how vehemently they desire the destruction of the Jews and how much they are agitated by envy: first, indeed, because they explicitly propose the decree and sanction to the king (vv. 10–11); second, because they set forth so distinctly the dignities conferred on the Jews and the royal favor (v. 12).

Dan 3:9-12 : "And they said to King Nebuchadnezzar: 'O king, live forever.'" (cf. 2:4; 3:9; Baruch 1:11) Verse 10: "'You, O king, have made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the trumpet, the pipe, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and the symphony, and of all kind of music, shall fall down and adore the golden statue.'" Verse 11: "'But if any man shall not fall down and adore, he shall be cast into the furnace of burning fire.'" Verse 12: "'Now there are certain Jews whom you have set over the works of the province of Babylon, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago: these men, O king, have slighted your decree; they worship not your gods, nor do they adore the golden statue which you have set up.'"

Dan 3:12 On the word ta'am (decree/word), see what I noted on Jonah 3:7. The word is frequently in use among the Assyrians regarding a mandate; it is of Accadian origin, and its proper notion is "good word," whence its use also in verse 12 is explained: "they have not set upon you a good word," i.e., they have no regard for you, they despise you, as the Syriac similarly translates. Theodotion translates according to the sense: "they have not obeyed your decree." The LXX: "they have not feared your command." Here and in verse 18, the Qeri offers "your god they do not worship," and so also the LXX: "they have not served your idol," and the Syriac also has "your god," which reading seems more to the point, unless you think those accusers wished to set forth the crime first in general so as to inflame the king's wrath against the Jews all the more. But that reading is nevertheless vehemently urged because the king in verse 14 speaks only of "your god," "you do not worship my god."

Purpose of the Statue If that statue was erected after some victory reported against the Jews, e.g., King Jehoiachin being led into captivity (2 Kings 24:12), or as is indicated in the LXX and Theodotion, the city of Jerusalem being captured, the king by that cult wished to acknowledge his god as superior also and victor over the paternal God of the Jews. Since he lacked the notion of the one true God and estimated that their own gods attended each nation, more or less powerful, he considered the mandate issued by himself equitable and just; but the refusal of the youths he deemed an index of a rebellious mind and exasperated on account of the calamity of their people. Therefore, in that edict, no persecution of the religion of the Jews which he wished to inflict can be perceived. What was the king's lust for commanding and the most prompt obedience and adulation of all others, it is easily understood why the king's wrath was vehemently inflamed by that report.

Dan 3:13: "Then Nebuchadnezzar in fury and in wrath commanded that Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago should be brought: who immediately were brought before the king."

Why the Delay? Why does he not immediately condemn them to the decreed penalty? Perhaps a trace of royal favor may be seen, which offers them a new opportunity of escaping; or he perceived from the mode of accusation the envy and malice of the accusers, wherefore he thought they were not to be trusted entirely. Moreover, the more evident it was what authority he himself possessed, if those who previously resisted were compelled by the royal nod to render obedience. But leaving aside these conjectures, let us say that by God's disposition, a splendid opportunity was offered to the youths for professing their piety and religion before a most powerful king, and for exhibiting to all a most excellent example of fortitude, by which it is fitting to obey God rather than men, even with danger to life—an example plainly unheard of among the gentiles and most useful and necessary for the Jewish exiles. God, therefore, disposed the matter for His own glory.

Dan 3:14: "And King Nebuchadnezzar answering said to them: 'Is it true, O Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, that you do not worship my gods, nor adore the golden statue which I have set up?'" (In the text: "you do not worship my god," see on v. 12). Verse 15: "'Now therefore if you be ready, at what hour soever you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, the pipe, the harp, the sackbut, and the psaltery, and the symphony, and of all kind of music, prostrate yourselves and adore the statue which I have made. But if you do not adore, you shall be cast the same hour into the furnace of burning fire: and who is the God that shall deliver you out of my hand?'" Verse 16: "Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago answered, and said to King Nebuchadnezzar: 'We have no occasion to answer thee concerning this matter.'" Verse 17: "'For behold our God, whom we worship, is able to save us from the furnace of burning fire, and to deliver us out of thy hands, O king.'" Verse 18: "'But if he will not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not worship thy gods, nor adore the golden statue which thou hast set up.'"

On the Youths' Response Explain the text: "If it shall please our God, He is able to deliver us." They do not arrogantly demand, they do not trust rashly, but they profess before the king what they believe concerning God's power, and they firmly deny that they will ever venerate another god. A splendid example of faith. Wonderful piety and prudence shine forth in the response.

The King's Reaction The king, by no means accustomed to bear a repulse, burns with anger.

Dan 3:19-21 : "Then was Nebuchadnezzar filled with fury: and the countenance of his face was changed against Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and he commanded that the furnace should be heated seven times more than it was accustomed to be heated." Verse 20: "And he commanded the strongest men that were in his army, to bind the feet of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and to cast them into the furnace of burning fire." Verse 21: "And immediately these men were bound, and were cast into the furnace of burning fire, with their coats, and their caps, and their shoes, and their garments."

On the Garments The king thought he had bestowed a great favor in that he granted them an opportunity of repairing the injury inflicted on his god; but since they had repudiated it, he is now seized with immense fury, wherefore he orders the furnace to be heated too much so that those pestilent men might perish as quickly as possible. The garments are mentioned as material which is most easily consumed by fire. They are named sarbalin (undershirts or tunics), which word, endowed with that notion, others explain from Arabic; others understand it of palliums; moreover, they vindicate for the word the notion of covering and veiling in Aramaic. Then patish, of uncertain signification, unless you refer the word to the notion of expanding, and thence explain it as the Hebrew kethonet or some wider garment. Theodotion translates "tiaras," likewise the LXX, perhaps comparing the unknown word to the Greek petasos. You may not ineptly explain these two garments from Herodotus, by whom a "linen tunic reaching to the feet" and over this garment "another woolen tunic" are ascribed to the Babylonians as a kind of clothing. But the third name, karbla, you will interpret from the same, when he says the Babylonians "wear over those two garments a white cloak" (1.195). Theodotion has in the third place "greaves," the LXX "clothing," but for the fourth voice concerning garments they offer nothing; explain it concerning the remaining parts of the clothing.

On the Executioners By the fact that they were stripped of no part of their garments, which however was accustomed to be done to criminals and evildoers, as monuments also show (cf. Layard, Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon, p. 457), it seems simultaneously declared with what haste the king's sentence was mandated to execution. Moreover, since the LXX and Theodotion offer only three words, and with the principal garments enumerated, the general word of garments is added incongruously, suspicion arises that that word was adscripted to the text to explain what is to be understood by those three foreign names.

Dan 3:22-23: "For the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace heated exceedingly. And the men that had cast in Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, were slain by the flame of the fire." Verse 23: "But these three men, that is, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, fell down bound in the midst of the furnace of burning fire."

On Verse 22 Explain the text: "Because the king's command instated severely, and therefore the furnace was heated too much, the flame of the fire slew those men." Whereby both the immense force of the fire is demonstrated and the safety of the youths illustrated in a mode most wonderful. Hippolytus notes: "The three boys are an example to all faithful men, who neither feared the crowd of satraps, nor trembling heard the king's edicts, nor seeing the fire of the burning furnace were captured by fear, but despising all men and the whole world, having only the fear of God before their eyes."

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e. The King Admires the Power of God (3:91–97)

(Note: Verse numbering follows the Vulgate, including the Deuterocanonical additions)

The Interval for Prayer Before the globes of flames which were bursting forth from that greatest fire (vv. 19, 22, 46, 48), it is sufficiently clear in itself that nothing of those things which were happening in the midst of the furnace was seen for a long time. Whence, until that vast fire, the material being consumed, gradually diminished, there was sufficient time for reciting that canticle. Therefore, some object temerariously, asking how during all that time devoted to pouring forth prayer, neither the king nor the others noticed the youths standing safe and sound in the furnace, as if by this reason they showed the hymn was improperly intruded. But the matter, as it is held in other texts except the Hebrew, stands very well. For who does not see that those who were watching the furnace from afar could for a long time, on account of the magnitude of the fire, see nothing except flames bursting forth and a whirlwind of smoke, and only after some time, the force of the flames having diminished, could it happen that someone looking through the opening of the furnace might notice the youths standing in the midst of the furnace? Necessarily, therefore, some time ought to be interposed between verse 23 and 91. Wherefore, after the prayer of the youths, verse 91 follows optimally.

Dan 3:91=92: "Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and said to his nobles: 'Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?' They answered the king, and said to him: 'True, O king.'" Verse 92: "'Behold,' he said, 'I see four men loose, and walking in the midst of the fire, and there is no hurt in them, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.'"

The Fourth Man In the LXX and Theodotion, it is also expressed that the king heard them singing the hymn. Since he sees four in the furnace, he asks so that he may be certain that only three were sent into the fire. He describes the appearance and figure of the fourth as eminent in majesty before the others, saying that in form and splendor he refers to the divine genus, that he is a "son of the gods." So indeed translate and explain bar elahin, as even Symmachus rendered it, according to St. Jerome, which quite fits the king's manner of thinking. The LXX exhibit "angel of God" for "son." Many ancients think the Son of God Himself descended to the youths in the furnace (cf. St. Jerome, Pererius, Maldonatus). But from verse 49, "an angel of the Lord descended," and although the angel of the Lord often bears the person of God and speaks in the name of God, nevertheless he cannot be called the Son of God, but was truly an angel; see what I said on Isaiah 63:9. Moreover, observe that this sentence concerning the fourth clearly shows there is a lacuna in the Hebrew text, and that necessarily in the first text there preceded that which is read in the LXX, Theodotion, and in the Vulgate verse 49.

The Courtiers St. Jerome, Maldonatus, and Sanctius think those nobles by whose accusation they were sent into the furnace were also interrogated by the king, and that this was done by divine counsel so that by the confession of the same they might be drawn out immune; but this cannot be gathered from the text, since in verse 8 only the Chaldean men, the accusers, are named, but in this place the king interrogates hadabraya, which word others explain of the king's counselors, others of the courtiers. Theodotion: "magnates," LXX: "friends." It is easy from the matter itself to understand those of the courtiers who stood next to the king. Moreover, see on verse 94, in which the same are listed in the fourth place among the magistrates and prefects.

On the Miracle Concerning the miracle itself, hear St. Jerome: "Again I will say, O how wise is the fire, O how inexpressible is the power of God! The bodies are bound with chains, the chains are burned, the bodies are not burned."

The King Acknowledges God The king now acknowledges the power of God.

Dan 3:93: "Then Nebuchadnezzar came to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and called, and said: 'Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, ye servants of the most high God, go ye forth, and come.' And immediately Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago went out from the midst of the fire."

Why and By Whom Saved? Why and by whom they were preserved unharmed, he professes by calling them "servants of the most high God," by which appellation of God he acknowledges God as superior and more powerful than the remaining gods. The LXX offer this explicitly: "the servants of the God of gods, of the Most High."

Dan 3:94: "And the satraps, the magistrates, and the judges, and the great men of the king being gathered together, contemplated these men, because the fire had no power on their bodies, and not a hair of their head had been singed, neither had their garments been altered, nor had the smell of the fire passed on them."

On Verse 94 On the names of dignities, see on verse 3. Sarabala: in verse 21, St. Jerome translates "breches"; the LXX and Theodotion retained the foreign word sarabara. See how the narration is plainly conformed to nature; for in a wonderful and stupendous matter, individual things are examined again and again with great admiration of minds; so those men could not sufficiently marvel that not even a vestige of the vehement fire was found in any thing.

The King's Decree And when the king saw them standing present before him thus, perceiving the greatness of the event more and more, he himself also bursts forth into the praises of God.

Dan 3:95=96: "And Nebuchadnezzar speaking out, said: 'Blessed be the God of them, to wit, of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that believed in him: and they changed the king's word, and delivered their bodies, that they might not serve nor adore any god, except their own God.'" Verse 96: "'By me therefore this decree is set forth: That every people, tribe, and tongue, which shall speak blasphemy against the God of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, shall be destroyed, and their houses laid waste: for there is no other God that can save in this manner.'"

On the Decree The king praises the youths because they were so studiously faithful to their paternal god that they refused to cultivate another god with danger to life itself; then he also confesses there is no other god so powerful that he can save his worshippers from such danger. The king speaks, therefore, as the matter was considered from the opinion of the gentiles: the paternal god whom Sidrach worships has brought help to his worshipper for the faith kept; but he is far from the acknowledgment of the one God and the vanity of idols. Whence also in the decree he does not prescribe the cult of this God, but only prohibits blasphemy. "Word," i.e., the command of the king, "to change," i.e., to neglect, to transgress. By this decree, therefore, it was conceded to the Jews that they might prosecute as guilty before the judges whosoever should cast reproaches upon Yahweh, so that they might do the same thing which the Chaldean men did against the youths (v. 8). The penalty is proposed that he be cut in pieces, and his house be turned into a dunghill (Vaticanus, Martianus, Calmet; cf. 2:5).

Promotion of the Youths Moreover, the king, having prosecuted those youths with his favor, advanced them to wider dignities.

Dan 3:97: "Then the king promoted Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago in the province of Babylon."

On Verse 97 Properly from the text: "he gave them prosperous success," "he made them prosper," "he rendered them happy." Theodotion: kateuthyne (he directed/prospered). St. Jerome: Those who say above that the three boys were not judges of the provinces but prefects of individual works in Babylon, here wish them also constituted judges of the provinces; according to the LXX they are constituted "rulers" and receive power over the whole region. In what thing that prosperous success consisted, the author does not report, since his counsel in the narration of the matter was only to show how God manifested His power to the gentiles and, rewarding the faith of His servants excellently, snatched His own from danger.

Conclusion By this event, the religion and cult of the Jews was placed in safety, and if any of the Chaldeans had it in mind to move persecution against the Jews, they understood by the king's decree promulgated that they must depart from their purpose as quickly as possible. Therefore, it is proved how great care God had for the exiles. Hippolytus notes: "For as they glorified God Himself when they delivered themselves to death, so in turn they themselves were glorified not only by God but also by the king, and foreign and barbarous nations learned to worship God."

Theodotion adds that those youths were placed over all the Jews in the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar. With such zeal for His own worship does the Lord govern by His providence. And meritably did those holy adolescents exclaim: "There is no confusion to those who trust in Thee." Hence let us also have such great hope that we prefer the Maker and Governor to every creature together. And let those blessed adolescents be for us an example of utility, an exemplar of piety, leaders to God and to those things which are supplied by God to those who are worthy.

CONTINUE