Bible Strands
Daniel 2:46
At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — King Nebuchadnezzar acts immediately after Daniel interprets the dream about future events. The king falls on his face before Daniel and orders an offering and incense presented to him.
The words — The Hebrew term סְגִ֑ד (se.Gid) carries the literal sense of paying homage or prostration. It follows נְפַ֣ל (ne.Fal), meaning he fell, describing a physical act of submission.
The thread — This physical act of prostration parallels Cornelius falling at Peter’s feet in Acts 10:25 and the priest of Zeus offering bulls in Acts 14:13. The commanded offerings echo the sacrifices brought for the king’s welfare in Ezra 6:10.
Why it lands — The text records a pagan king’s physical submission to a God’s servant, requiring the reader to recognize the boundary between honoring God’s revelation and misdirecting worship. The reader must distinguish between reverence for the divine message and the prohibition against worshipping the messenger.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
Cross-references
- Acts 10:25 As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet to worship him.
- Ezra 6:10 Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.
- Acts 14:13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates, hoping to offer a sacrifice along with the crowds.
- Leviticus 26:31 I will reduce your cities to rubble and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will refuse to smell the pleasing aroma of your sacrifices.
- Luke 17:16 He fell facedown at Jesus’ feet in thanksgiving to Him—and he was a Samaritan.
- Acts 28:6 The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
- Revelation 11:16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,
- Revelation 19:10 So I fell at his feet to worship him. But he told me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who rely on the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
- Revelation 22:8 And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things.