Daniel 3:15

Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I have made, very good. But if you refuse to worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing fiery furnace. Then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands?”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Nebuchadnezzar delivers an ultimatum to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego immediately after confronting them about refusing to worship his golden statue. He demands a final decision before the instrumental music signals the required act of submission.

The words — The Aramaic כְּעַן (ke.'an) means "now," establishing an immediate deadline for their response. The conditional הֵן (hen), rendered "if," frames the king's threat of instant execution for any refusal to bow.

The thread — The conflict between state authority and divine loyalty recurs in Acts 5:29 and 2 Chronicles 32:15. The king's rhetorical challenge in Daniel 3:15 directly sets up the believers' counter-declaration in Daniel 3:17.

Why it lands — The verse demands a clear, immediate decision between compliance and defiance when faced with coercive power. It requires the reader to confront the cost of refusing to worship what is made rather than the Maker.

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

כְּעַ֞ןke.'Annow הֵ֧ןhenif אִֽיתֵיכ֣וֹן'i.tei./Khonare/ you עֲתִידִ֗ין'a.ti.Dinready דִּ֣יdithat בְעִדָּנָ֡אve./'i.da.Na/'at/ time/ the דִּֽי־di-which תִשְׁמְע֡וּןtish.me.'Unyou will hear קָ֣לkal[the] sound of קַרְנָ֣אkar.Na/'horn/ the מַשְׁרוֹקִיתָ֣אmash.ro.ki.Ta/'flute/ the קַתְר֣וֹסki.ta.roszither שַׂבְּכָ֡אsa.be.Kha'trigon פְּסַנְתֵּרִין֩pe.san.te.Rinharp וְסוּמְפֹּ֨נְיָ֜הve./su.me.Po.ne.Yahand/ pipe וְכֹ֣ל׀ve./Kholand/ all זְנֵ֣יze.Nei<the> kinds of זְמָרָ֗אze.ma.Ra/'<the>/ music תִּפְּל֣וּןti.pe.Lunyou will fall down וְתִסְגְּדוּן֮ve./tis.ge.Dunso/ you may pay homage לְצַלְמָ֣אle./tzal.Ma/'to/ image/ the דִֽי־di-which עַבְדֵת֒'av.DetI have made וְהֵן֙ve./Henand/ if לָ֣אla'not תִסְגְּד֔וּןtis.ge.Dunyou will pay homageבַּהּ־ba/h-at/ itשַׁעֲתָ֣הsha.'a.Tah/'moment/ the תִתְרְמ֔וֹןtit.re.Monyou will be thrown לְגֽוֹא־le./goy'-to/ [the] midst of אַתּ֥וּן'a.Tun[the] furnace of נוּרָ֖אnu.Ra/'fire/ the יָקִֽדְתָּ֑אya.kid.Ta/'<the>/ burning וּמַן־u./man-and/ who?ה֣וּאhu'he אֱלָ֔הּ'e.Lah[is the] god דֵּ֥יdeiwho יְשֵֽׁיזְבִנְכ֖וֹןye.shei.ze.vin./Khonhe will deliver/ you מִן־min-from יְדָֽי׃ye.Da/ihands/ my

King James Version

Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Cross-references

Acts 5:29 But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.
2 Chronicles 32:15 So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!”
Daniel 3:17 If the God whom we serve exists, then He is able to deliver us from the blazing fiery furnace and from your hand, O king.
Exodus 5:2 But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”
2 Kings 18:35 Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”
Isaiah 36:18 Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
Acts 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people!
Daniel 3:5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
Daniel 6:16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
Mark 13:11 But when they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand what to say. Instead, speak whatever you are given at that time, for it will not be you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.