Daniel 3:20

and he commanded some mighty men of valor in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing fiery furnace.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Nebuchadnezzar issues a command to his military officers immediately after ordering the furnace heated seven times hotter. He directs them to restrain Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the fire.

The words — The text highlights גִבָּרֵי חַיִל (gibbarei chayil), literally “mighty men of power,” identifying the king’s elite troops as the executioners. It also notes כַּפָּתָה (kaphtah), meaning “to bind,” specifying the physical restraint applied before the furnace.

The thread — This sequence of royal decree followed by binding appears in Daniel 3:15 during the initial ultimatum, and mirrors the Roman authorities’ order to bind Paul and Silas in Acts 16:23 before their imprisonment.

Why it lands — The verse records the state’s mechanism for enforcing compliance through physical restraint and lethal threat. It requires the reader to observe how civil power operates when confronted with unyielding religious conviction.

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

וּלְגֻבְרִ֤יןu./le./guv.Rinand/ to/ men גִּבָּֽרֵי־gi.ba.rei-mighty men of חַ֙יִל֙cha.yilpower דִּ֣יdiwho בְחַיְלֵ֔הּve./chay.Le/h[were] in/ army/ his אֲמַר֙'a.Marhe said לְכַפָּתָ֔הle./kha.pa.Tahto/ bind לְשַׁדְרַ֥ךְle./shad.Rakh<obj.>/ Shadrach מֵישַׁ֖ךְmei.ShakhMeshach וַעֲבֵ֣דva./'a.Vedand/ Abed-נְג֑וֹne.Go-nego לְמִרְמֵ֕אle./mir.Me'to/ throw לְאַתּ֥וּןle./'a.Tunto/ [the] furnace of נוּרָ֖אnu.Ra/'fire/ the יָקִֽדְתָּֽא׃ya.Kid.Ta/'<the>/ burning

King James Version

And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Cross-references

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?”
Acts 16:23 And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.
Acts 16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Acts 12:4 He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

People named

AzariahHananiahMishael