DAN 3:2 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather together the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

UST Then he sent messages to all the provincial governors, the district governors, the chief advisors, the counselors, the various judges, and all the other officials in the province. He told them to come to the dedication of the statue that he had set up.

OEB No OEB DAN book available

WEBBE Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the local governors, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent out a summons to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other authorities of the province to attend the dedication of the statue that he had erected.

LSV and Nebuchadnezzar the king has sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the province, to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has raised up.

FBV Then he summoned the provincial governors,[fn] prefects, local governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up.

3:2 “Provincial governors”: literally, “satraps.” Also verse 27 and 6:1.

T4T Then he sent messages to all the provincial governors, the district governors, the chief advisors, the counselors, the various judges, and all the other officials in the province. He told them to come to the dedication of the statue that he had set up.

LEB Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent directions to assemble the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all of the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

BBE And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to get together all the captains, the chiefs, the rulers, the wise men, the keepers of public money, the judges, the overseers, and all the rulers of the divisions of the country, to come to see the unveiling of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had put up.

Moff Then king Nebuchadnezzar sent and summoned the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the councillors, the judges, the treasurers, the authorities, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which king Nebuchadnezzar had erected.

JPS Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

ASV Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

DRA Then Nabuchodonosor the king sent to call together the nobles, the magistrates, and the judges, the captains, the rulers, and governors, and all the chief men of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the statue which king Nabuchodonosor had set up.

YLT and Nebuchadnezzar the king hath sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the honourable judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the province, to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath raised up.

Drby And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the justices, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

RV Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

SLT And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together to the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the chief judges, the treasurers, those skilled in law, the lawyers, and all the rulers of the provinces, to the drinking to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king set up.

Wbstr Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to convene the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sherifs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

KJB-1769 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

KJB-1611 Then Nebuchad-nezzar the king sent to gather together the Princes, the Gouernours, and the Captaines, the Iudges, the Treasurers, the Counsellers, the Sherifes, and all the rulers of the Prouinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchad-nezzar the King had set vp.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps Then Nabuchodonozor the king sent foorth to gather together the dukes, lordes, and nobles, the iudges and officers, the deputies, and sherifes, with all the rulers of the prouinces, that they might come to the dedication of the image whiche Nabuchodonozor the king had set vp.
(Then Nabuchodonozor the king sent forth to gather together the dukes, lords, and nobles, the judges and officers, the deputies, and sherifes, with all the rulers of the provinces, that they might come to the dedication of the image which Nabuchodonozor the king had set up.)

Gnva Then Nebuchad-nezzar ye King sent foorth to gather together the nobles, the princes and the dukes, the iudges, the receiuers, the counsellers, the officers, and all the gouernours of the prouinces, that they should come to the dedication of the image, which Nebuchad-nezzar the King had set vp.
(Then Nebuchad-nezzar ye/you_all King sent forth to gather together the nobles, the princes and the dukes, the judges, the receivers, the counsellors, the officers, and all the governors of the provinces, that they should come to the dedication of the image, which Nebuchad-nezzar the King had set up. )

Cvdl & sent out to gather together the dukes, lordes & nobles, the iudges and officers, the debites ad shreues, with all the rulers of the londe: yt they might come to the dedicacion of the ymage which Nabuchodonosor the kynge had set vp.
(and sent out to gather together the dukes, lords and nobles, the judges and officers, the debites and shreues, with all the rulers of the land: it they might come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.)

Wycl Therfor Nabugodonosor sente to gadere togidere the wise men, magistratis, and iugis, and duykis, and tirauntis, and prefectis, and alle princes of cuntreis, that thei schulden come togidere to the halewyng of the ymage, which the kyng Nabugodonosor hadde reisid.
(Therefore Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather together the wise men, magistraights, and judges, and dukes, and tirauntis, and prefects, and all princes of countries, that they should come together to the hallowing/consecration of the image, which the king Nebuchadnezzar had raised.)

Luth Und der König Nebukadnezar sandte nach den Fürsten, Herren, Landpflegern, Richtern, Vögten, Räten, Amtleuten und allen Gewaltigen im Lande, daß sie zusammenkommen sollten, das Bild zu weihen, das der König Nebukadnezar hatte setzen lassen.
(And the/of_the king Nebukadnezar sent after the prince(s)/ruler(s), gentlemen, land_managern, judges, Vögten, councilsn, officialsn and all/everyone mighty_(ones) in_the land, that they/she/them coming_together should, the image/picture to/for consecrate, the the/of_the king Nebukadnezar had set/put/place let.)

ClVg Itaque Nabuchodonosor rex misit ad congregandos satrapas, magistratus, et judices, duces, et tyrannos, et præfectos, omnesque principes regionum, ut convenirent ad dedicationem statuæ quam erexerat Nabuchodonosor rex.
(Itaque Nabuchodonosor king he_sent to congregandos satrapas, magistrate, and judges, leaders, and tyrannos, and beforefectos, everyoneque leaders regionum, as to_meetnt to dedication statues how erexerat Nabuchodonosor king. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–30: God delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace

This is the only chapter in the book of Daniel where the author does not refer to Daniel himself. Scholars have debated why this might be. Possibly he was traveling somewhere else in the empire on the king’s business at this time.

The author wrote Daniel 3 in the Aramaic language. These Notes usually follow the Aramaic found in the Masoretic Text (MT). The early Greek translation of Daniel 3 is somewhat different from the Aramaic. The Greek translation includes two stories that are not in the MT. The first is called “The Prayer of Azariah” (3:24–45). The second is called “The Song of the Three Young Men” (3:50–90). These two stories are connected by a short paragraph (3:46–50). Most English versions do not include these two stories. The NJB, however, does include them. As a result the verse numbers in the NJB are different from those of most other English versions.

In some other places the Greek text of Daniel 3 differs from the Aramaic of the Masoretic Text. For example, the Greek text includes a date in 3:1 that is not in the MT. Scholars have different views on why the two texts differ. It is possible that the Greek versions may have translated from a different Aramaic original. The Notes will discuss the differences between the two texts for certain important passages.

Outline: This chapter can be divided into four parts:

1. Setting: Nebuchadnezzar commanded all his officials of Babylon to come and worship the golden image that he had set up. (3:1–7)

2. Problem: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and worship the image. The king threatened to kill them, but they still refused. (3:8–18)

3. Action: The king ordered his soldiers to throw the three young men into the furnace. (3:19–23)

4. Result/Outcome: God delivered the three young men from the furnace, and Nebuchadnezzar gave honor to God. (3:24–30)

The author gave prominence to Daniel 3:16–18, when the three young men proclaimed that they trusted in God to rescue them. If you have a way in your language to mark this section as important, you should use do that here

Headings:

The Notes interpret Daniel 3:1–30 as a one unit with one heading. However, in some languages it may be helpful to divide this chapter into more than one unit and to give each unit a separate heading. The following are some examples of how English versions divide the chapter into units and the headings they give for each unit:

Some versions have one heading. For example:
1. “The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace” (NIV)
2. “The Fiery Furnace” (REB)
3. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Refuse to Worship an Idol” (GW)

2. Some have two headings:

“The Golden Image” (NRSV, 3:1–18)
- “Nebuchadnezzar’s Gold Statue” (NLT, 3:1–18)
“The Fiery Furnace” (NRSV, 3:19–30)
- “The Blazing Furnace” (NLT, 3:19–30)

3. The GNT has four headings:

“Nebuchadnezzar Commands Everyone to Worship a Gold Statue” (3:1–7)
“Daniel’s Three Friends Are Accused of Disobedience” (3:8–18)
“Daniel’s Three Friends Are Sentenced to Death” (3:19–25)
“The Three Men Are Released and Promoted” (3:26–30)

Special Translation Problems:

Lists: The author liked to use lists. He repeated these lists throughout the chapter. For example:
1. the list of the names of officials (3:2, 3, 27)
2. the list of musical instruments (3:5, 7, 10, 15)
3. the phrase: “peoples, nations, and languages” (3:4, 29)
Repetition: The author also liked to repeat phrases throughout the narrative. Some of these phrases are:
1. “the image that King Nebuchadnezzar set up” (3:1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 12, 14, 18)
2. “hear the sound of the horn” (3:5, 7, 10, 15)
3. “fall down and worship” (3:5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 15)
4. “burning fiery furnace” (3:6, 11, 15, 17, 20, 21, 23, 26)
5. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego” (3:12, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 22, 26, 28, 29, 30)

Each language uses repetition in its own way. These notes will discuss the significance of the repetitions in Daniel. In some languages, the repetition may not be natural. If that is true in your language, you will have to consider how best to communicate the same meaning.

Paragraph 3:1a–3:3b

Several years may have passed since the events in chapter two. In some languages it may be necessary to introduce the story with a general remark of when the story began. For example:

After some time…

Later…

3:2a

Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces

Then he sent messages to the provincial rulers/governors, magistrates, and assistant governors/rulers, and to the advisers/counselors, treasurers, judges, officers, and all the other leading men in/of the provinces, commanding/telling them
The king then summoned the provincial leaders/rulers, the governors, magistrates, and assistant governors. He also summoned all the other provincial officials. He said to them,
Then the king sent messengers to the officials in each of the provinces. This included the governors, magistrates, and assistant governors, as well as the advisers, treasurers, judges, and law officers, and all the other rulers of the province.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces: Nebuchadnezzar sent messages to all his officials, telling them to gather together.

Then: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as Then here introduces the next event in the story.

King Nebuchadnezzar: See the Notes at 3:1a. Once again the literal word order is “Nebuchadnezzar the king” (KJV). Use the word order that is most natural in your language.

sent word to assemble: The king sent a message to his officials. He told them to assemble together near the statue. Other ways to say this in English are:

sent for (NRSV)

called for (NCV)

sent messengers to assemble (GW)

he sent messages to (NLT)

gave orders for all his officials to come together (GNT)

the satraps, prefects, governors: The Aramaic text includes a connector between the words prefects and governors. Here is another way to translate this:

the satraps, the prefects, and the governors (RSV)

The presence of this connector groups the first three officials together. These three officials may have had a higher rank than the four officials that follow.

satraps: Satraps were in charge of the provinces of the Persian empire. This official was probably the most important one on the list. You may:

translate the function of the “satrap”:
the provincial governor
use a general term for an important official:
princes (GNT)
leaders (NCV)
transliterate the Greek term “satrap” (NRSV). However, most people will not be familiar with this term, and you would probably want to include a footnote explaining the function of a satrap.

prefects: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as prefects refers to another high official. The exact role of a “prefect” is not known for certain. Ways to interpret this include:

magistrates (NJB)

advisers (CEV)

governors: Again, the exact function of these officials is uncertain. They were possibly men who administered subdivisions of the provinces. For example:

lieutenant governors (GNT)

assistant governors (NCV)

advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates: The Aramaic text groups these four titles together. Connect them in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

as well as the counselors, treasurers, judges and magistrates

These four officials were probably of lower in rank than the first three officials in the list.

advisers: The exact meaning of this title is uncertain. It is probable that it refers to officials who counseled or advised the higher officials. For example:

counselors (RSV)

eldersTranslator’s Handbook on Daniel

commissioners (GNT)

treasurers: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as treasurers probably refers to officials who were responsible for keeping the king’s money safe and advising him about its use.

judges: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as judges probably refers to men who heard cases and made decisions in a court of law. Here is another way to translate this:

justices (NRSV)

magistrates: The exact role of these officials is uncertain. It is good to translate using a general term for officials with the power to enforce the law. For example:

officers (GW)

and all the other officials of the provinces: The list was not complete. This last expression refers in general to all other governmental officials in the provinces of Babylonia. For example, you can say:

and all the rulers of the provinces (KJV)

and all the rest of the officers of the province

General Comment on 3:2a

The list of names includes seven types of officials. The exact work that each of these men did is uncertain and the names come from different languages.The names of these officials are transliterations of Akkadian and Old Persian terms. Goldingay (p. 65) notes that as such they do not all belong to a single ranking system. In some languages it may help to indicate the general category before the list. For example:

Then the king gave orders for all his officials to come together—the princes, governors, lieutenant governors, commissioners, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces. (GNT)

Then he called for the leaders: the governors, assistant governors, captains of the soldiers, people who advised the king, keepers of the treasury, judges, rulers, and all other officers in his kingdom. (NCV)

The author did not intend the list to be a complete or exact list of all the different people who attended the ceremony. Your language may not have as many different names for officials. In that case, you may give a shortened but more general list of names. For example:

and he commanded his governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, and his other officials to come from everywhere in his kingdom (CEV)

3:2b

to attend the dedication of the statue he had set up.

to come to dedicate the statue he had set up.
“You^(plur) must attend a ceremony to celebrate the start of the worship of the image I have erected.”
The king ordered them to come to a special ceremony where they would begin to worship the golden column.

to attend the dedication of the statue he had set up: The king told his officials to come to a ceremony to begin the worship of the image. This ceremony would honor the image and celebrate the beginning of its worship. Other ways to say this in English are:

to attend the dedication of the statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. (GNT)

to attend the dedication of the statue that he had erected (NET)

to dedicate the statue he had set up (GW)

the dedication of the statue: The phrase the dedication of the statue refers to a ceremony that honored the image. At this ceremony people were to start worshiping the image. In some languages it may be natural to translate this as:

the celebration to begin the worship of the image

he had set up: See the Notes at 3:1c. The Aramaic text repeats the phrase set up several times. This repetition emphasizes the authority of the king. In some languages it may not be natural to repeat this information. If that is true in your language, you may not have to repeat it here, since it is implied from 3:1c. For example:

to the dedication of the statue (CEV)

However, you should translate in a way that emphasizes the king’s power and authority.

General Comment on 3:2a–b

In some languages it may be natural to translate the king’s command as direct speech. For example: