The Skeptics Annotated Bible (666 page)

(2.47)
“The king … said … your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings.”
Nebuchadnezzar became a Jew (a believer in Daniel’s God) the moment he heard Daniel’s interpretation of his dream.

48 Then
the king made Daniel
a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him
ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon
.

(2.48)
“The king made Daniel … ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.”

49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

3
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

(3.1)
“Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits.”
Nebuchadnezzar built a statue of gold sixty cubits high and six cubits wide. Taking a cubit to be 46 cm and assuming the depth to also be six cubits, this would give a total volume of about 120 cubic meters (depending on the shape of the statue)—which is about half as much gold as is in the United States Bullion Depository in Fort Knox, Kentucky.

(3.2-7) Nebuchadnezzar invited all the officials in his kingdom to come to the dedication of the gold statue. Whoever refuses to worship the statue will be thrown into a fiery furnace. So they all came and worshiped the golden image.

2 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.

(3.2)
“Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together … all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image.”

3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and
all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image
that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

(3.3)
“All the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image.”

4
Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peopl
e, nations, and languages,

5
That at what time ye hear the sound of
the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and
all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image
that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

(3.4-5)
“Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people … That at what time ye hear the sound of … all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image.”

6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

(3.8-23) But some noticed that Daniel’s friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) didn’t worship the gold statue. So they told Nebuchadnezzar about it, who commanded that they be thrown into a fiery furnace that was seven times as hot as usual. The furnace was so hot that it burned to death the executioners who threw them in the fire.

8 Wherefore at that time
certain Chaldeans
came near, and
accused the Jews
.

9 They spake
and said to the king
Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.

10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:

11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego
; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they
serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image
which thou hast set up.

(3.8-12)
“Certain Chaldeans … accused the Jews … and said to the king … Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego … serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image.”

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.

(3.13) “Nebuchadnezzar … commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.”

14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

15 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?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

19 Then was
Nebuchadnezzar
full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and
commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

(3.19)
“Nebuchadnezzar … commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.”

20 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.

(3.20)
“He commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.”

21
Then these men
were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and
were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

(3.21)
“Then these men … were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”

22 Therefore
because
the king’s commandment was urgent, and
the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.

(3.22)
“Because … the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.”

23
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace
.

(3.23)
“And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”

(3.24-27) Daniel’s three friends were cast into a fiery furnace, but were totally unaffected—not even a hair was singed. And they were joined by the Son of God (Jesus?), himself! At least that’s who Nebuchadnezzar thought it looked like.

24 Then
Nebuchadnezzar
the king
was astonished, and
rose up in haste, and spake, and
said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire
? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

(3.24)
“Nebuchadnezzar … was astonished, and … said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”