Daniel 3 - Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Bible Comments
  • Daniel 3:1 open_in_new

    image. This could not have been an image of. human being. The height and breadth are out of all proportion for this; the former being one to ten instead of one to six.. figure drawn on this scale, will at once be seen to be impossible. Having determined that it is. human figure, tradition then assumes it to have been. proportional figure "on. pedestal", or simply "a bust on. pillar". But there is nothing in the text to suggest this. It would exactly suit an Asherah (App-42). The Hebrew tzelem denotes something shaped by cutting or carving. Ezekiel 16:17, and Dan 23:14, practically make this certain. See the verb in Ezekiel 7:20. and compare what is said in Numbers 33:52.

    height... breadth. See above note.

    threescore... six. The numbers of man (App-10). Note the six instruments (compare Daniel 5:7; Daniel 5:10; Daniel 5:15). See note on 1 Samuel 17:4.

  • Daniel 3:2 open_in_new

    the king sent. This great Durbar would hardly have taken place till after the campaign referred to in note on "came" (Daniel 1:1). It was therefore probably held about 475 B. C, in Daniel's thirty-eighth year, twenty years after Nebuchadnezzar's dream of himself, the "head of gold" (Daniel 2).

    to gather together, &c. Note the eight technical terms. Well known to Daniel, but difficult for. Jew in Jer 300 years later to enumerate so minutely and so accurately.

    princes. satraps.

    governors. See note on Daniel 2:48.

    captains. pashas (as in Nehemiah 5:14; Nehemiah 5:18; Haggai 1:14), the first three being governmental.

    judges. viziers, or chief judges.

    treasurers: these two being courtiers.

    counsellors. counsellors of State, judges. The same word as in Daniel 3:3. Not the same word as in verses: Daniel 3:24; Daniel 3:27.

    sheriffs. lawyers; these two being legal.

    rulers, &c. = superintendents, being functional and general.

  • Daniel 3:4 open_in_new

    herald. Chaldee. karo. a '. Not from the Greek kerux, but an old Persian word khresic',. crier, from which comes the Chaldee verb k evar, to make. proclamation, as in Daniel 5:29.

    people. peoples, or nations.

    nations. races, or tribes.

    languages. tongues. Figure of speech Catabasis. App-6.

  • Daniel 3:5 open_in_new

    cornet, &c. These names are supposed to be Greek, or from the Greek; but Athenaeus,. Greek grammarian (about A.D. 200-300), says the sambuke ("sack-but") was. Syriac invention. Strabo, in his geography (54 B.C. A.D. 24), ascribes Greek music to Asia, and says: "the Athenians always showed their admiration of foreign customs".

    harp. Chaldee. kithros. Greek. kithara. Terpander,. Greek musician (seventh century B. C), the father of Greek music, invented the kithara with seven strings (Strabo says) instead of four, and one is sculptured on. monument of Assurbanipal (Lenormant, La Divination chez les Chaldiens, pp 190, 191).

    sackbut. See note on "cornet", above.

    hour. moment. Chaldee sha' ah, as in verses: Daniel 3:3; Daniel 3:6; Daniel 3:15; Daniel 4:33; Daniel 5:5.

  • Daniel 3:15 open_in_new

    well. Note the Figure of speech Aposiopesis (App-6). Or, supply [well and good].

    God. Chaldee. elah. App-4.

  • Daniel 3:17 open_in_new

    is able to deliver us. The Massoretic pointing requires this punctuation: "to deliver us; from the burning fiery furnace He will deliver us".

  • Daniel 3:25 open_in_new

    the son of God. a son of God (no Art.): i.e.. superhuman being, or an angel. Compare Daniel 3:28, and see App-23. Nebuchadnezzar could know nothing of N.T. revelation.