Passage
Nebuchadnezzar answered and said unto them, Is it of purpose, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that ye serve not my god, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
Daniel 3:14 (ASV)
Nearby Context
Daniel 3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast appointed 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.
Daniel 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in [his] rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Daniel 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said unto them, Is it of purpose, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that ye serve not my god, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
Daniel 3:15 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 music, 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?
Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "purpose", "nebuchadnezzar", "answered", "said", "shadrach", "meshach", "abed-nego", and "serve". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "purpose" and "nebuchadnezzar", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury..." into verse 15's "Now if ye be ready that at...", so "purpose" and "nebuchadnezzar" belong inside that flow. In Daniel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "purpose" and "nebuchadnezzar" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.