Daniel 3:18 (WEB)

Passage

But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”

Nearby Context

Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

Daniel 3:17 If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

Daniel 3:18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”

Daniel 3:19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the form of his appearance was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

Daniel 3:20 He commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "known", "king", "serve", "gods", "worship", "golden", and "image". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "known" and "king", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "If it happens our God whom we..." into verse 19's "Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury and...", so "known" and "king" 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 "known" and "king" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.