Daniel 3:20 (WEB)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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.

Daniel 3:21 Then these men were bound in their pants, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other clothes, and were cast into the middle of the burning fiery furnace.

Daniel 3:22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "commanded", "certain", "mighty", "army", "bind", "shadrach", "meshach", and "abednego". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "commanded" and "certain", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury and..." into verse 21's "Then these men were bound in their...", so "commanded" and "certain" 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 "commanded" and "certain" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.