Daniel 3:9 (WEB)

Passage

They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, live for ever!

Nearby Context

Daniel 3:7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Daniel 3:8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusation against the Jews.

Daniel 3:9 They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, live for ever!

Daniel 3:10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man that hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image;

Daniel 3:11 and whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "answered", "nebuchadnezzar", "king", "live", and "ever". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "answered" and "nebuchadnezzar", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came..." into verse 10's "You O king have made a decree...", so "answered" 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 "answered" and "nebuchadnezzar" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.