Daniel 3:9 (YLT)

Passage

they have answered, yea, they are saying to Nebuchadnezzar the king, `O king, to the ages live!

Nearby Context

Daniel 3:7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples are hearing the voice of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and all kinds of music, falling down are all the peoples, nations and languages, doing obeisance to the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath raised up.

Daniel 3:8 Therefore at that time drawn near have certain Chaldeans, and accused the Jews;

Daniel 3:9 they have answered, yea, they are saying to Nebuchadnezzar the king, `O king, to the ages live!

Daniel 3:10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree that every man who doth hear the voice of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and the symphony, and all kinds of music, doth fall down and do obeisance to the golden image;

Daniel 3:11 and whoso doth not fall down and do obeisance, is cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "answered", "saying", "nebuchadnezzar", "king", "ages", and "live". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "answered" and "saying", 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 drawn near have..." into verse 10's "Thou O king hast made a decree...", so "answered" and "saying" 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 "saying" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.