The Meaning of Daniel 3:10 Explained

Daniel 3:10

KJV: Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:

YLT: 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;

Darby: Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, pipe, lute, sambuca, psaltery, and bagpipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image;

ASV: Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thou,  O king,  hast made  a decree,  that every  man  that shall hear  the sound  of the cornet,  flute,  harp,  sackbut,  psaltery,  and dulcimer,  and all  kinds  of musick,  shall fall down  and worship  the golden  image: 

What does Daniel 3:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 3:1-18 - Loyalty Severely Tested
The king, at the close of the foregoing chapter, acknowledged the supremacy of Daniel's God, yet here he erects an image to Bel and to himself, demanding divine honor. Probably there was state policy in this. In so heterogeneous an empire of peoples, nations, and languages, there could be no unity but in universal prostration before one and the same object. Nineteen years had elapsed since the recovery of the lost dream. In that period successful wars had been waged and vast treasures accumulated which made this vast expenditure possible. Imagine the assembled myriads, the glittering array of princes, satraps, viceroys, statesmen, and priests, the grouped bands, and in the background the furnace. The three youths could not have stood alone amid the prostrate throng, had they not been supported by a living faith in the God of their fathers, Hebrews 11:33-34. They would not argue, but they could die, if God willed. Their attitude must be taken and maintained altogether apart from any expectation of deliverance. Our God whom we serve is able-and He will. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 3

1  Nebuchadnezzar dedicates a golden image in Dura
3  They being threatened, make a good confession
8  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are accused for not worshipping the image
19  They are cast into the furnace,
24  from which God delivers them
28  Nebuchadnezzar seeing the miracle blesses God, and advances them

What do the individual words in Daniel 3:10 mean?

You You king have made a decree that any man who hears the sound of horn the flute - harp lyre [and] psaltery - in symphony with and all kinds of music shall fall down and worship image gold the
[אנתה] (אַ֣נְתְּ) מַלְכָּא֮ שָׂ֣מְתָּ טְּעֵם֒ דִּ֣י כָל־ אֱנָ֡שׁ דִּֽי־ יִשְׁמַ֡ע קָ֣ל קַרְנָ֣א מַ֠שְׁרֹקִיתָא [קיתרס] (קַתְר֨וֹס) שַׂבְּכָ֤א פְסַנְתֵּרִין֙ [וסיפניה] (וְסוּפֹּ֣נְיָ֔ה) וְכֹ֖ל זְנֵ֣י זְמָרָ֑א יִפֵּ֥ל וְיִסְגֻּ֖ד לְצֶ֥לֶם דַּהֲבָֽא

מַלְכָּא֮  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
שָׂ֣מְתָּ  have  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שִׂים  
Sense: to set, make, appoint.
טְּעֵם֒  a  decree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טְעֵם  
Sense: decree, taste, judgment, command.
דִּ֣י  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
כָל־  any 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, whole, the whole.
אֱנָ֡שׁ  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱנָשׁ  
Sense: man, human being.
יִשְׁמַ֡ע  hears 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שְׁמַע  
Sense: to hear.
קָ֣ל  the  sound 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָל  
Sense: voice, sound.
קַרְנָ֣א  of  horn  the 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: קֶרֶן  
Sense: horn.
מַ֠שְׁרֹקִיתָא  flute 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: מַשְׁרֹוקִי  
Sense: pipe.
[קיתרס]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
(קַתְר֨וֹס)  harp 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קַתְרֹוס 
Sense: a musical instrument.
שַׂבְּכָ֤א  lyre 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: סַבְּכָא 
Sense: trigon, musical instrument.
פְסַנְתֵּרִין֙  [and]  psaltery 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּסַנְתֵּרִין  
Sense: a stringed instrument (triangular).
[וסיפניה]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
(וְסוּפֹּ֣נְיָ֔ה)  in  symphony  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: סוּמְפֹּנְיָה  
Sense: a musical instrument, wind instrument, bagpipe, double pipe, panpipes.
וְכֹ֖ל  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, whole, the whole.
זְנֵ֣י  kinds 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: זַן  
Sense: kind, sort.
זְמָרָ֑א  of  music 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: זְמָר  
Sense: instrumental music, music.
יִפֵּ֥ל  shall  fall  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נְפַל  
Sense: to fall.
וְיִסְגֻּ֖ד  and  worship 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סְגִד  
Sense: to prostrate oneself, do homage, worship.
לְצֶ֥לֶם  image 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צְלֵם  
Sense: image, idol.
דַּהֲבָֽא  gold  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: דְּהַב  
Sense: gold.