The Meaning of Daniel 3:23 Explained

Daniel 3:23

KJV: And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

YLT: And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, have fallen down in the midst of the burning fiery furnace -- bound.

Darby: And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

ASV: And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And these  three  men,  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and Abednego,  fell down  bound  into the midst  of the burning  fiery  furnace. 

What does Daniel 3:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 3:19-30 - Loyalty Rewarded
It is only when we reach the fire that we become aware of the presence of the divine Companion, walking beside us as if treading the dew-besprinkled glades of Paradise. The Good Shepherd was there with His rod and staff. Loose, Daniel 3:25, that is, the fire had consumed their bonds and nothing else. Hair would soonest catch the flame, but not a hair perished, Luke 12:7; Luke 21:18. The yielded body of Daniel 3:28 reminds us of Romans 6:13; Romans 12:1-2. Let us yield our bodies and souls to our faithful Creator for Him to use as He will. He made and redeemed, let Him have; and when we are possessed by His Spirit, all other fires, whether physical or temperamental, fail to hurt. Of the martyrs, it may be said that upon them also the fire had no power, Isaiah 43:2! [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 3:23 mean?

And men these three Shadrach Meshach and Abed-nego fell down into the midst of furnace Fiery burning the bound -
וְגֻבְרַיָּ֤א אִלֵּךְ֙ תְּלָ֣תֵּה֔וֹן שַׁדְרַ֥ךְ מֵישַׁ֖ךְ וַעֲבֵ֣ד נְג֑וֹ נְפַ֛לוּ לְגֽוֹא־ אַתּוּן־ נוּרָ֥א יָֽקִדְתָּ֖א מְכַפְּתִֽין פ

וְגֻבְרַיָּ֤א  And  men 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: גְּבַר  
Sense: a man, a certain (one).
אִלֵּךְ֙  these 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אִלֵּךְ  
Sense: these, those.
תְּלָ֣תֵּה֔וֹן  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: תַּלְתָּא  
Sense: three.
שַׁדְרַ֥ךְ  Shadrach 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁדְרַךְ  
Sense: the godly friend of Daniel whom Nebuchadnezzar renamed Shadrach; one of the three friends who with Daniel refused to make themselves unclean by eating food from the king’s table which went against the dietary laws which God had given the Jews; also one of the three who were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to a graven image of Nebuchadnezzar and who were saved by the angel of the Lord.
מֵישַׁ֖ךְ  Meshach 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֵישַׁךְ  
Sense: the godly friend of Daniel who Nebuchadnezzar renamed Meshach; one of the three friends who with Daniel refused to make themselves unclean by eating food from the king’s table which went against the dietary laws which God had given the Jews; also one of the three who were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to a graven image of Nebuchadnezzar and who were saved by the angel of the Lord.
נְג֑וֹ  Abed-nego 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֲבֵד נְגֹו  
Sense: the godly friend of Daniel who Nebuchadnezzar renamed Abednego; one of the three friends who with Daniel refused to make themselves unclean by eating food from the king’s table which went against the dietary laws which God had given the Jews; also one of the three who were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to a graven image of Nebuchadnezzar and who were saved by the angel of the Lord.
נְפַ֛לוּ  fell  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נְפַל  
Sense: to fall.
לְגֽוֹא־  into  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גַּו  
Sense: midst, the midst.
אַתּוּן־  of  furnace 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אַתּוּן  
Sense: furnace.
נוּרָ֥א  Fiery 
Parse: Noun, common singulard
Root: נוּר  
Sense: fire.
יָֽקִדְתָּ֖א  burning  the 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular determinate
Root: יְקַד  
Sense: (P’al) to burn.
מְכַפְּתִֽין  bound 
Parse: Verb, Piel, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: כְּפַת  
Sense: to bind.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation