God’s Word Translation
Daniel 3:1
1King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. He set it up in a recessed area in the wall in the province of Babylon.
Daniel 3:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
- New International Version (NIV)King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
- English Standard Version (ESV)King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Context of Daniel 3:1
King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. He set it up in a recessed area in the wall in the province of Babylon. 2King Nebuchadnezzar sent messengers to assemble the satraps, governors, mayors, military advisers, treasurers, judges, officers, and all the other provincial officials to dedicate the statue he had set up. 3Then the satraps, governors, mayors, military advisers, treasurers, judges, officers, and all the other provincial officials assembled to dedicate the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. They stood in front of the statue.
Read all of Daniel 3Daniel 3:1 word by word
נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֣ר מַלְכָּ֗א עֲבַד֙ צְלֵ֣ם דִּֽי־דְהַ֔ב רוּמֵהּ֙ אַמִּ֣ין שִׁתִּ֔ין פְּתָיֵ֖הּ אַמִּ֣ין שִׁ֑ת אֲקִימֵהּ֙ בְּבִקְעַ֣ת דּוּרָ֔א בִּמְדִינַ֖ת בָּבֶֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Nebuchadnezzarנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר, נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּרnebûkkadnetstsar · NebuchadnezzarH5020
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
- madeעֲבַד‛ăbad · to makeH5648
- an imageצְלֵםtselem tselem · imageH6755
- of goldדְּהַבdehab · goldH1722
- whose heightרוּםrûm · heightH7314
- threescoreשִׁתִּיןshittîyn · sixtyH8361
- cubitsאַמָּה'ammâh · cubitH521
- the breadthפְּתָיpethay · breadthH6613
- thereof sixשֵׁתshêth shith · sixH8353
- he set it upקוּםqûm · to stand: establishH6966
- in the plainבִּקְעָאbiq‛â' · plainH1236
- of Duraדּוּרָאdûrâ' · DuraH1757
- in the provinceמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4083
- of Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH895
Cross-references for Daniel 3:1
- Daniel 2:31“Your Majesty, you had a vision. You saw a large statue. This statue was very bright. It stood in front of you, and it looked terrifying.
- Daniel 5:23But you made yourself greater than the Lord of heaven. You had the utensils from his temple brought to you. You, your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them. You praised your gods made of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, or stone. These gods can’t see, hear, or know anything. You didn’t honor God, who has power over your life and everything you do.
- Exodus 20:23Never make any gods of silver or gold for yourselves. Never worship them.
- Exodus 32:2Aaron said to them, “Have your wives, sons, and daughters take off the gold earrings they are wearing, and bring them to me.”
- Deuteronomy 7:25Burn their idols. Don’t ever long for the silver and gold on these idols or take any of it for yourselves. It might be a trap for you. Besides, these idols are disgusting to the Lord your God.
- Judges 8:26The gold earrings Gideon had asked for weighed 40 pounds. This did not include the half-moon ornaments, the earrings, the purple clothes worn by the kings of Midian, and the chains from their camels’ necks.
- 1 Kings 12:28After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said, “You’ve been worshiping in Jerusalem long enough. Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.”
- 2 Kings 19:17It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have leveled nations.
- Psalms 115:4Their idols are made of silver and gold. They were made by human hands.
- Psalms 135:15The idols of the nations are made of silver and gold. They were made by human hands.
- Isaiah 2:20On that day people will throw to the moles and the bats the silver and gold idols that they made for themselves to worship.
- Isaiah 30:22Then you will dishonor your silver-plated idols and your gold-covered statues. You will throw them away like clothing ruined by stains. You will say to them, “Get out!”
- Isaiah 40:19Craftsmen make idols. Goldsmiths cover them with gold. Silversmiths make silver chains for them.
- Isaiah 46:6People pour gold out of their bags and weigh silver on scales. They hire a goldsmith. He makes it into a god. They bow down and worship it.
- Jeremiah 10:9Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. Craftsmen and goldsmiths shape these metals. The clothing for the idols is blue and purple, all made by skilled workers.
- Jeremiah 16:20“People can’t make gods for themselves. They aren’t really gods.
Commentaries on Daniel 3:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold - It is supposed that the history given here did not occur till the close, or near the end, of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. For it was after his insanity, as we see Daniel 4:33-36, and this happened near the close of his reign. The authorized version, which is followed in the margin, fixes the date of this event seventeen years earlier, and ten years before the king's insanity. A few observations on this image may…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold - The time when he did this is not mentioned; nor is it stated in whose honor, or for what design, this colossal image was erected. In the Greek and Arabic translationns, this is said to have occurred in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. This is not, however, in the original text, nor is it known on what authority it is asserted. Dean Prideaux (Consex. I. 222) supposes that it was at first some marginal…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. (Dn 3:1-7) Shadrach and his companions refuse to worship it. (Dn 3:8-18) They are cast into a furnace, but are miraculously preserved. (Dn 3:19-27) Nebuchadnezzar gives glory to Jehovah. (Dn 3:28-30) Verses 1-7 In the height of the image, about thirty yards, probably is included a pedestal, and most likely it was only covered with plates of gold, not a solid mass of that precious metal. Pride and bigotry cause men to require…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The plain of Dura may have been the plain next to the city of Babylon. Another possibility is that the Aramaic term refers to the great outer wall of Babylon described by the Greek historian Herodotus. statue: This word means "image."Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-30Between the vision of Nebuchadnezzar in the second chapter and that of Daniel in the seventh, four narratives of Daniel's and his friends' personal history are introduced. As the second and seventh chapters go together, so the third and sixth chapters (the deliverance from the lions' den), and the fourth and fifth chapters. Of these last two pairs, the former shows God's nearness to save His saints when faithful to Him, at the very time they seem to be…Read the comment
Topics related to Daniel 3:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Daniel 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries