This is an old revision of this page, as edited by PiCo (talk | contribs) at 09:29, 1 June 2019 ("Jews" is fine; and we reflect the source in saying "generally accepted"). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 09:29, 1 June 2019 by PiCo (talk | contribs) ("Jews" is fine; and we reflect the source in saying "generally accepted")(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) This article is about the biblical story. For the Beastie Boys song or EP, see Shadrach (Beastie Boys song) and An Exciting Evening at Home with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.| Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah | |
|---|---|
 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (1863) by Simeon Solomon. | |
| Three Holy Children | |
| Venerated in | Judaism Christianity |
| Major shrine | Tomb of Daniel, Susa |
| Feast | 16 December – Roman Catholicism 17 December – Eastern Orthodoxy |
| Attributes | Three men in the fiery furnace |
| Patronage | burn-victims |
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are figures from chapter 3 of the Book of Daniel, three Hebrew men thrown into a fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, when they refuse to bow down to the king's image; the three are preserved from harm and the king sees four men walking in the flames, "the fourth ... like a son of God".
The first six chapters of Daniel are stories dating from the late Persian/early Hellenistic period, and Daniel's absence from the story of the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace suggests that it may originally have been independent. It forms a pair with the story of Daniel in the lions' den, both making the point that the God of the Jews will deliver those who are faithful to him.
Summary
King Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image in the plain of Dura (a word meaning simply "plain") and commanded that all his officials bow down before it. All who failed to do so would be thrown into a blazing furnace. Certain officials informed the king that the three Jewish youths Hanania, Mishael, and Azaria, who bore the Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and whom the king had appointed to high office in Babylon, were refusing to worship the golden statue. The three were brought before Nebuchadnezzar, where they informed the king that their god would be with them. Nebuchadnezzar commanded that they be thrown into the fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than normal, but when the king looked he saw four figures walking unharmed in the flames, the fourth "like a son of God." Seeing this, Nebuchadnezzar brought the youths out of the flames and promoted them to high office, decreeing that anyone who spoke against their god should be torn limb from limb.
Composition and structure
Book of Daniel
Main article: Book of Daniel § structureIt is generally accepted that the Book of Daniel originated as a collection of folktales among the Jewish community in Babylon and Mesopotamia in the Persian and early Hellenistic periods (5th to 3rd centuries BCE), expanded by the visions of chapters 7–12 in the Maccabean era (mid-2nd century). Modern scholarship agrees that Daniel is a legendary figure. It is possible that the name was chosen for the hero of the book because of his reputation as a wise seer in Hebrew tradition. The tales are in the voice of an anonymous narrator, except for chapter 4, which is in the form of a letter from king Nebuchadnezzar. Chapter 3 is unique in that Daniel does not appear in it.
Daniel 3
Daniel 3 forms part of a chiasmus (a poetic structure in which the main point or message of a passage is placed in the centre and framed by further repetitions on either side) within Daniel 2–7, paired with Daniel 6, the story of Daniel in the lions' den:
- A. (2:4b-49) – A dream of four kingdoms replaced by a fifth
- B. (3:1–30) – Daniel's three friends in the fiery furnace
- C. (4:1–37) – Daniel interprets a dream for Nebuchadnezzar
- C'. (5:1–31) – Daniel interprets the handwriting on the wall for Belshazzar
- B'. (6:1–28) – Daniel in the lions' den
- B. (3:1–30) – Daniel's three friends in the fiery furnace
- A'. (7:1–28) – A vision of four world kingdoms replaced by a fifth
Chapters 3 and 6 contain significant differences. The story of the fiery furnace does not include Daniel, while the story of the lions' den does not include Daniel's friends; the first story takes place under Nebuchadnezzar and the second under Darius; and in the first story the disobedience to the earthly ruler takes place in public, while in the second Daniel petitions God in private. The stories thus supplement each other to make the point that the God of the Jews will deliver those who are faithful to him.
Genre and themes
The legendary nature of the story is revealed by the liberal use of hyperbole - the size of the statue, the use of every kind of music, the destruction of the executioners, and the king's rage followed by his confession of the superiority of the God of Israel. The plot is a type known in folklore as "the disgrace and rehabilitation of a minister," the plot of which involves a man in a state of prosperity who is sentenced to death or prison by the plots of his enemies but vindicated and restored to honour.
When Nebuchadnezzar confronts the defiant Jewish youths who refuse to submit to his will he asks them what god will deliver them from his hands. Their reply is the theological high point of the story: without addressing the king by his title, they tell him that the question is not whether they are willing to bow before the king's image, but whether God is present and willing to save. When the three are thrown into the furnace the king sees four men walking in the flames, the fourth like "a son of god," a divine being.
Interpretation
Daniel's absence from the tale of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego suggests that it may originally have been an independent story. The Hebrew names of Daniel's friends were Hananiah (Template:Hebrew Ḥănanyāh), "Yah is gracious", Mishael (Template:Hebrew Mîšā’êl), "Who is what El is?" and Azariah (Template:Hebrew Ǎzaryāh), "Yah has helped", but by the king’s decree they were assigned Chaldean names, so that Daniel became Beltheshazzar (Template:Hebrew Belteshazzar), Hananiah became Shadrach (שַׁדְרַך Šaḏraḵ), Mishael became Meshach (מֵישַׁ֖ךְ Mêšaḵ) and Azariah became Abednego (עֲבֵ֣דנְג֑וֹ ‘Ǎḇêḏ-Nəḡō). Shadrach's name is possibly derived from Shudur Aku "Command of Aku (the moon god)", Meshach is probably a variation of Mi-sha-aku, meaning "Who is as Aku is?", and Abednego is either "Slave of the god Nebo/Nabu" or a variation of Abednergal, "Slave of the god Nergal." The Chaldean names are related to the Hebrew names, but the name of a heathen god has replaced that of Yahweh.
The word "Dura" (where the statue is erected) means simply "plain" or "fortress" and is not any specific place; the Greek historian Herodotus mentions a golden image of the god Bel in Babylon, but the gigantic size of this statue might suggest that its origins lie in folklore. The statue's dimensions (6x60 cubits) are linked intertextually with those of Ezra-Nehemiah's Second Temple (60x60 cubits), suggesting that the king's image is contrasted with the post-exilic place of worship for faithful Jews like Daniel.
Eastern Orthodox observance
The Greek version of Daniel 3 inserts "the song of the three youths," two psalms, connected by a narrative emphasising their miraculous salvation. The song is alluded to in odes seven and eight of the canon, a hymn sung in the matins service and on other occasions in the Eastern Orthodox Church, where their feast day is December 17 (along with Daniel). The Orthodox also commemorate them on the two Sundays before the Nativity of Christ. The reading of the story of the fiery furnace, including the song, is prescribed for the vesperal Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Orthodox on Holy Saturday. Likewise, the three are commemorated as prophets in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod on December 17 with Daniel.
In popular culture
Literature
- 1963: Martin Luther King Jr. references them in his Letter from Birmingham Jail
Music
- 1930s-1962: Shadrack by Robert MacGimsey
- 1955–1956: Gesang der Jünglinge by Karlheinz Stockhausen
- 1974 Loose Booty by Sly and the Family Stone
- 1976: Abendigo by The Abyssinians
- 1977: La La Bam-Bam by The Congos
- 1979: Survival by Bob Marley and the Wailers
- 1989: Shadrach by Beastie Boys
- 2004: Blazing Fire by Steel Pulse
- 2012: Meditation is the Practice of Death by Om
See also
References
Citations
- Seow 2003, p. 55-58.
- Levine 2010, p. 1233, 1239 footnote 3.1-7.
- ^ Seow 2003, p. 87.
- Levine 2010, p. 1239-1241.
- Collins 1984, p. 29, 34–35.
- Collins 1984, p. 28.
- Redditt 2008, p. 176–177, 180. sfn error: no target: CITEREFRedditt2008 (help)
- Wesselius 2002, p. 295.
- Redditt 2009, p. 177.
- Collins 1984, p. 55.
- Seow 2003, p. 55-57.
- Daniel 1:7
- "1611 King James Bible. Book of Daniel, chapter 1". Archived from the original on Feb 9, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - Levine 2010, p. 1239, footnote 3.1-7.
- Wesselius 2002, p. 303.
- Collins 1984, p. 56.
Bibliography
- Aune, David E. (2010). "The World of Roman Hellenism". In Aune, David E. (ed.). The Blackwell Companion to The New Testament. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781444318944.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Bandstra, Barry L. (2008). Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Wadsworth Publishing Company. ISBN 0495391050.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Boyer, Paul S. (1992). When Time Shall Be No More: Prophecy Belief in Modern American Culture. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-95129-8.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Brettler, Mark Zvi (2005). How To Read the Bible. Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 9780827610019.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Cohn, Shaye J.D. (2006). From the Maccabees to the Mishnah. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664227432.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Collins, John J. (1984). Daniel: With an Introduction to Apocalyptic Literature. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802800206.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Collins, John J. (1998). The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802843715.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Collins, John J. (2001). "Current Issues in the Study of Daniel". In Collins, John J.; Flint, Peter W.; VanEpps, Cameron (eds.). The Book of Daniel: Composition and Reception. Vol. I. BRILL. ISBN 9004116753.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Collins, John J. (2003). "From Prophecy to Apocalypticism: The Expectation of the End". In McGinn, Bernard; Collins, John J.; Stein, Stephen J. (eds.). The Continuum History of Apocalypticism. Continuum. ISBN 9780826415202.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Crawford, Sidnie White (2000). "Apocalyptic". In Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (eds.). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9789053565032.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Davidson, Robert (1993). "Jeremiah, Book of". In Metzger, Bruce M.; Coogan, Michael D. (eds.). The Oxford Companion to the Bible. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199743919.
- Davies, Philip (2006). "Apocalyptic". In Rogerson, J. W.; Lieu, Judith M. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies. Oxford Handbooks Online. ISBN 9780199254255.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - DeChant, Dell (2009). "Apocalyptic Communities". In Neusner, Jacob (ed.). World Religions in America: An Introduction. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9781611640472.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Dunn, James D.G. (2002). "The Danilic Son of Man in the New Testament". In Collins, John J.; Flint, Peter W.; VanEpps, Cameron (eds.). The Book of Daniel: Composition and Reception. BRILL. ISBN 0391041282.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Froom, Le Roy Edwin (1950). Early Church Exposition, Subsequent Deflections, and Medieval Revival. The Prophetic Faith of our Fathers: The Historical Development of Prophetic Interpretation. Vol. 1. The Review and Herald Publishing Association. p. 1006.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Froom, Le Roy Edwin (1948). Pre-Reformation and Reformation Restoration, and Second Departure. The Prophetic Faith of our Fathers: The Historical Development of Prophetic Interpretation. Vol. 2. The Review and Herald Publishing Association. p. 863.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Froom, Le Roy Edwin (1946). PART I, Colonial and Early National American Exposition. PART II, Old World Nineteenth Century Advent Awakening. The Prophetic Faith of our Fathers: The Historical Development of Prophetic Interpretation. Vol. 3. The Review and Herald Publishing Association. p. 802.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Gallagher, Eugene V. (2011). "Millennialism, Scripture, and Tradition". In Wessinger, Catherine (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Millennialism. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195301052.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Goldingay, John J. (2002). "Daniel in the Context of OT Theology". In Collins, John J.; Flint, Peter W.; VanEpps, Cameron (eds.). The Book of Daniel: Composition and Reception. Vol. II. BRILL. ISBN 0391041282.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Grabbe, Lester L. (2010). An Introduction to Second Temple Judaism: History and Religion of the Jews in the Time of Nehemiah, the Maccabees, Hillel, and Jesus. Continuum. ISBN 9780567552488.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Grabbe, Lester L. (2002). Judaic Religion in the Second Temple Period: Belief and Practice from the Exile to Yavneh. Routledge. ISBN 9780203461013.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Grabbe, Lester L. (2002). "A Dan(iel) For All Seasons". In Collins, John J.; Flint, Peter W.; VanEpps, Cameron (eds.). The Book of Daniel: Composition and Reception. BRILL. ISBN 9004116753.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Hammer, Raymond (1976). The Book of Daniel. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521097659.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Harrington, Daniel J. (1999). Invitation to the Apocrypha. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802846334.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Hebbard, Aaron B. (2009). Reading Daniel as a Text in Theological Hermeneutics. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 9781606089910.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Hill, Andrew E. (2009). "Daniel-Malachi". In Longman, Tremper; Garland, David E. (eds.). The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Vol. 8. Zondervan. ISBN 9780310590545.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Hill, Charles E. (2000). "Antichrist". In Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (eds.). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9789053565032.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Holbrook, Frank B. (1986). The Seventy Weeks, Leviticus, and the Nature of Prophecy (Volume 3 of Daniel and Revelation Committee Series ed.). Biblical Research Institute, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. ISBN 0925675024.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Horsley, Richard A. (2007). Scribes, Visionaries, and the Politics of Second Temple Judea. Presbyterian Publishing Corp. ISBN 9780664229917.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Knibb, Michael (2009). Essays on the Book of Enoch and Other Early Jewish Texts and Traditions. BRILL. ISBN 9004167250.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Knibb, Michael (2002). "The Book of Daniel in its Context". In Collins, John J.; Flint, Peter W.; VanEpps, Cameron (eds.). The Book of Daniel: Composition and Reception. BRILL. ISBN 9004116753.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Koch, Klaus (2002). "Stages in the Canonization of the Book of daniel". In Collins, John J.; Flint, Peter W.; VanEpps, Cameron (eds.). The Book of Daniel: Composition and Reception. BRILL. ISBN 0391041282.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Kratz, Reinhard (2002). "The Visions of Daniel". In Collins, John J.; Flint, Peter W.; VanEpps, Cameron (eds.). The Book of Daniel: Composition and Reception. BRILL. ISBN 9004116753.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Levine, Amy-Jill (2010). "Daniel". In Coogan, Michael D.; Brettler, Marc Z.; Newsom, Carol A. (eds.). The new Oxford annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books : New Revised Standard Version. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199370504.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Lucas, Ernest C. (2005). "Daniel, Book of". In Vanhoozer, Kevin J.; Bartholomew, Craig G.; Treier, Daniel J. (eds.). Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. Baker Academic. ISBN 9780801026942.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Mangano, Mark (2001). Esther & Daniel. College Press. ISBN 9780899008851.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Matthews, Victor H.; Moyer, James C. (2012). The Old Testament: Text and Context. Baker Books. ISBN 9780801048357.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Nelson, William B. (2000). "Daniel". In Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (eds.). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9789053565032.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Nelson, William B. (2013). Daniel. Baker Books. ISBN 9781441240064.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Newsom, Carol A.; Breed, Brennan W. (2014). Daniel: A Commentary. Presbyterian Publishing Corp. ISBN 9780664220808.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Nichol, F., ed. (1954). "chronology chart". SDA Bible Commentary. pp. 326–327.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Niskanen, Paul (2004). The Human and the Divine in History: Herodotus and the Book of Daniel. Continuum. ISBN 9780567082138.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Pasachoff, Naomi E.; Littman, Robert J. (2005). A Concise History of the Jewish People. Rowman & Littlefield.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Portier-Young, Anathea E. (2013). Apocalypse Against Empire: Theologies of Resistance in Early Judaism. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802837110.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Provan, Iain (2003). "Daniel". In Dunn, James D. G.; Rogerson, John William (eds.). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802837110.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Redditt, Paul L. (2009). Introduction to the Prophets. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802828965.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Reid, Stephen Breck (2000). "Daniel, Book of". In Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (eds.). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9789053565032.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Rowland, Christopher (2007). "Apocalyptic Literature". In Hass, Andrew; Jasper, David; Jay, Elisabeth (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of English Literature and Theology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199271979.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Ryken,, Leland; Wilhoit, Jim; Longman, Tremper (1998). Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830867332.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - Sacchi, Paolo (2004). The History of the Second Temple Period. Continuum. ISBN 9780567044501.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Schwartz, Daniel R. (1992). Studies in the Jewish Background of Christianity. Mohr Siebeck. ISBN 9783161457982.
- Seow, C.L. (2003). Daniel. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256753.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Schiffman, Lawrence H. (1991). From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism. KTAV Publishing House. ISBN 9780881253726.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Spencer, Richard A. (2002). "Additions to Daniel". In Mills, Watson E.; Wilson, Richard F. (eds.). The Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Mercer University Press. ISBN 9780865545106.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)
- Towner, W. Sibley (1993). "Daniel". In Coogan, Michael D.; Metzger, Bruce M. (eds.). The Oxford Companion to the Bible. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199743919.
- Towner, W. Sibley (1984). Daniel. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664237561.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - VanderKam, James C. (2010). The Dead Sea Scrolls Today. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802864352.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - VanderKam, James C.; Flint, Peter (2013). The meaning of the Dead Sea scrolls: their significance for understanding the Bible, Judaism, Jesus, and Christianity. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780062243300.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Weber, Timothy P. (2007). "Millennialism". In Walls, Jerry L. (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Eschatology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199742486.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Wesselius, Jan-Wim (2002). "The Writing of Daniel". In Collins, John J.; Flint, Peter W.; VanEpps, Cameron (eds.). The Book of Daniel: Composition and Reception. BRILL.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - White, Ellen (2014). Yahweh's Council: Its Structure and Membership. Mohr Siebeck.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)
| Book of Daniel | |
|---|---|
| Bible chapters | |
| Additions | |
| Places | |
| People | |
| Angels | |
| Terms | |
| Christian interpretations | |
| Manuscripts | |
| Sources | |