King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
¶ 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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
N'vukhadnetzar the king had a gold statue made, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, which he set up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Bavel.
Berean Standard Bible:
King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
American Standard Version:
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.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Nebuchadnezzar{H5020} the king{H4430} made{H5648} an image{H6755} of gold{H1722}, whose height{H7314} was threescore{H8361} cubits{H521}, and the breadth{H6613} thereof six{H8353} cubits{H521}: he set it up{H6966} in the plain{H1236} of Dura{H1757}, in the province{H4083} of Babylon{H895}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Habakkuk 2:19
- Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it [is] laid over with gold and silver, and [there is] no breath at all in the midst of it.
Jeremiah 16:20
- Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they [are] no gods?
Isaiah 46:6
- They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, [and] hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
Hosea 8:4
- They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew [it] not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.
Acts 19:26
- Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
Acts 17:29
- Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
Isaiah 40:19
- The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Daniel 3:1
Daniel 3:1 sets the stage for one of the most dramatic narratives in the Book of Daniel, which is part of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. The verse introduces King Nebuchadnezzar II, a historical figure who reigned as the king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire from circa 605 to 562 BCE. His creation of a colossal gold image, measuring 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide, is an act of monumental arrogance and a declaration of his absolute power. The image's dimensions are symbolic, with the number six likely representing the king's authority over the six known inhabitable directions (north, south, east, west, up, and down), and the number six being a multiple of seven, a number often associated with perfection and completeness in the Bible.
The plain of Dura, where the image was erected, was probably located in the vicinity of Babylon, the capital city of the empire. The historical context of this verse reflects the period after the Babylonian conquest of Judah, when many Jews were taken into exile, including Daniel and his companions. The construction of the gold image can be seen as an act of political and religious propaganda, intended to solidify the loyalty of his subjects to the king and his gods, and to further establish the Babylonian religion and culture over those of the conquered peoples, including the Israelites.
The themes introduced in this verse—idolatry, the challenge of maintaining faith in a foreign land, and the tension between submission to earthly authority and fidelity to God—are central to the ensuing story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refuse to worship the gold image and are miraculously delivered from Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace. This narrative underscores the sovereignty of God over human kings and the importance of standing firm in one's faith despite the threat of persecution or death.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H5020
There are 29 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר
Transliteration: Nᵉbûwkadnetstsar
Pronunciation: neb-oo-kad-nets-tsar'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר; {Nebukadnetstsar (or -retstsar, or -retstsor), king of Babylon}; Nebuchadnezzar. - Strong's Number: H4430
There are 131 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֶלֶךְ
Transliteration: melek
Pronunciation: meh'-lek
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to מֶלֶךְ; a king; king, royal. - Strong's Number: H5648
There are 25 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֲבַד
Transliteration: ʻăbad
Pronunciation: ab-bad'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to עָבַד; to do, make, prepare, keep, etc.; [idiom] cut, do, execute, go on, make, move, work. - Strong's Number: H6755
There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צֶלֶם
Transliteration: tselem
Pronunciation: tseh'-lem
Description: (Aramaic) or צְלֶם; (Aramaic), corresponding to צֶלֶם; an idolatrous figure; form, image. - Strong's Number: H1722
There are 23 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דְּהַב
Transliteration: dᵉhab
Pronunciation: deh-hab'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to זָהָב; gold; gold(-en). - Strong's Number: H7314
There are 5 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רוּם
Transliteration: rûwm
Pronunciation: room
Description: (Aramaic) from רוּם; (literally) altitude; height. - Strong's Number: H8361
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שִׁתִּין
Transliteration: shittîyn
Pronunciation: shit-teen'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to שִׁשִּׁים (compare שֵׁת); sixty; threescore. - Strong's Number: H521
There are 75 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַמָּה
Transliteration: ʼammâh
Pronunciation: am-maw'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to אַמָּה; {properly, a mother (i.e. unit of measure, or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit; also a door-base (as a bond of the entrance)}; cubit. - Strong's Number: H6613
There are 2 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פְּתַי
Transliteration: pᵉthay
Pronunciation: peth-ah'-ee
Description: (Aramaic) from a root corresponding to פָּתָה; open, i.e. (as noun) width; breadth. - Strong's Number: H8353
There are 2 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֵׁת
Transliteration: shêth
Pronunciation: shayth
Description: (Aramaic) or שִׁת; (Aramaic), corresponding to שֵׁשׁ; {six}; six(-th). - Strong's Number: H6966
There are 30 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קוּם
Transliteration: qûwm
Pronunciation: koom
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to קוּם; {to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)}; appoint, establish, make, raise up self, (a-) rise (up), (make to) stand, set (up). - Strong's Number: H1236
There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בִּקְעָא
Transliteration: biqʻâʼ
Pronunciation: bik-aw'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to בִּקְעָה; {properly, a split, i.e. a wide level valley between mountains}; plain. - Strong's Number: H1757
There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דּוּרָא
Transliteration: Dûwrâʼ
Pronunciation: doo-raw'
Description: (Aramaic) probably from דּוּר; circle or dwelling; Dura, a place in Babylonia; Dura. - Strong's Number: H4083
There are 11 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מְדִינָה
Transliteration: mᵉdîynâh
Pronunciation: med-ee-naw'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to מְדִינָה; {properly, a judgeship, i.e. jurisdiction; by implication, a district (as ruled by a judge); generally, a region}; province. - Strong's Number: H895
There are 21 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּבֶל
Transliteration: Babel
Pronunciation: baw-bel'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to בָּבֶל; {Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire}; Babylon.