Daniel 3.8-Certain Chaldeans Make Malicious Accusations Against The Jews
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday June 12, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 3:8-Certain Chaldeans Make Slanderous Accusations Against Some Jews
Lesson # 85
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 3:1.
This evening we will study Daniel 3:8 which records certain Chaldeans making slanderous accusations against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as a result of the latter not obeying Nebuchadnezzar’s order to worship the gold statue he erected of himself.
Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you the command is given, O peoples, nations and men of every language, 5 that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6 But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.” 7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 8 For this reason at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the Jews. (NASB95)
“For this reason” is composed of the preposition k- (כְּ־) (kee) and this is followed by the preposition lĕ (לְ) (leh) and then we have the preposition qǒḇēl (קֳבֵל) (kob-ale´) which altogether are translated “for…reason” and then we have the demonstrative pronoun denā(h) (דְּנָה) (dane-awe), “this.”
The preposition k- is employed with the prepositions lĕ and qǒḇēl to form a conjunctive clause which means “because of.”
It presents the basis for the malicious or slanderous accusations of certain Chaldeans against the Jews, which Daniel 3:12 identifies were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
The Jews were forbidden to worship idols under the Law (Exodus 20:3, 23) and so they refused to comply with Nebuchadnezzar’s order.
These three words are employed with the demonstrative pronoun denā(h), which means “this” since it is anaphoric meaning it is referring to the proclamation read by the herald at the dedication of the statue Nebuchadnezzar erected of himself, which is recorded in Daniel 3:4-6.
The demonstrative pronoun refers to the content of this proclamation which ordered all the dignitaries who represented the peoples from the various provinces in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom to worship the gold image he erected of himself the moment when the orchestra plays.
It refers to this order with emphasis upon the threat of being executed for failure to not comply with this order.
So this prepositional phrase denotes that Daniel’s three friends were slanderously accused by certain Chaldeans “because of” the king’s order and the Jews refusal to comply with this order out of obedience to the Lord.
“At that time” is compose of the preposition b- (בְּ־) (beh) “at” its object is the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “that” and then we have the masculine singular form of the noun zemǎn (זְמַן) (zem-awn´), “time.”
The preposition b-, “at” and the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ), “that” and the noun zemǎn, “time” are employed together and literally mean “at that time.”
The noun zemǎn means “time” referring to a relatively indefinite duration of time in a certain time frame.
The word refers to the indefinite period of time following Nebuchadnezzar’s order to worship the gold statue he erected of himself.
The word is the object of the preposition b-, which is functioning as a temporal marker meaning “during” referring to the indefinite period of time after Nebuchadnezzar’s order to worship the image.
The third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) means “this” since it is functioning like a demonstrative pronoun pointing out the noun zemǎn.
Therefore, these three words form an expression which literally mean “during that period of time” and answers the question when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were maliciously accused by certain Chaldeans.
It speaks of the period of time when Nebuchadnezzar’s order was in effect.
“Certain Chaldeans” is composed of the masculine plural form of the noun geḇǎr (גְּבַר) (gheb-ar´), “certain” which is modifying the masculine plural form of the noun kǎś∙dāy (כַּשְׂדָּי) (kas-day), “the Chaldeans.”
The noun kǎś∙dāy is an ethnic noun and means “Chaldeans,” which is indicated by the fact that it is used in a contrast with the proper ethnic noun yehû∙ḏāy (יְהוּדָי) (yeh-hoo-day), “the Jews.”
Therefore, the presence of the latter signifies a contrast with the former indicating a contrast between the Babylonians and the Jews.
This proper noun kǎś∙dāy refers to the Chaldeans as a people and is a synonym for the Babylonians.
They entered southern Mesopotamia in the first millennium B.C. and became the rulers of this area in the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.
The ancestor of the Chaldeans was Chesed, the nephew of Abraham through his brother Nahor (Gen. 11:28, 31; 15:7; Neh. 9:7).
The nation of Israel identified the Chaldeans as the Babylonians under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar.
The noun kǎś∙dāy is modified by the noun geḇǎr, which means “certain men” since it is functioning as an indefinite noun and is thus referring to certain unidentified Babylonian men.
“Came forward” is the third person masculine plural peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb qerēḇ (קְרֵב) (ker-abe´), which means “to assert” in the sense of presenting a proposition with emphasis upon the communication which follows, as contrasted with linear movement.
Here the verb denotes certain unidentified Babylonian men who were undoubtedly from the dignitaries, “made assertions” about the Jews, i.e. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
The context tells us that these assertions were accusations which slandered the character of these three.
“And brought charges against the Jews” is an explicative clause since the conjunction wa is used in an explicative sense meaning that the word is introducing an expression, which clarifies the meaning of the verb qerēḇ, which we noted refers to the act of making assertions about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
This conjunction is introducing an expression which defines exactly what types of assertions were being made about them.
“Brought charges against” is composed of the third person masculine plural peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb ʾǎḵǎl (אֲכַל) (ak-al´), and then we have the masculine plural construct form of the noun qerǎṣ (קְרַץ) (ker-ats´).
The verb ʾǎḵǎl literally means “to chew to pieces” but figuratively it means “to slander” and its object is the noun qerǎṣ, which refers to a piece of something.
Together, they literally mean “to chew to pieces something.”
They form a Chaldean or Babylonian idiom for slanderously accusing someone of a crime.
Therefore, the verb refers to the act of these certain unidentified Babylonian men “slanderously accusing” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego of a crime because they disobeyed Nebuchadnezzar’s command in order to obey God.
This idiom does not merely mean that these individuals accused Daniel’s three friends of a crime but rather that they did so by slandering them since the expression literally speaks of these individuals chewing Daniel’s three friends to pieces with their words.
To “slander” someone refers to defaming someone’s character as a result of bitterness towards them.
Christians are prohibited from slandering each other or any person for that matter (Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:8; 1 Peter 2:1).
“The Jews” is composed of the the third person masculine plural pronominal suffix him∙mô (הִמֹּו) (him-mo´) and then we have the particle dî (דִּי) (dee), which is followed by the masculine plural ethnic noun yehû∙ḏāy (יְהוּדָי) (yeh-hoo-day), “the Jews.”
The pronominal suffix him∙mô means “those” and is a marker of relative reference modifying the proper name yehû∙ḏā(h), “the Jews.”
Thus, this pronominal suffix is referring to “those individuals” who were from the Jewish race.
Daniel 3:12 identifies them as three individuals, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
The particle dî should be translated “who are from” since it is a marker to show the genitive relationship between the pronominal suffix him∙mô, “those” and the proper name yehû∙ḏā(h), “the Jews.”
It is a genitive of source meaning that the individuals denoted by the pronominal suffix him∙mô, “those” “originate from” the Jewish race.
The proper name yehû∙ḏā(h), “the Jews” is referring to those members of the human race who are descendants racially of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and members of the nation of Israel and thus, denotes nationality distinguishing the Jew from the Gentile and specifically, from the Babylonians, i.e. Chaldeans.
Nebuchadnezzar’s order that all the dignitaries representing the various provinces throughout his kingdom must bow down and worship the gold image that he erected for himself on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon created a problem for Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
Specifically, it created a problem for Daniel’s three friends since Daniel was not present in Babylon when this order was issued from the king.
The fact that these certain Babylonian men slandered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was the direct result of jealousy and envy since Daniel 2:49 records that Nebuchadnezzar granted Daniel’s request that they would be assigned the administration over the province of the city of Babylon.
Thus, the individuals that Daniel’s friends displaced would be angry and envious and jealous towards them.
“Envy” is to feel resentful, spiteful, and unhappy because someone else possesses or has achieved, what one wishes oneself to possess, or to have achieved and desires to deprive another of what he has, whereas “jealousy” desires to have the same or the same sort of thing for itself.
Envy arises from jealousy and is the mental attitude from which envy originates and so therefore, to be envious means to act on one’s jealousy.
Christians are prohibited from committing the sins of jealousy and envy (Romans 13:13; 1 Peter 2:1-2).
So envy arises from jealousy and so therefore, to be envious means to act on one’s jealousy.
Jealousy is a mental attitude sin directed toward another, which is resentful, intolerant and suspicious of another’s success, possessions or relationships and is vigilant in maintaining or guarding something.
Satan was resentful and intolerant and suspicious of the preincarnate Christ’s relationship with the angels and was vigilant in maintaining or guarding his influence over the angels.
Jealousy originated in eternity past with Satan.
Therefore, jealousy is demonic (James 3:14-16) since it is Satanic viewpoint.
Though not explicitly mentioned, the testimony of Scripture is that Satan was behind this persecution of Daniel’s three friends and the Jewish people.
The Savior of the world would be a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and specifically would be from the tribe of Judah.
Thus, by attempting to kill the Jews in Babylon, Satan would be preventing the incarnation of the Son of God.
Daniel chapter three records the persecution of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Persecution is the suffering or pressure, mental, moral, or physical, which authorities, individuals, or crowds inflict on others, especially for opinions or beliefs, with a view to their subjection by recantation, silencing, or, as a last resort, execution.
Thus, we see certain Babylonian men were jealous and envious of the promotion of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, which was manifested by the fact that they slanderously accused them of committing the crime of not obeying Nebuchadnezzar’s order to worship the image of himself.
They not only charged Daniel’s friends with this but also slandered them in the process.