Daniel 3:7 Commentary and Bible Study

The narrative continues and tells how ‘all the people, the nations, and the languages’ – those represented by the gathered dignitaries – ‘fell down and worshipped the golden image.’ It doesn't tell us this, but somewhere in the front rows of the multitude – because the governors of the regions would have surely been in the front – there were three men, who did not fall to the ground. There they were, conspicuous: the three Jewish men. The spell of uniformity has been broken. These men have defied the king’s edict. The moment to take a stand has come, and this cannot be fudged.There are as many reasons offered as to why Daniel wasn't there, as there are verses in the chapter. But we don't know why he wasn't there. Was he sick? Was he elsewhere on diplomatic business? Was it that he was deliberately left out of all this, because he was in such a high position that he was somewhat untouchable, and Nebuchadnezzar wanted the three slightly lower ranked officials to perish first? We need to realise that the intention from the very beginning was to bring all into submission, especially the Jews who were known to exclusively worship one God. But there are these three men: they are standing there, not hiding their refusal to comply. They knew this was a boundary beyond which they knew they could not go, whatever the consequences.