Nubuchadnezzer

[menageriekeeper]

Da 3:24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.Da 3:25He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

While considering motifs for the Bible cover my son wants me to make, I thought about one showing Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace with the Son of God in the their midst. That led to this question:

How did Nubuchadnezzer, a non believer, recognize that the fourth was the Son of God? Why not an angel, ghost or other apparation?

 

[Pastor Larry]

He probably didn't recognize it as the second person of the Godhead, but rather as "a son of the gods" noting some kind of divine recognition.

 

[robycop3]

i helieve the "Son of God" thingie was imaginary thinking of the AV translators, who, unlike Neb & those Jews, knew who the Son of God is.

 

[Deacon]

This translation problem concerns the use of the word, "elohin" ( [FONT=&quot]אֱלָהִין[/FONT] ) which is a plural noun.
Daniel is the only place where this form of the noun is used (see verses below).

The same word is also found in Daniel 2:11 and 2:47 (also see 3:25; 4:5 and 6; 4:15; 5:11 and 14)

"The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”" (Daniel 2:11, ESV)

"The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”" (Daniel 2:47, ESV)

Rob