Daniel 3:18

KJV1611 – Modern English

But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image which you have set up.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְהֵ֣ן לָ֔א יְדִ֥יעַ לֶהֱוֵא־לָ֖ךְ מַלְכָּ֑א דִּ֤י לֵֽאלָהָךְ֙ לָא־אִיתַ֣נָא פָֽלְחִ֔ין וּלְצֶ֧לֶם דַּהֲבָ֛א דִּ֥י הֲקֵ֖ימְתָּ לָ֥א נִסְגֻּֽד׃ ס

Transliteration

But if wəhên not lāʾ, let it be yədîaʿ lehĕwêʾ-lāk, O malkāʾ, that to your lêʾlāhāk we will not ʾîthanāʾ pālḥîn, and to the tselem of dahăbāʾ which you have hăqêmtā we will not nisgud.

Grammar Details

• *wəhên*: conjunction + conditional particle - but if
• *lāʾ*: negative particle - not
• *yədîaʿ*: passive participle masculine singular - known
• *lehĕwêʾ-lāk*: preposition + imperfect 3rd masculine singular + preposition + 2nd masculine singular suffix - let it be to you
• *malkāʾ*: noun + definite article - the king
• *lêʾlāhāk*: preposition + noun + 2nd masculine singular suffix - to your god
• *ʾîthanāʾ*: 1st plural pronoun - we are
• *pālḥîn*: participle masculine plural - serving/worshiping
• *tselem*: noun - image/statue
• *dahăbāʾ*: noun + definite article - the gold
• *hăqêmtā*: perfect 2nd masculine singular - you set up
• *nisgud*: imperfect 1st plural - we will worship

Word Meanings

• *wəhên*: but if/and if
• *yədîaʿ*: known/acknowledged
• *lehĕwêʾ-lāk*: let it be to you/be it known to you
• *ʾîthanāʾ*: we are/we will be
• *pālḥîn*: serve/worship/revere
• *tselem*: image/statue/likeness
• *hăqêmtā*: set up/erected/established
• *nisgud*: we will worship/we will bow down

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  But even if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  But if{H2006} not,{H3809} be it{H1934} known{H3046} unto thee, O king,{H4430} that we will{H383} not{H3809} serve{H6399} thy gods,{H426} nor{H3809} worship{H5457} the golden{H1722} image{H6755} which thou hast set up.{H6966}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But if{H2006} not{H3809}, be it{H1934}{(H8748)} known{H3046}{(H8752)} unto thee, O king{H4430}, that we will{H383} not{H3809} serve{H6399}{(H8750)} thy gods{H426}, nor{H3809} worship{H5457}{(H8748)} the golden{H1722} image{H6755} which thou hast set up{H6966}{(H8684)}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And though he wil not, yet shalt thou knowe (o kynge) that we will not serue thy goddes, ner do reuerece to the ymage, which thou hast set vp.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But if not, bee it knowen to thee, O King, that wee will not serue thy gods, nor worship the golden image, which thou hast set vp.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And though he will not, yet shalt thou knowe O king, that we will not serue thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set vp.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And lo -- not! be it known to thee, O king, that thy gods we are not serving, and to the golden image thou hast raised up we do no obeisance.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  But if not, be certain, O King, that we will not be the servants of your gods, or give worship to the image of gold which you have put up.

• World English Bible (2000)

  But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  But if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”

Referenced Verses

• Josh 24:15 : 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
• Matt 10:39 : 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
• Luke 12:3-9 : 3 Therefore, whatever you have spoken in darkness will be heard in the light; and what you have spoken in the ear in closets will be proclaimed upon the housetops. 4 And I say to you my friends, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom you shall fear: Fear him, who after he has killed has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, Fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows. 8 Also I say to you, Whoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God. 9 But he that denies me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
• Acts 4:10-13 : 10 Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they realized that they had been with Jesus.
• Acts 4:19 : 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.
• Acts 5:29-32 : 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.
• Rev 2:10-11 : 10 Fear none of those things which you will suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you shall have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.
• Rev 12:11 : 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even to death.
• Matt 16:2 : 2 He answered and said to them, When it is evening you say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.
• Exod 20:3-5 : 3 You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me.
• Lev 19:4 : 4 Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.
• Job 13:15 : 15 Though he slays me, yet will I trust in him; but I will defend my own ways before him.
• Prov 28:1 : 1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.
• Isa 51:12-13 : 12 I, even I, am he who comforts you: who are you, that you should be afraid of a man who will die, and of the son of man who will be made like grass; 13 And you forget the LORD your Maker, who stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and you fear continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?
• Dan 3:28 : 28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God.
• Matt 10:28 : 28 And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
• Matt 10:32-33 : 32 Whoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.