complete verse (Daniel 3:25)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 3:25:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then he asked, ‘But I see four people walking around in the fire and are not tied up? There is even (a) fourth person who looks like an angel.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He said, "Look, I see four men in that fire walking hither and thither. They are neither bound, nor has anything happened to them. The 4th man, however, looks like the son of a god."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then the king said, ‘You (plur.) look! I see four [men] walking in the midst of the fire. They are not bound and not hurt/harmed. One of them looks like a god.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Nebuchadnezzar shouted, ‘Look! I see four men in the fire! They have no ropes on them, they are walking around, and the flames are not hurting them! And the fourth man looks like a divine being!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Daniel 3:25

He answered: the verb used here does not indicate answering a question since no question was asked by the counselors. It merely indicates a continuation of the conversation. It may be better to translate “He continued” or “He went on” (New Jerusalem Bible).

But: this marks a very strong contrast, since there are now four men instead of the original three, and they are free instead of being tied up as they had been when thrown into the fire. Good News Translation renders this as another question, “Then why…?”

Loose: in contrast with “bound” in verses 21, 23, and 24.

They are not hurt: literally “there is no wound (or injury) on them.” Another way of wording this is “their bodies are not burned at all,” or translators may want to use a word for injury resulting from fire, if such exists in their language: “no burn-marks can be seen on their bodies.”

A son of the gods: on expressions containing “son of…” or “sons of…,” see comments on 2.25. In Jewish writings the expression “sons of God” (see, for example, Job 1.6) refers to members of the divine court meeting around the LORD. This, of course, makes us think immediately of angels. In the mouth of the Babylonian king, the words “a son of the gods” indicates that the fourth person in the fire resembled one of the gods of the Babylonians. However, the two Aramaic terms translated appearance and like indicate clearly that it was only a matter of resemblance. In verse 28 below it becomes clear that the person is actually an angel. This is why some versions (Good News Translation and Moffatt) actually translate “an angel” in this verse. Others have “one of the gods” (An American Translation), or “a god” (New Revised Standard Version and New English Bible/Revised English Bible), or “a divine being” (New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, and Anchor Bible). It is probably best not to translate literally the words “child of…” or “son of…,” since this merely indicates membership in the group of divine beings. Compare Gen 6.2; Job 1.6; 38.7; 1 Kgs 22.19; and Psa 148.2.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .