PRAYER OF AZARIAH AND SONG OF THE THREE HEBREWS

What makes the Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Hebrews special?

The ancient Greek translation of DANIEL includes three additions that are not in the Hebrew text. The first of these additions is called the PRAYER OF AZARIAH AND SONG OF THE THREE HEBREWS. The sixty-eight verses that make up this addition are added between 3.23 and 3.24 of the Hebrew version of DANIEL. The second addition is SUSANNA and the third is BEL AND THE DRAGON. The Contemporary English Version translates these additions from the Greek version known as Theodotion, since that was the version of DANIEL used most often by the early church.

Why was the Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Hebrews written?

Daniel 3 tells of three faithful young Hebrews known by their Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan 1.6, 7; 3.12) who refused to bow down and worship an idol built by Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar. Because they disobeyed king's order, he had no choice but to punish them. He did so by putting them in a flaming hot furnace that should have caused instant death. But God sent an angel to protect them in the fire. When the king saw that they are not killed, he praised their God and gave them high positions in the Babylon Province (Dan 3:1-30).

While Daniel 3 only gives a brief glimpse of what happens in the fiery furnace, PRAYER OF AZARIAH AND SONG OF THE THREE HEBREWS records the prayer spoken by Azariah (Abednego), more detailed information about what happened inside the furnace (23-27), and a song of praise to God sung inside the furnace by Azariah and his friends, Hananiah (Shadrach) and Mishael (Meshach). In his prayer, Azariah confesses that the entire nation of Israel had sinned, and he admits that God was right to punish them. But he also prayed that God would help Israel and crush those who had harmed them.

This book emphasizes a key theme present in DANIEL--faithfulness to God in the face of persecution. But the prayer and song also provide an opportunity for God's people to take a realistic look at their relationship with God and to praise God as the living Lord who is creator of all and God over all gods (68).

What's the story behind the scene?

The events of DANIEL are set in the time of the Babylonian exile. But, this addition to DANIEL was likely written and inserted into DANIEL sometime in the second century B.C. The PRAYER OF AZARIAH combines some aspects of Israel's national songs of sorrow, known as laments (see Pss 44; 74; and 80) with a prayer of confession for the nation's sins. It was during the difficult period after the exile in Babylon that the Jewish people regularly made confession of the nation's sins a part of their worship (see, for instance, Ezra 9.6-15; Neh 9.6-37; Bar 1.15--3.8).

How is the Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Hebrews constructed?

This addition has three sections: Azariah's Prayer (1-22); a description of how the Lord's angel protected the men in the fire (23-27); and the song of praise that the three men sang together (28-68). Traditionally, the second song was further divided between verse 34 and 35. Both parts are songs of praise, but the second song (35-68) makes use of a repeated refrain.

Azariah prays (1-22)

In the fire (23-27)

Songs of praise (28-68)