Книга пророка Даниила, Глава 3, стих 16. Толкования стиха

THE YOUNG MEN DID NOT SEEK TO BE KILLED. AUGUSTINE: Examine the divine Scriptures, and scrutinize them as closely as you can and see whether this killing oneself was ever done by any of the good and faithful souls, even though they suffered great trials at the hands of those who were trying to drive them to eternal destruction, not to eternal life. . . . I have heard that you said the apostle Paul meant that this was lawful when he said, “If I should deliver my body to be burned.” . . . But notice carefully and understand in what sense Scripture says that anyone should deliver his body to be burned: not, certainly, that he should jump into the fire when harassed by a pursuing enemy but that, when a choice is offered him of either doing wrong or suffering wrong, he chooses not to do wrong rather than not to suffer wrong. In this case, he delivers his body not to the power of the slayer, as those three men did who were being forced to adore the golden statue and who were threatened by the one who was forcing them with the furnace of burning fire if they did not do it. They refused to adore the idol, but they did not cast themselves into the fire. LETTER 173.

SUSTAINED BY FRIENDSHIP. AMBROSE: Preserve then, my sons, that friendship you have begun with your brothers, for nothing in the world is more beautiful than that. It is indeed a comfort in this life to have one to whom you can open your ear, with whom you can share secrets and to whom you can entrust the secrets of your heart. It is a comfort to have a trusty person by your side who will rejoice with you in prosperity, sympathize in troubles, encourage in persecution. What good friends those Hebrew children were whom the flames of the fiery furnace did not separate from the love of each other! DUTIES OF THE CLERGY 3.22.131.

NOTHING COMPARES WITH THE FIRE OF JUDGMENT. JEROME: Let us turn our thoughts to the three boys in the fiery furnace in Babylonia, and listen to what they say when Nebuchadnezzar summons them before him and compels them to worship Bel. What is their answer to Nebuchadnezzar? “King, there is no need to defend ourselves.” . . . Look at their faith! We believe, it says, that he is able to save us; but if it should be that our sins prevent him, we still believe in him who will not deliver us. We do not believe in this life but in the future life; nor do we believe in him in order to escape burning here but in order to escape passing from this fire into another fire. Go ahead, then, prepare your furnace; this heat, this fire, is our purgation. Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob! HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 55 (PSALM 145).

THE YOUNG MEN SHOWED NO FEAR. CHRYSOSTOM: Observe that they the young men by a special dispensation are ignorant of the future, for if they had foreknown, there would have been nothing wonderful in their doing what they did. For what marvel is it if, when they had a guarantee of safety, they defied all terrors? Then God indeed would have been glorified in that he was able to deliver them from the furnace, but they would not have been wondered at, inasmuch as they would not have cast themselves into dangers. For this reason, he caused them to be ignorant of the future that he might glorify them the more. And as they cautioned the king that he was not to condemn God of weakness though they might be burned, so God accomplished both purposes: manifesting his own power and making even more obvious the zeal of the children. . . . And so they entered into the fire; manifesting all courage and gentleness and doing nothing for reward or for compensation or return. . . . We also have already our compensation, for indeed we have it in that we have been given the full knowledge of him, being made members of Christ. HOMILIES ON 1 CORINTHIANS 28.6.

THE YOUNG MEN’S RESPONSE WON THEM THE CROWN OF VICTORY. CHRYSOSTOM: The reason why I admire those youths and pronounce them blessed and enviable is not because they trampled on the flame and vanquished the force of the fire but because they were bound and cast into the furnace and delivered to the fire for the sake of true doctrine. For this was the whole of their triumph, and the wreath of victory was placed on their brows as soon as they were cast into the furnace. And yet, even before this momentous event, the wreath was woven for them. It was from the moment that they uttered those words as they spoke with such boldness and forthrightness to the king when they were brought into his presence. “We have no need to answer you concerning these things.” . . . After the utterance of these words, I proclaimed them conquerors; after these words, grasping the prize of victory, they hastened on to the glorious crown of martyrdom, following up the confession that they made through their words with the confession made through their deeds. NONE CAN HARM HIM WHO DOES NOT INJURE HIMSELF 17.

NO FEAR OF DANGER. MARTYRDOM OF POLYCARP: SO they did not nail him but tied him. Then he, placing his hands behind him and being bound to the stake, like a noble ram out of a great flock for an offering, a burnt sacrifice made ready and acceptable to God, looking up to heaven said, “O Lord God Almighty, the Father of the beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the knowledge of you, the God of angels and powers and of all creation and of the whole race of the righteous, who live in your presence.” . . . When he had offered up the Amen and finished his prayer, the firemen lighted the fire. And, a mighty flame flashing forth, we to whom it was given to see a marvel, yes, we were preserved that we might relate to the rest what happened.

The fire, making the appearance of a vault, like the sail of a vessel filled by the wind, made a wall round about the body of the martyr; and it was there in the midst, not like flesh burning but like a loaf in the oven or like gold and silver refined in a furnace. For we perceived such a fragrant smell, as if it were the wafted odor of frankincense or some other precious spice. So at length the lawless men, seeing that his body could not be consumed by the fire, ordered an executioner to go up to him and stab him with a dagger. And when he had done this, there came forth a dove and a quantity of blood, so that it extinguished the fire; and all the multitude marveled that there should be so great a difference between the unbelievers and the elect. MARTYRDOM OF POLYCARP 14-16.

DO NOT REPLY TO A FOOL. ROMANUS MELODUS:

When they heard these words, the young people

Laughed at the great vanity of the king.

However, lest he consider himself to be very wise,

The wise youths raised their eyes and said:

“O Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,

We have no need to talk this over with them,

For no one answers you if you say foolish things,

For thus it is written in the Scripture:

‘Do not give reply to a fool that is of similar kind.’

Therefore, we have chosen to keep silent, and we pray in silence:

‘Hasten, Merciful One, and in compassion come quickly

To our aid, since you are able to do what you will.’”

KONTAKION ON THE THREE CHILDREN 12.

THE LIMITS OF OBEDIENCE. TERTULLIAN: In terms of the honors due to king or emperor, we have a clear ruling to be subject in all obedience, according to the apostle’s command, to magistrates and princes and those in authority, but this obedience must be within the bounds of Christian discipline. That is, it is proper so long as we keep ourselves free of idolatry. It was for this reason that the familiar example of the three friends occurred before our time. Obedient in other respects to King Nebuchadnezzar, they most firmly refused to honor his image, and by this they proved that to extend the honor proper to a mortal beyond its due limits until it resembles the grandeur of God is idolatry. Daniel, in the same way, subjected himself to Darius in all points and performed his duty as long as it did not imperil his religion. To avoid that, Daniel showed no more fear of the king’s lions than they had shown of the king’s fires. ON IDOLATRY 15.