צְלֵם

Daniel 2:31 צְלֵ֥ם צַלְמָ֨א an image, image the

As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome.

Daniel 2:32 צַלְמָ֗א image the

The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,

Daniel 2:34 לְצַלְמָא֙ <obj.> image the

As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.

Here: "The statue." The prefix l- here only marks the direct object, as it often does in Aramaic. It does not mean "to". The ṣelem is the huge metal figure of 2:31–33. The same word is used for the golden statue Nebuchadnezzar sets up in chapter 3.

Daniel 2:35 לְצַלְמָ֗א <obj.> image the

Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Here: 'The statue': a carved or cast figure in human form, the kind of colossal royal or divine image that stood in Mesopotamian cities.

Daniel 3:1 צְלֵ֣ם an image

King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

Here: A three-dimensional statue, the same word used for the giant statue of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in 2:31–35. In the ancient Near East a statue like this stood in for the one it represented, a god or a king. Here it will be the focus of required worship.

Daniel 3:2 צַלְמָ֔א image the

Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue he had set up.

Daniel 3:3 צַלְמָ֔א צַלְמָ֔א image the

So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

Daniel 3:5 לְצֶ֣לֶם to [the] image of

As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

Daniel 3:7 לְצֶ֣לֶם to [the] image of

Therefore, as soon as all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and all kinds of music, the people of every nation and language would fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Daniel 3:10 לְצֶ֥לֶם to [the] image of

You, O king, have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the golden statue,

Daniel 3:12 וּלְצֶ֧לֶם and to [the] image of

But there are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who have ignored you, O king, and have refused to serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”

Here: 'And to the statue of…' This is a physical, three-dimensional statue (60 by 6 cubits, 3:1), the same word used for the statue in the dream of ch. 2.

Daniel 3:14 וּלְצֶ֧לֶם and to [the] image of

and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden statue I have set up?

Here: "And to the image of…": the huge statue of 3:1, sixty cubits high (about 27 m).

Daniel 3:15 לְצַלְמָ֣א to image the

Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I have made, very good. But if you refuse to worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing fiery furnace. Then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands?”

Here: 'To the statue': the huge gold-covered figure of 3:1. Same word as Hebrew ṣelem, 'image'.

Daniel 3:18 וּלְצֶ֧לֶם and to [the] image of

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.”

Here: "And to the image of…". A ṣelem here is a physical statue, a three-dimensional object set up to be honoured. Like "your gods", it is placed first for emphasis.

Daniel 3:19 וּצְלֵ֤ם and [the] image of

At this, Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual,

Here: 'And the image of'. This is the same word used all through the chapter for the golden statue (3:1, 3:5, 3:18). The three men have just refused to bow to the king's image, and now his own 'image' changes.