Daniel 3

Daniel · Chapter 3

Daniel 3:28

1Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.2Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.3Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.4Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,5That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:6And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.7Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.8Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.9They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.10Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:11And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.12There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.13Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.14Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?15Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.17If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.18But 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.19Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.20And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.21Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.22Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.25He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.27And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.28Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.29Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
28Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Nebuchadnezzar had ordered everyone to worship his golden image or be burned. Three Jews refused, were thrown into the furnace, and came out unharmed. Here the king himself praises their God for sending his angel and rescuing the men who trusted him rather than obey the king's command. Daniel 3:5Daniel 3:6Daniel 3:18Daniel 3:23Daniel 3:25Daniel 3:27Daniel 3:28

SpeakingNebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who had made the golden image and ordered the three men into the furnace. Daniel 3:1Daniel 3:20Daniel 3:28Strong's H5020

ToThe princes, governors, captains and the king's counsellors who were gathered and saw that the fire had not harmed the men. Daniel 3:24Daniel 3:27

Also involvedShadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Jews the king had set over the affairs of the province of Babylon. Their Hebrew names were Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Daniel 3:12Daniel 3:28Strong's H7715Strong's H4336Strong's H5665

The king blesses the God of the three men. He gives two reasons: God sent his angel and delivered his servants, and those servants trusted God so fully that they defied the king's order and gave up their bodies rather than worship any god but their own. Daniel 3:28Strong's H1289Strong's H7365Strong's H8133Strong's H3052

In the province of Babylon, where the king had set up the golden image in the plain of Dura. The text does not say exactly where the furnace stood. Daniel 3:1Daniel 3:26

BABYLONIAMEDIABabylon 1SusaUlai

The eventsDuring Nebuchadnezzar's reign; the book places this story after the dream of chapter 2. Chapter 3 does not give a year. The book's events run from about 605 BC to about 536 BC. Daniel overview

WrittenTraditional: written by Daniel in the 500s BC. Scholarly: many critical scholars date the book's final form to about 167-164 BC, while others hold to the 500s BC date. Daniel overview

HereThe verse shows the king who asked "who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" now admitting that their God did. It leads straight into his decree that no other god can deliver like this. Daniel 3:15Daniel 3:28Daniel 3:29

In the whole of ScriptureDaniel shows that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of men. It also shows how God's people stay faithful under foreign rulers, even at the risk of their lives. This verse has a heathen king confess both truths. Daniel overviewDaniel 3:17Daniel 3:18

For readersThe men refused to serve or bow to any god but the LORD, as Exodus 20:5 commands. Scripture also says the angel of the LORD delivers those who fear him, and that the one who trusts him is blessed. Paul adds that whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. Exodus 20:5Psalms 34:7Psalms 34:8Psalms 22:4Romans 14:8

Christians read this differently

In verse 25 the king says the fourth figure is "like the Son of God", and here he calls him God's "angel", a word that comes from the word for messenger. No cited Scripture says who this angel was. Some Christians read the figure as an angel sent by God; others read it as an appearance of Christ before he was born, linking it to "the angel of the LORD" in passages like Psalm 34:7. Daniel 3:25Daniel 3:28Strong's H4398Psalms 34:7

  • trustedרְחַץ
    Aramaic · re.chats · H7365

    The word means to set one's trust on. The king traces the rescue to the men's trust in God, which matches their words in 3:17-18 and Psalm 22:4, "they trusted, and thou didst deliver them." Strong's H7365Daniel 3:17Daniel 3:18Psalms 22:4

  • changedשְׁנָא
    Aramaic · she.na · H8133

    The word means to change, alter or frustrate, and here it is rendered "violated." The king admits that the men overturned his own command because they would not obey it. Strong's H8133Daniel 3:28

  • yieldedיְהַב
    Aramaic · ye.hav · H3052

    The word means to give. They gave their bodies to the fire rather than worship the image. They had said God was able to deliver them and would, but that even if not, they would still not worship the image. Strong's H3052Strong's H1655Daniel 3:17Daniel 3:18

  • serveפְּלַח
    Aramaic · pe.lach · H6399

    The word means to serve, worship or pay reverence to. It is the same refusal the men stated in 3:18 and that Exodus 20:5 forbids toward other gods. Strong's H6399Daniel 3:18Exodus 20:5

  • angelמַלְאַךְ
    Aramaic · mal.akh · H4398

    The Aramaic word for angel comes from the word for messenger. The king sees the rescuer as one sent by God, echoing Psalm 34:7. Strong's H4398Strong's H7972Psalms 34:7

Takeaway

God delivered men who trusted him and would worship no one else, even when they were ready to give up their bodies rather than bow. Even the king who threatened them had to bless their God. Daniel 3:28Daniel 3:18Psalms 84:12Romans 14:8Daniel 3:27

Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.

The world around the text

About 605-536 BC. King of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC). Where Daniel lived and served for about seventy years. The capital of the Babylonian empire, on the Euphrates south of modern Baghdad, in the land the Bible calls Shinar and Chaldea.

Who ruled
  • King of BabylonNebuchadnezzar605-562 BC

    The king who besieged Jerusalem, carried Daniel and the temple vessels to Babylon, and later destroyed the city and temple. His own building inscriptions boast of the Babylon he built. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 24:12 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 25:1Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)

  • Last king of Babylon, and his son who ruled in his placeNabonidus and Belshazzar556-539 BC

    Nabonidus spent about ten years at the oasis of Tema in Arabia and left his son Belshazzar to rule in Babylon. That is why Belshazzar could only offer Daniel the place of "third ruler in the kingdom": he was himself second. Daniel 5:1Daniel 5:7Daniel 5:29Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Verse Account of Nabonidus

  • Received the kingdom after Babylon fellDarius the MedianFrom 539 BC

    Daniel says he "took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old" and set 120 princes over it. Records outside the Bible do not name him; he has been identified with Gubaru, the governor Cyrus set over Babylon, or with Cyrus himself. Daniel 5:31Daniel 6:1Daniel 9:1Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)

  • King of PersiaCyrus559-530 BC

    He united the Medes and Persians, took Babylon in 539 BC, and let the exiles go home to rebuild the temple, as Isaiah had named him beforehand. Daniel 1:21Daniel 6:28Daniel 10:1Ezra 1:1-4Isaiah 44:28-45:1Cyrus Cylinder

  • King of JudahJehoiakim609-598 BC

    Judah's king when Daniel was taken. Jeremiah warned him and his people that the land would serve Babylon seventy years. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 23:36-24:6Jeremiah 25:1-11

What was happening, 612 BC to 167 BC
  1. 612 BC
    WarNineveh falls

    Babylon and the Medes destroyed Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, as Nahum and Zephaniah had foretold. Babylon became the great power of the region. Nahum 3:7Zephaniah 2:13Fall of Nineveh Chronicle (ABC 3)

  2. 605 BC
    WarBattle of Carchemish

    Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho of Egypt at Carchemish on the Euphrates, in Jehoiakim's fourth year. The same year he came against Jerusalem and took the first captives, Daniel among them. Jeremiah 46:2Daniel 1:1-4Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)

  3. 597 BC
    WarJerusalem surrenders

    Nebuchadnezzar took King Jehoiachin, his nobles and craftsmen to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel went into exile with them. 2 Kings 24:10-17Ezekiel 1:2Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)

  4. 586 BC
    WarJerusalem and the temple destroyed

    Babylon's army burned the temple and the city and broke down its walls. Daniel later prays over "the desolations of Jerusalem" and asks God to shine on his "sanctuary that is desolate." 2 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 52:12-14Daniel 9:2Daniel 9:17

  5. c. 575 BC
    BuildingBabylon rebuilt in splendor

    Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon with great walls, palaces and the blue-glazed Ishtar Gate, and his inscriptions praise his own work. Compare his boast: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?" Daniel 4:30Nebuchadnezzar's East India House InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 1.178-183

  6. 562 BC
    RulersNebuchadnezzar dies

    His son Evil-merodach became king and released Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 2 Kings 25:27-30Jeremiah 52:31-34

  7. c. 553-543 BC
    RulersNabonidus leaves Babylon to Belshazzar

    King Nabonidus stayed at Tema in Arabia for about ten years, and the yearly New Year festival in Babylon was not held. Belshazzar governed in Babylon. Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Daniel 5:1Daniel 7:1

  8. 550 BC
    WarCyrus unites the Medes and Persians

    Cyrus of Persia defeated Astyages king of the Medes, joining the two peoples in one kingdom. Daniel's vision names the ram's two horns as "the kings of Media and Persia," the higher coming up last. Daniel 8:3Daniel 8:20Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.127-130

  9. October 539 BC
    WarBabylon falls to Cyrus

    Cyrus's army entered Babylon without a long siege. Herodotus says the people were feasting when the city was taken. Daniel records that "in that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.191Cyrus Cylinder

  10. 538 BC
    God's peopleCyrus lets the exiles return

    In his first year over Babylon, Cyrus proclaimed that the Jews could go back and build the LORD's house in Jerusalem. Daniel "continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus." Ezra 1:1-42 Chronicles 36:22-23Daniel 1:21Cyrus Cylinder

  11. c. 536 BC
    God's peopleThe temple's foundation is laid

    The returned exiles rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation of the temple. In the third year of Cyrus, Daniel was still in the east, mourning and praying. Ezra 3:1-11Daniel 10:1-3

  12. 334-331 BC
    WarAlexander the Great conquers Persia

    Alexander of Macedon crossed into Asia and overthrew the Persian empire within four years. Daniel 8:21 names the rough goat as "the king of Grecia" and its great horn as "the first king." Daniel 8:5-8Daniel 8:21Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 1-3

  13. 323-301 BC
    WarAlexander's empire is divided

    Alexander died young, and after twenty years of war his generals divided his empire, chiefly into four kingdoms. Daniel 8:22 says "four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." Daniel 8:8Daniel 8:22Daniel 11:4Diodorus Siculus, Library 18-20Plutarch, Demetrius 28-30

  14. 167 BC
    WarAntiochus IV defiles the temple

    The Greek king Antiochus IV banned Jewish worship and set up a pagan altar on the altar of burnt offering. 1 Maccabees calls it "the abomination of desolation." Two centuries later Jesus spoke of "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" as still to come. 1 Maccabees 1:54-59Josephus, Antiquities 12.5.4Matthew 24:15

The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records of these years (the Babylonian Chronicles, the Cyrus Cylinder, Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Diodorus, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.

Original Aramaic words

This passage was written in Aramaic, the common language of the Babylonian and Persian empires, which the Jews of the exile also spoke. It uses the same alphabet as Hebrew.

EnglishAramaicSay itStrong'sMeaning
[was] replyingעָנֵ֨ה'a-NEHH6032
to answer

עֲנָה (a.nah) 1) to answer, respond 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to answer, make reply 1a2) to respond

Nebuchadnezzarנְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּ֜רne-vu-khad-ne-TZARH5020
Nebuchadnezzar

נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר, נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר (ne.vu.khad.nets.tsar) A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.24.1; father of: Belshazzar (H1112) Aramaic of ne.vu.khad.nets.tsar (נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר, נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר "Nebuchadnezzar" H5019) § Nebuchadnezzar = "may Nebo protect the crown" the great king of Babylon who captured Jerusalem and carried Judah captive

and [he was] sayingוְאָמַ֗רve-'a-MARH0560
to say

אֲמַר (a.mar) (P'al) to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate Aramaic of a.mar (אָמַר "to say" H0559)

[be] blessedבְּרִ֤יךְbe-RIKHH1289
to bless

בְּרַךְ (be.rakh) 1) to bless, kneel 1a) (P'al) 1a1) kneeling (participle) 1a2) to be blessed 1b) (Pael) to bless, praise

God theirאֱלָהֲהוֹן֙'e-la-ha-hOnH0426
god

אֱלָהּ (e.lah) 1) god, God 1a) god, heathen deity 1b) God (of Israel)

ofדִּֽי־di-H1768
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

Shadrachשַׁדְרַ֤ךְshad-RAKHH7715
Shadrach

שַׁדְרַךְ (shad.rakh) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Dan.1.6; also called Shadrach at Dan.1.7; 2.49; 3.12,13,14,16,19,20,22,23,26,28,29,30; Aramaic of cha.nan.yah (חֲנַנְיָ֫הוּ "Hananiah" H2608T) § Shadrach = "royal" or "the great scribe" …

Meshachמֵישַׁךְ֙mei-shaKhH4336
Meshach

מֵישַׁךְ (me.shakh) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Dan.1.6; also called Meshach at Dan.1.7; 2.49; 3.12,13,14,16,19,20,22,23,26,28,29,30; Aramaic of mi.sha.el (מִישָׁאֵל "Mishael" H4332I) § Meshach = "guest of the king" …

and Abed-וַעֲבֵ֣דva-'a-VEDH5665
Abednego

עֲבֵד נְגוֹ (a.ved ne.go) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Dan.1.6; also called Abednego at Dan.2.49; 3.12,13,14,16,19,20,22,23,26,28,29,30; Aramaic of a.zar.yah (עֲזַרְיָה "Azariah" H5838Z) § Abed-nego = "servant of Nebo" …

-negoנְג֔וֹne-GOH5665
Abednego

עֲבֵד נְגוֹ (a.ved ne.go) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Dan.1.6; also called Abednego at Dan.2.49; 3.12,13,14,16,19,20,22,23,26,28,29,30; Aramaic of a.zar.yah (עֲזַרְיָה "Azariah" H5838Z) § Abed-nego = "servant of Nebo" …

whoדִּֽי־di-H1768
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

he has sentשְׁלַ֤חshe-LACHH7972
to send

שְׁלַח (she.lach) 1) to send 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to send, send out 1a2) to be sent

angel hisמַלְאֲכֵהּ֙mal-'a-KHEHH4398
angel

מַלְאַךְ (mal.akh) angel Aramaic of ma.le.akh (מַלְאָךְ ": messenger" H4397)

and he has deliveredוְשֵׁיזִ֣בve-shei-ZIVH7804
to rescue

שֵׁיזִב (she.zav) (Peel or Peil) to deliver Aramaic of shuv (שׁוּב ": return" H7725)

obj. servants hisלְעַבְד֔וֹהִיle-'av-DO-hiH5649
servant/slave

עֲבַד (a.vad) servant, slave Aramaic of e.ved (עֶ֫בֶד "servant/slave" H5650)

whoדִּ֥יdiH1768
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

they trustedהִתְרְחִ֖צוּhit-re-CHI-tzuH7365
to trust

רְחַץ (re.chats) 1) to trust 1a) (Hithp'il) to set one's trust on

on himעֲל֑וֹהִיa-LO-hiH5922
since

עַל (al) 1) upon, over, on account of, above, to, against 1a) upon, over, on account of, regarding, concerning, on behalf of 1b) over (with verbs of ruling) 1c) above, beyond (in comparison) 1d) to, against (of direction)

and [the] word ofוּמִלַּ֤תu-mi-LATH4406
word

מִלָּה (mil.lah) 1) word, thing 1a) word, utterance, command 1b) thing, affair, matter

king theמַלְכָּא֙mal-KA'H4430
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) king Aramaic of me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4428) § 1) king

they violatedשַׁנִּ֔יוsha-NIVH8133
to change

שְׁנָא (she.na) 1) to change, be altered, be changed 1a) (P'al) to change, be changed 1b) (Pael) to change, transform, frustrate 1b1) different (participle) 1c) (Ithpael) to be changed 1d) (Aphel) to change, alter

and they gaveוִיהַ֣בוּvi-HA-vuH3052
to give

יְהַב (ye.hav) 1) to give, provide 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to give 1a2) to place, lay (foundations) 1b) (Hithp'al) 1b1) to be given 1b2) to be paid

body theirגֶשְׁמְה֗וֹןgesh-mei-honH1655
body

גְּשֵׁם (ge.shem) body

thatדִּ֠יdiH1768
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

notלָֽא־la'-H3809
not

לָא (la) no, not, nothing Aramaic of lo (לֹא "not" H3808)

they will pay reverenceיִפְלְח֤וּןyif-le-CHUNH6399
to serve

פְּלַח (pe.lach) 1) to serve, worship, revere, minister for, pay reverence to 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to pay reverence to 1a2) to serve

and notוְלָֽא־ve-la'-H3809
not

לָא (la) no, not, nothing Aramaic of lo (לֹא "not" H3808)

they will pay homageיִסְגְּדוּן֙yis-ge-DUNH5457
to do homage

סְגִ֑ד (se.gid) 1) to prostrate oneself, do homage, worship 1a) (P'al) to do homage

to anyלְכָל־le-kholH3606
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, whole, the whole 1a) the whole of, all 1b) every, any, none

godאֱלָ֔הּ'e-LAHH0426
god

אֱלָהּ (e.lah) 1) god, God 1a) god, heathen deity 1b) God (of Israel)

exceptלָהֵ֖ןla-HENH3861
except

לָהֵן (la.hen) 1) therefore 2) except, but 2a) except (with negative) 2b) however, but

to own God theirלֵאלָֽהֲהֽוֹן׃le-LA-ha-HONH0426
god

אֱלָהּ (e.lah) 1) god, God 1a) god, heathen deity 1b) God (of Israel)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.