Is the Song of the Three Holy Children in the King James Bible?
Yes — it was included in the Apocrypha of the original 1611 KJV as one of the additions to Daniel. Most modern KJV editions omit the Apocrypha.
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The Song of the Three Holy Children — Free PDF Study Guide
A clear, scholarly introduction to the Song of the Three Holy Children — the sixty-eight verses that the Greek Bible places inside the fiery furnace, between Daniel 3:23 and 3:24. Azariah prays a national confession while the flames roar, an angel walks down into the furnace and makes the middle of it 'as it had been a moist whistling wind,' and the three young men break into the great hymn known as the Benedicite, calling on every created thing to bless the Lord.
An original Bible Sundays study companion. The full 1611 KJV text of the Song of the Three Holy Children is included in our free KJV Apocrypha PDF, which contains all fourteen Apocryphal books bound in the original King James Bible.
What you get
Where the passage sits — between Daniel 3:23 and Daniel 3:24
The Prayer of Azariah: confession, not complaint
The Benedicite — every creature summoned to praise
Its long life as a canticle in Christian morning prayer
Five passages every reader should know
Free to share — no email or sign-up required
What is the Song of the Three Holy Children?
It is a Greek addition of sixty-eight verses inserted into Daniel chapter 3, after the three young men are bound and thrown into the furnace and before the king looks in and sees four figures walking. It has three parts. First comes the Prayer of Azariah — the Hebrew name of Abednego — who does not protest his innocence but confesses the sins of the nation: 'we have sinned and committed iniquity, departing from thee.' Then a short narrative describes the furnace being over-heated forty-nine cubits high, the flames killing the Chaldeans standing nearby, and the angel of the Lord coming down to drive the fire out of the furnace. Finally the three sing the Benedicite, a litany summoning sun, moon, stars, rain, frost, whales, fowls, and 'all ye works of the Lord' to bless and praise him for ever.
Is it in the King James Bible?
The Song of the Three Holy Children was included in the Apocrypha of the original 1611 King James Bible, printed as the first of the three additions to Daniel, ahead of Susanna and Bel and the Dragon. In Catholic and Orthodox Bibles it is not separate at all: it appears in place, as Daniel 3:24–90. Protestant Bibles follow the shorter Hebrew and Aramaic Daniel, in which the narrative moves directly from verse 23 to verse 24 with no song between.
Why this book matters for Bible readers today
The Benedicite has been sung in Christian worship for at least sixteen centuries. It is one of the canticles of Anglican Morning Prayer, is used at the Orthodox Great Blessing, and shaped Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Sun. Theologically it is the fullest ancient expression of Psalm 148's logic — that praise is the proper work of everything that exists, not only of human beings. And the Prayer of Azariah answers a question the Hebrew Daniel leaves open: how did faithful Jews explain the exile to themselves while suffering under it? Their answer was confession, not grievance.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Song of the Three Children fit in Daniel?
Between Daniel 3:23 and 3:24. In Catholic and Orthodox Bibles the passage is printed there as Daniel 3:24–90; Protestant Bibles move from verse 23 to verse 24 with nothing in between.
What is the Prayer of Azariah?
The first section of the passage — a prayer offered inside the furnace by Azariah, whose Babylonian name was Abednego. It confesses the sins of Israel, acknowledges that the exile is just, and asks God to deal with them according to his mercy.
What is the Benedicite?
The hymn of the three young men, named for its opening Latin word. It calls on angels, heavens, waters, sun, moon, stars, weather, mountains, plants, sea creatures, birds, beasts, and all people to bless the Lord and praise him for ever.
Who were the three holy children?
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah — better known by their Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were young Judean nobles who refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar's golden image.
Why isn't the Song in the Protestant Bible?
It survives only in Greek and is absent from the Hebrew and Aramaic text of Daniel. Jerome flagged this, and the Reformers classed the Daniel additions as Apocrypha rather than inspired Scripture.
Where can I read the full text?
The complete 1611 KJV text of the Song of the Three Holy Children is included in our free KJV Apocrypha PDF, which contains all fourteen Apocryphal books bound in the original King James Bible.
Can I share this study guide?
Yes. This Bible Sundays study guide is free to share for any personal, ministry, or educational purpose.
Related Bible study & reading
Continue your study with related content from across our library:
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Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Daniel 3 • faithfulness
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Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Bible Quiz
Three Hebrew youths who stood firm in the fiery furnace rather than bow to idols
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Q&A
Who Were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Bible?
People & Characters
Character
Abednego in the Bible
Preserved in the Flames
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Daniel 3 Quiz — The Fiery Furnace
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refuse to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's image.
Biblical names and their meanings
Every name below appears in the King James Bible. Each page gives the meaning, the verse it appears in, and who carried it in Scripture.
- EzraHelper
- EzraHelper; The LORD helps
- FaithTrust and belief
- FaithTrust; Belief; Confidence in God
- FelixHappy; Fortunate; Blessed
- FelixHappy; Fortunate; Blessed
- GabrielGod is my strength
- GenesisBeginning or origin
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