The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three - Introduction
The three most substantial of many additions to the Hebrew- Aramaic text of Daniel are: The Prayer of Azariah and The Song of the Three; Daniel and Susanna; and Daniel, Bel, and the Snake. Whether these materials were first written in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek is debated, but puns on two Greek words in Daniel and Susanna favor Greek as the original language of at least that addition. These additions were probably written during the second or first century B.C.E.
The work is made up of two probably independent parts: a prayer of Azariah (Abed-nego), vv. 1–22 , and a hymn to God sung by the three companions of Daniel: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, vv. 23–68 . The addition echoes major biblical themes, reflecting especially the thought of Ps. 148 and the form of Ps. 136 . The prayer and the song were used extensively in worship by churches in later centuries.
THEY walked in the heart of the fire, praising God and blessing the Lord.