There was no smell of fire on them.

THE QUESTION

King Nebuchadnezzar had Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into a blazing furnace for refusing to bow to his golden statue. When they walked out alive, the king’s officials crowded around them. What did they notice?

A) Their faces shone with light.

B) Their robes had turned white.

C) There was no smell of fire on them. ✓

D) Their hands were covered in ashes.

A closer look

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship the king’s golden image, even when he threatened them with a blazing furnace. But when Nebuchadnezzar looked inside, he saw four figures walking around, unbound and unharmed. He called the three men out, and his officials gathered around them (Daniel 3:24–27).

Daniel records more than their survival. Their bodies were unharmed, their hair was not singed, and their robes were not scorched. Then comes this astonishing detail: they did not even smell of fire. The rescue was complete.

As for the other answers, this passage does not mention shining faces, robes turning white, or ash-covered hands. The detail about the smell comes directly from verse 27.

And they were not alone in there. The king had three men thrown into the furnace, but he counted four walking in the flames. God did not leave them to walk through the fire by themselves. That is today’s verse in a single picture.

Their faith was not a bargain for an easy outcome. Before entering the furnace, they had said they would remain faithful even if God did not rescue them (Daniel 3:17–18). This account does not promise that every trial ends without injury. It shows that even the furnace was not beyond God’s reach. Alongside Isaiah 43:2, it gives us courage to trust Him in the middle of what we cannot control.