Original Word: דּוּרָא
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Duwra'
Pronunciation: DOO-rah
Phonetic Spelling: (doo-raw')
KJV: Dura
NASB: Dura
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) probably from H175 (אַהֲרוֹן - Aaron)3]

1. circle or dwelling
2. Dura, a place in Babylonia

Dura

(Aramaic) probably from duwr; circle or dwelling; Dura, a place in Babylonia -- Dura.

see HEBREW duwr

Word Origin
(Aramaic) from dur
Definition
a place near Bab.
NASB Translation
Dura (1).

דּוּרָא proper name, of a location near Babylonia, only ׳בִּקְעַת ד Daniel 3:1, ᵐ5. τοῦ περιβόλου (Syro-Hex. περίβολον), Θ Δεειρα; Dûru is name of several places in Babylonia Dl^{Par. 216}; Baer^{Dn. p. x}, compare Andr^{M 58}*; Hoffm^{Pers. Märtyrer 164 f.}; name of small river and mounds Opp^{Expéd. i. 238 f.} (see Dr); improbably explained as = zôr, depression (name actually used of lower Euphrase and Tigris valleys) by Wetzst^{De Jes:3 701f.}; Babylonian dûru = wall.

Name and Meaning

Dura designates a walled or enclosed place, most naturally understood as a broad plain bordered by ramparts near Babylon. The name echoes the Akkadian duru (“wall, fortress”), reminding the reader that the lofty human project carried out there was literally and figuratively hemmed in by man-made boundaries, while the sovereign Lord was not.

Biblical Occurrence

Daniel 3:1 records the single mention: “King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon”. The vast assembly that followed—officials, peoples, and languages—took place not in the capital proper but on this nearby plain, turning Dura into a stage for one of Scripture’s most dramatic confrontations between idolatry and covenant faithfulness.

Historical and Geographical Setting

Archaeology has identified several candidates for Dura, the most persuasive being Tolul Dura, a series of mounds about six miles southeast of the ancient city walls of Babylon and close to the Nahr Malcha canal. The flat terrain could have accommodated an immense crowd and a monument sixty cubits (approximately ninety feet) high. Babylonian boundary-stones (kudurru) attest to multiple localities named Duru or Dura, underscoring how common the term was for fortified or enclosed tracts of land. The absence of further biblical references is therefore unsurprising; the site served a single historical purpose before fading again into obscurity.

Theological Themes

1. State-sponsored Idolatry: Dura embodies the collision of political power and compulsory worship. Nebuchadnezzar’s decree that “whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into a blazing furnace” (Daniel 3:6) showcases the perennial temptation of governments to claim divine prerogatives.
2. Covenant Loyalty: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s refusal to bow illustrates unwavering obedience to the First and Second Commandments (Exodus 20:3-6). Their stance, taken on Dura’s plain, demonstrates that true worship cannot be coerced and that fidelity to God is possible even under maximum social pressure.
3. Divine Deliverance and Witness: The Son-like figure walking in the fire (Daniel 3:25) manifests God’s presence with His faithful under persecution. The miracle moved Nebuchadnezzar to proclaim, “There is no other god who can deliver in this way” (Daniel 3:29), turning Dura into a missionary platform before the watching nations.

Ministry Implications

• Spiritual Resistance: Modern believers face subtler “plains of Dura” in the form of cultural conformity, consumerism, and secular ideologies demanding allegiance. The text calls the Church to resist every idol that usurps the place of Christ.
• Corporate Witness: The three Hebrews stood together; mutual support proved crucial. Christian community remains essential in hostile settings.
• Worship Priority: Authentic worship must be God-centered, Scripture-shaped, and Spirit-empowered, never surrendered to political expediency or personal safety.

Prophetic Echoes

Revelation 13:14-15 foretells an image requiring global worship on pain of death, paralleling Dura and suggesting that the Babylonian episode foreshadows end-time pressures. The faithful remnant of Daniel anticipates the perseverance of the saints (Revelation 14:12).

Teaching and Preaching Notes

• Contrast the towering image with the “stone cut without hands” of Daniel 2:34-35; the former stands on Dura’s soil, the latter fills the whole earth.
• Trace the progression: image (chapter 3), beastly kings (chapter 7), proud ruler (chapter 11); each is answered by the coming kingdom of the Son of Man.
• Highlight that the fire consumed the ropes (Daniel 3:25); persecution often burns away only what binds God’s people.

Key Cross-References

Exodus 20:4-6; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Psalm 97:7; Isaiah 43:2; Acts 5:29; 1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 Peter 1:6-7; Revelation 13:14-15.

See Also

Nebuchadnezzar; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; Image of Gold; Furnace of Blazing Fire; Babylon.

דּוּרָ֔א דורא dū·rā duRa dūrāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts