Danielchapter 6
28 verses · BSBDaniel book hub →
Daniel in the Lions' Den — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
A.An edict crafted to trap one faithful manvv. 1-9
1 Now it pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 and over them three administrators, including Daniel, to whom these satraps were accountable so that the king would not suffer loss. 3 Soon, by his extraordinary spirit, Daniel distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps. So the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Thus the administrators and satraps sought a charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no charge or corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel, unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.” 6 So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said, “O King Darius, may you live forever! 7 All the royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce a decree that for thirty days anyone who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions. 8 Therefore, O king, establish the decree and sign the document so that it cannot be changed—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.
B.Windows open toward Jerusalem, three times a dayvv. 10-15
10 Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God. 12 So they approached the king and asked about his royal decree: “Did you not sign a decree that for thirty days any man who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions?” The king replied, “According to the law of the Medes and Persians the order stands, and it cannot be repealed.” 13 Then they told the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, shows no regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed. He still makes his petition three times a day.” 14 As soon as the king heard this, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel, and he labored until sundown to rescue him. 15 Then the men approached the king together and said to him, “Remember, O king, that by the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or ordinance established by the king can be changed.”
C.Sealed in the den, and a king who cannot sleepvv. 16-18
16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that nothing concerning Daniel could be changed. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.
D.God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouthsvv. 19-24
19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. 20 When he reached the den, he cried out in a voice of anguish, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel replied, “O king, may you live forever! 22 My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.” 23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den, and when Daniel was lifted out of the den, no wounds whatsoever were found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 At the command of the king, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they and their children and wives. And before they had reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
E.Darius decrees that the living God be fearedvv. 25-28
25 Then King Darius wrote to the people of every nation and language throughout the land: “May your prosperity abound. 26 I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom, men are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion will never end. 27 He delivers and rescues; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” 28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Chapter summary
Under Darius the Mede, Daniel is set over a hundred and twenty satraps and marked for promotion over the whole realm 'because an excellent spirit was in him.' His rivals can find no fault in his administration and conclude they must attack his religion, so they flatter the king into an interdict against petitioning any god or man for thirty days: irrevocable under the law of the Medes and Persians.
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Chapter summary
Under Darius the Mede, Daniel is set over a hundred and twenty satraps and marked for promotion over the whole realm 'because an excellent spirit was in him.' His rivals can find no fault in his administration and conclude they must attack his religion, so they flatter the king into an interdict against petitioning any god or man for thirty days: irrevocable under the law of the Medes and Persians.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
Under Darius the Mede, Daniel is set over a hundred and twenty satraps and marked for promotion over the whole realm 'because an excellent spirit was in him.' His rivals can find no fault in his administration and conclude they must attack his religion, so they flatter the king into an interdict against petitioning any god or man for thirty days: irrevocable under the law of the Medes and Persians. Daniel goes home, and with his windows open toward Jerusalem kneels upon his knees three times a day, as he had always done. The king spends a sleepless night and calls at dawn; the answer echoes in Hebrews 11: 'My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths.'
Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.
Context
Prophecy · Daniel — Daniel overview
- A. 1–9 An edict crafted to trap one faithful man
- B. 10–15 Windows open toward Jerusalem, three times a day
- C. 16–18 Sealed in the den, and a king who cannot sleep
- D. 19–24 God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths
- E. 25–28 Darius decrees that the living God be feared
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
Daniel 35 verses
- Daniel 3:2Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue he had set up.
- Daniel 3:6And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”
- Daniel 3:8At this time some astrologers came forward and maliciously accused the Jews,
- Daniel 3:12But there are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who have ignored you, O king, and have refused to serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”
- Daniel 3:27and when the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisers had gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men. Not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them.
- Read Daniel 3 →
Daniel 24 verses
- Daniel 2:1In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.
- Daniel 2:4Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
- Daniel 2:25Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.”
- Daniel 2:48Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
- Read Daniel 2 →
Daniel 64 verses
- Daniel 6:8Therefore, O king, establish the decree and sign the document so that it cannot be changed—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
- Daniel 6:12So they approached the king and asked about his royal decree: “Did you not sign a decree that for thirty days any man who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions?” The king replied, “According to the law of the Medes and Persians the order stands, and it cannot be repealed.”
- Daniel 6:15Then the men approached the king together and said to him, “Remember, O king, that by the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or ordinance established by the king can be changed.”
- Daniel 6:27He delivers and rescues; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”
- Read Daniel 6 →
Daniel 43 verses
- Daniel 4:1King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied.
- Daniel 4:2I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
- Daniel 4:34But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
- Read Daniel 4 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
Daniel 52 verses
- Daniel 5:14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.
- Daniel 5:29Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
- Read Daniel 5 →
Acts 242 verses
- Acts 24:13Nor can they prove to you any of their charges against me.
- Acts 24:20Otherwise, let these men state for themselves any crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin,
- Read Acts 24 →
Psalms 372 verses
- Psalms 37:32Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,
- Psalms 37:39The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
- Read Psalms 37 →
Esther 82 verses
- Esther 8:8Now you may write in the king’s name as you please regarding the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. For a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.”
- Esther 8:9At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan), they recorded all of Mordecai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and princes of the 127 provinces from India to Cush—writing to each province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.
- Read Esther 8 →
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.