Daniel 6:12
in Daniel 6So 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 The king replied, “According to the law of the Medes and Persians the order stands, and it cannot be repealed.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s interdict: Hast thou not signed an interdict, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
KJV
Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
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This verse in Daniel 6
Commentary
8 notes on this verseShall be cast into the den of lions - Either this was the royal menagerie, like that place in the Tower of London, where wild beasts are kept for the king’s pleasure, and the public amusement; or they were kept for the purpose of devouring certain criminals, which the laws might consign to that kind of death. This is most likely, from the case before us.
This site's exposition
Hast thou not signed a decree
on Daniel 6:12-13
The conspirators force Darius to restate his own decree before naming the offender, trapping him with his own words, the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not, before revealing that Daniel is the man who regardeth not thee, O king. Clarke notes the phrase children of the captivity of Judah is used with the same edge Belshazzar used of Daniel in the previous chapter, a reminder meant to diminish him as a foreign exile rather than the kingdom's own trusted president. The accusation is technically accurate and morally false, which is exactly the kind of charge integrity cannot answer by denial, only by the God it trusts.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Verse 12. "'Hast thou not ordained, O king, that any man who makes a request of any other person besides thee, whether god or man, shall be thrown into the lion-pit?' The king answered them, saying..."
And so in this way even at that time the adversary operated in the governors and satraps, so that through them he might accomplish his own will and cast the blessed Daniel into the den of lions. And whom they watched closely and seeing him pray three times a day, came forth saying to the king, "'O king Darius, have you not appointed an edict that any man who should ask from any god and man a petition for thirty days except from you O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?' He said, 'The word is true and the decree of the Medes and the Persians shall not pass away.'" [Daniel 6:12]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), and having appealed to his whether there was not such a law made, and gained from him a recognition of it, and that it was so ratified that it might not be altered, they proceeded to accuse Daniel,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Then they came near,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
They preface their attack by alleging the king's edict, so as to get him again to confirm it unalterably, before they mention Daniel's name. Not to break a wicked promise, is not firmness, but guilty obstinacy (Mt 14:9;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Then they came near - That is, they came near to the king. They had detected Daniel, as they expected and desired to do, in a palpable violation of the law, and they lost no time in apprising the king of it, and in reminding him of the law which he had established. Informers are not apt to lose time. The king answered and said, The thing is true ... - It is undeniable, whatever may be the consequences. There is no reason to suppose that he as yet had any suspicion of their design in asking this question. It is not improbable that he apprehended there had been some violation of the law, but it does not appear that his suspicions rested on Daniel.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
concerning the king’s decree concerning the infraction of the king’s decree, about which they had come to inform.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
40 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֵּ֠אדַיִן | bedayin | <in> then | H116 → | 57 times |
| קְרִ֨יבוּ | kerivu | they approached | H7127 → | 9 times |
| וְאָמְרִ֥ין | veamerin | and [were] saying | H560 → | 71 times |
| קֳדָם־ | kodom- | before | H6925 → | 42 times |
| מַלְכָּא֮ | malka' | king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | concerning | H5922 → | 104 times |
| אֱסָ֣ר | ʾesar | [the] prohibition of | H633 → | 7 times |
| מַלְכָּא֒ | malka' | king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| הֲלָ֧א | hala' | ¿ not | H3809 → | 82 times |
| אֱסָ֣ר | ʾesar | a prohibition | H633 → | 7 times |
| רְשַׁ֗מְתָּ | reshamta | did you sign | H7560 → | 7 times |
| דִּ֣י | di | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| כָל־ | khol- | every | H3606 → | 82 times |
| אֱנָ֡שׁ | ʾenash | person | H606 → | 25 times |
| דִּֽי־ | di- | who | H1768 → | 345 times |
| יִבְעֵה֩ | yiveh | he will ask | H1156 → | 12 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4481 → | 109 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3606 → | 82 times |
| אֱלָ֨הּ | ʾelah | god | H426 → | 95 times |
| וֶֽאֱנָ֜שׁ | veenash | and person | H606 → | 25 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5705 → | 35 times |
| יוֹמִ֣ין | yomin | days | H3118 → | 16 times |
| תְּלָתִ֗ין | telatin | thirty | H8533 → | |
| לָהֵן֙ | lahen | except | H3861 → | 7 times |
| מִנָּ֣ךְ | minakh | from you | H4481 → | 109 times |
| מַלְכָּ֔א | malka' | king O | H4430 → | 180 times |
| יִתְרְמֵ֕א | yitreme' | he will be thrown | H7412 → | 12 times |
| לְג֖וֹב | legov | to [the] den of | H1358 → | 10 times |
| אַרְיָותָ֑א | ʾaryota' | lions the | H744 → | 10 times |
| עָנֵ֨ה | ʾaneh | [was] replying | H6032 → | 30 times |
| מַלְכָּ֜א | malka' | king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| וְאָמַ֗ר | veamar | and saying | H560 → | 71 times |
| יַצִּיבָ֧א | yatziva' | [is] certain | H3330 → | 5 times |
| מִלְּתָ֛א | mileta' | word the | H4406 → | 24 times |
| כְּדָת־ | kedot- | according to [the] law of | H1882 → | 14 times |
| מָדַ֥י | madai | [the] Medes | H4076 → | 5 times |
| וּפָרַ֖ס | ufaras | and [the] Persians | H6540 → | 6 times |
| דִּי־ | di- | which | H1768 → | 345 times |
| לָ֥א | la' | not | H3809 → | 82 times |
| תֶעְדֵּֽא׃ | te'de' | it will pass away | H5709 → | 9 times |
בֵּ֠אדַיִן<in> then
bedayinH116 →57 times
קְרִ֨יבוּthey approached
kerivuH7127 →9 times
וְאָמְרִ֥יןand [were] saying
veamerinH560 →71 times
קֳדָם־before
kodom-H6925 →42 times
מַלְכָּא֮king the
malka'H4430 →180 times
עַל־concerning
ʾal-H5922 →104 times
אֱסָ֣ר[the] prohibition of
ʾesarH633 →7 times
מַלְכָּא֒king the
malka'H4430 →180 times
הֲלָ֧א¿ not
hala'H3809 →82 times
אֱסָ֣רa prohibition
ʾesarH633 →7 times
רְשַׁ֗מְתָּdid you sign
reshamtaH7560 →7 times
דִּ֣יthat
diH1768 →345 times
כָל־every
khol-H3606 →82 times
אֱנָ֡שׁperson
ʾenashH606 →25 times
דִּֽי־who
di-H1768 →345 times
יִבְעֵה֩he will ask
yivehH1156 →12 times
מִן־from
min-H4481 →109 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3606 →82 times
אֱלָ֨הּgod
ʾelahH426 →95 times
וֶֽאֱנָ֜שׁand person
veenashH606 →25 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5705 →35 times
יוֹמִ֣יןdays
yominH3118 →16 times
תְּלָתִ֗יןthirty
telatinH8533 →
לָהֵן֙except
lahenH3861 →7 times
מִנָּ֣ךְfrom you
minakhH4481 →109 times
מַלְכָּ֔אking O
malka'H4430 →180 times
יִתְרְמֵ֕אhe will be thrown
yitreme'H7412 →12 times
לְג֖וֹבto [the] den of
legovH1358 →10 times
אַרְיָותָ֑אlions the
ʾaryota'H744 →10 times
עָנֵ֨ה[was] replying
ʾanehH6032 →30 times
מַלְכָּ֜אking the
malka'H4430 →180 times
וְאָמַ֗רand saying
veamarH560 →71 times
יַצִּיבָ֧א[is] certain
yatziva'H3330 →5 times
מִלְּתָ֛אword the
mileta'H4406 →24 times
כְּדָת־according to [the] law of
kedot-H1882 →14 times
מָדַ֥י[the] Medes
madaiH4076 →5 times
וּפָרַ֖סand [the] Persians
ufarasH6540 →6 times
דִּי־which
di-H1768 →345 times
לָ֥אnot
la'H3809 →82 times
תֶעְדֵּֽא׃it will pass away
te'de'H5709 →9 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 16:24On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
it leads to
Through
Esther 1:19So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 15:28
So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
- Esther 8:8
Now 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…
- 1 Samuel 15:28
Through
Acts 16:19When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.
it leads to
- Acts 17:6
But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here,
- Acts 21:30
The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.
- Acts 17:6
Through
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.”
it leads to
- Daniel 6:15
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.”
- Esther 1:19
So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never…
- Daniel 6:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Daniel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Daniel; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 3.25.1-2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER SIX; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.