Daniel 6:3
in Daniel 6Soon, by his extraordinary spirit, Daniel distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps. So the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
KJV
Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
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This verse in Daniel 6
Commentary
10 notes on this verseVerses 3, 4. "Moreover the king was planning to set Daniel over the whole realm. Consequently the princes and satraps sought an opportunity to find out something against Daniel as touching the king..." Instead of "princes" - the rendering used by Symmachus - Theodotion translated it as taktikoi, and Aquila as synektikoi. And when I inquired as to who these tacticians or liaison princes might be, I read it more clearly specified in the Septuagint, which renders: "...and the two men whom the king had appointed with Daniel, and also the one hundred twenty satraps."
This site's exposition
an hundred and twenty princes
on Daniel 6:1-3
Darius sets an hundred and twenty princes over the kingdom with three presidents above them, Daniel first among the three, and the bench reads the structure as ordinary imperial administration rather than anything unusual for a conquering power organizing a new territory. Daniel is preferred above the presidents and princes because an excellent spirit was in him, the same phrase the queen used of him to Belshazzar in the previous chapter, and the king's plan to set him over the whole kingdom is what triggers everything that follows. Gill notes Daniel's advanced age at this point, likely past eighty, makes the promotion and the envy it provokes all the more remarkable.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
[Daniel] had received from God a greater and more abundant grace. Now, from this we learn that to those also who are entrusted with conduct of earthly affairs, even if unsympathetic to religion, a grace of wisdom is given from God for their management of …
And so Darius, who was called Ahasuerus, received the kingdom and "appointed one-hundred-twenty satraps and appointed three governors over them, whom Daniel was one of, for the satraps to give account that the king may not be overburdened. And Daniel was over them because a spirit abounded in him, and the king appointed him over his whole kingdom." [Daniel 5:31-6:3] For Darius the Mede, after hearing the things concerning him, both the wisdom which he acquired and his faith and piety from childhood, he appointed him to be first of all his friends and to rule all his kingdom, as Pharaoh did, having granted to Joseph second honor of the throne of his kingdom and assigning all the chiefs of the Egyptians to be obedient to him.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
We must take notice of it, to the glory of God, that, though Daniel was now very old (it was above seventy years since he was brought a captive to Babylon), yet he was as able as ever for business both in body and mind, and that he who had continued faithful to his religion through all the temptations of the foregoing reigns in a new government was as much respected as ever.
Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes,....
And he was faithful to every trust, dealt fairly between the sovereign and the subject, and took care that neither should be wronged, so that there was no error, or fault, to be found in him,
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Hence the very expression used by the queen mother on that occasion (Da 5:12) is here used, "because an excellent spirit was in him." king thought to set him over the whole realm--Agreeing with Darius' character, weak and averse to business, which he preferred to delegate to favorites.
The king thought to set him over the whole realm - Intended to make him grand vizier or emir ul amrim. This partiality of the king made Daniel the object of the other presidents, and the grandees of the kingdom.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes - That is, he was at their head, or was placed in rank and office over them. “Because an excellent spirit was in him.” This may refer alike to his wisdom and his integrity - both of which would be necessary in such an office.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֱדַ֙יִן֙ | ʾedayin | then | H116 → | 57 times |
| דָּנִיֵּ֣אל | daniyel | Daniel | H1841 → | 57 times |
| דְּנָ֔ה | denah | this | H1836 → | 58 times |
| הֲוָ֣א | hava' | he was | H1934 → | 71 times |
| מִתְנַצַּ֔ח | mitnatzach | distinguishing himself | H5330 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5922 → | 104 times |
| סָרְכַיָּ֖א | sarekhaiya' | overseers the | H5632 → | 5 times |
| וַאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֑א | vaachashdarpenaiya' | and satraps the | H324 → | 9 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | as to | ||
| קֳבֵ֗ל | kovel | because | H6903 → | 29 times |
| דִּ֣י | di | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| ר֤וּחַ | ruach | a spirit | H7308 → | 11 times |
| יַתִּירָא֙ | yatira' | extraordinary | H3493 → | 8 times |
| בֵּ֔הּ | beh | [was] in him | ||
| וּמַלְכָּ֣א | umalka' | and king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| עֲשִׁ֔ית | ʾashit | [was] planning | H6246 → | |
| לַהֲקָמוּתֵ֖הּ | lahakamuteh | to appoint him | H6966 → | 35 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5922 → | 104 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3606 → | 82 times |
| מַלְכוּתָֽא׃ | malkhuta' | kingdom the | H4437 → | 57 times |
אֱדַ֙יִן֙then
ʾedayinH116 →57 times
דָּנִיֵּ֣אלDaniel
daniyelH1841 →57 times
דְּנָ֔הthis
denahH1836 →58 times
הֲוָ֣אhe was
hava'H1934 →71 times
מִתְנַצַּ֔חdistinguishing himself
mitnatzachH5330 →
עַל־over
ʾal-H5922 →104 times
סָרְכַיָּ֖אoverseers the
sarekhaiya'H5632 →5 times
וַאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֑אand satraps the
vaachashdarpenaiya'H324 →9 times
כָּל־as to
kol-
קֳבֵ֗לbecause
kovelH6903 →29 times
דִּ֣יthat
diH1768 →345 times
ר֤וּחַa spirit
ruachH7308 →11 times
יַתִּירָא֙extraordinary
yatira'H3493 →8 times
בֵּ֔הּ[was] in him
beh
וּמַלְכָּ֣אand king the
umalka'H4430 →180 times
עֲשִׁ֔ית[was] planning
ʾashitH6246 →
לַהֲקָמוּתֵ֖הּto appoint him
lahakamutehH6966 →35 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5922 →104 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3606 →82 times
מַלְכוּתָֽא׃kingdom the
malkhuta'H4437 →57 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
Proverbs 22:29Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 11:28
Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph.
- Matthew 25:21
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
- Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.
- Matthew 25:23
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
- Proverbs 10:4
Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
- 1 Kings 11:28
Through
Esther 10:3For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews and highly favored by his many kinsmen, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 2:10
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.
- Nehemiah 2:10
Through
Daniel 5:12did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon…
it leads to
- Daniel 5:14
I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.
- Daniel 1:7
The chief official gave them new names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
- Daniel 5:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Daniel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 3.19.1-2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Daniel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 6:3.