Daniel 6
6
The Plot against Daniel
1Darius decided#6:1 Lit It was pleasing before Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm, 2and over them three administrators, including Daniel.#Dn 2:48–49; 5:16,29 These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded.#Ezr 4:22; Est 7:4 3Daniel#6:3 Lit Now this Daniel distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit,#Dn 5:12,14; 9:23 so the king planned to set him over the whole realm.#Gn 41:40; Est 10:3 4The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel#Gn 43:18; Jdg 14:4; Jr 20:10; Dn 3:8; Lk 20:20 regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption,#Dn 6:22; Lk 20:26; 23:14; Php 2:15; 1Pt 2:12; 3:16 for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. 5Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”#Ac 24:13–16,20–21
6So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever.#Neh 2:3; Dn 2:4; 5:10; 6:21 7All the administrators of the kingdom#Dn 3:2,27 — the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors — have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that, for thirty days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den.#Ps 10:9; Dn 3:6; 6:16 8Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict#Est 3:12; 8:10; Is 10:1 and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.”#Est 1:9; 8:8; Dn 6:12,15 9So King Darius signed the written edict.#Ps 118:9; 146:3
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
10When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem,#1Kg 8:44–49; Ps 5:7; Jnh 2:4 and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God,#Ps 34:1; Dn 9:4–19; Php 4:6; 1Th 5:17–18 just as he had done before. 11Then these men went as a group and found#Ps 37:32–33; Dn 6:6 Daniel petitioning and imploring his God. 12So they approached the king#Dn 3:8–12; Ac 16:19–21 and asked about his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for thirty days any person who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands#6:12 Lit the word is certain and is irrevocable.”#Est 1:19; Dn 6:8,15
13Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you,#Est 3:8; Dn 3:12; Ac 5:29 the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.” 14As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel#Mk 6:26 and made every effort until sundown to deliver him.
15Then these men went together to the king and said to him, “You know, Your Majesty, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed.”#Est 8:8; Ps 94:20,21; Dn 6:8,12
16So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.#2Sm 3:39; Jr 38:5; Dn 6:7 The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you continually serve,#Jb 5:19; Ps 37:39–40; Is 41:10; 2Co 1:10 rescue you!” 17A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den.#Lm 3:53; Mt 27:66 The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed. 18Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting.#2Sm 12:16,17 No diversions#6:18 Aramaic obscure were brought to him, and he could not sleep.#Est 6:1; Ps 77:4; Dn 2:1
Daniel Released
19At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said,#6:20 Lit said to Daniel “has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you#Gn 18:14; Nm 11:23; Jr 32:17; Dn 3:17 from the lions?”
21Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever. 22My God sent his angel#Nm 20:16; Is 63:9; Dn 3:28; Ac 12:11; Heb 1:14 and shut the lions’ mouths; and they haven’t harmed me, for I was found innocent before him. And also before you, Your Majesty, I have not done harm.”
23The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. When Daniel was brought up from the den, he was found to be unharmed, for he trusted in his God.#1Ch 5:20; 2Ch 20:20; Ps 118:8–9; Is 26:3; Dn 3:17–18 24The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel#6:24 Lit had eaten his pieces#Dn 3:8; 6:12–13 were brought and thrown into the lions’ den — they, their children, and their wives.#Dt 24:16; 2Kg 14:6; Est 9:10 They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Darius Honors God
25Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live on the whole earth: “May your prosperity abound.#Ezr 4:17; 1Pt 1:2 26I issue a decree#Ezr 6:8–12; 7:13,21; Dn 3:29; 4:6 that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:#Dn 5:19
For he is the living God,
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will never be destroyed,#Ps 93:1–2; Dn 2:44; 7:14; Mal 3:6
and his dominion has no end.
27He rescues and delivers;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth,#Dn 4:2–3
for he has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28So Daniel prospered#Dn 1:21 during the reign of Darius and#6:28 Or Darius, even the reign of Cyrus the Persian.#2Ch 36:22–23; Dn 10:1
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Daniel 6: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Daniel 6
6
Daniel and the Lions’ Den
1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom #[Esth. 1:1] 120 #See ch. 3:2satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2and over them #[ch. 5:7, 16, 29] three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these #[See ver. 1 above]satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3Then this Daniel became #[Esth. 3:1] distinguished above all #[See ver. 2 above] the other high officials and #[See ver. 1 above] satraps, because #ch. 5:12 an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned #[Gen. 41:40; Esth. 10:3]to set him over the whole kingdom. 4Then #[See ver. 2 above] the high officials and #[See ver. 1 above] the satraps #[Eccles. 4:4] sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, #[Ezek. 14:14, 20]but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, #[Ezek. 14:14, 20]and no error or fault was found in him. 5Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
6Then these #[See ver. 2 above] high officials and #[See ver. 1 above] satraps came by agreement#6:6 Or came thronging; also verses 11, 15 to the king and said to him, “O #ver. 21; See ch. 2:4King Darius, live forever! 7All the #[See ver. 2 above] high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the #ch. 3:24; 4:36 counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an #ver. 12, 13, 15injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8Now, O king, establish #[See ver. 7 above] the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to #ver. 12, 15; Esth. 1:19 the law of #[ch. 8:20] the Medes and the Persians, #[ver. 15; Esth. 8:8]which cannot be revoked.” 9Therefore King Darius signed the document and #[See ver. 7 above]injunction.
10When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where #[Ps. 137:5] he had windows in his upper chamber open #[Ps. 28:2; 138:2]; See 1 Kgs. 8:48 toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees #Ps. 55:17 three times a day and prayed and #[ch. 2:23]gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12Then they #ch. 3:8 came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign #ver. 7, 8, 9 an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of #[See ver. 8 above] the Medes and Persians, #[See ver. 8 above]which cannot be revoked.” 13Then they answered and said before the king, #ch. 1:6 “Daniel, who is one #See ch. 2:25 of the exiles #ch. 1:6 from Judah, #ch. 3:12 pays no attention to you, O king, or #[See ver. 12 above] the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition #[See ver. 10 above]three times a day.”
14Then #[Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:26]the king, when he heard these words, #[Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:26]was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no #[See ver. 12 above]injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
16Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared#6:16 Aramaic answered and said; also verse 20 to Daniel, “May #[Acts 27:23]your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17#[Lam. 3:53] And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, #Matt. 27:66; Rev. 20:3 and the king sealed it #[Esth. 3:12] with his own signet and with the signet of his #ch. 4:36; 5:1lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; #[Prov. 25:20] no diversions were brought to him, and #Esth. 6:1; [ch. 2:1]sleep fled from him.
19Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of #ver. 26 the living God, #[See ver. 16 above] has your God, whom you serve continually, #[ch. 3:15]been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21Then Daniel said to the king, #See ch. 2:4“O king, live forever! 22My God #ch. 3:28 sent his angel #Heb. 11:33; [Ps. 22:21; 2 Tim. 4:17] and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless #[ver. 4]before him; #[ver. 4]and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and #[ch. 3:25]no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24And the king commanded, and #[Deut. 19:19]those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
25Then King Darius wrote to all #See ch. 3:4 the peoples, nations, and languages #ch. 4:1 that dwell in all the earth: #See ch. 4:1“Peace be multiplied to you. 26#See ch. 3:10 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion #[ch. 5:19; Ps. 99:1; Eccles. 12:13] people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for #ver. 20 he is #See ch. 4:34 the living God,
enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
# See ch. 4:34 and his dominion shall be #ch. 7:26to the end.
27He delivers and rescues;
he works #ch. 4:2 signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
he who has #[ch. 3:28, 29]saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and #[ch. 1:21] the reign of #2 Chr. 36:22, 23; Ezra 1:2; 4:3, 5; 6:3, 14; Isa. 44:28; 45:1; [ch. 1:21; 10:1]Cyrus the Persian.
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