The Book of Daniel
Daniel 6
Chapter VI · Vol. III, pp. 1392–1395
1 Daniel is made chief of the presidents. 4 They, conspiring against him, obtain an ensnaring decree. 10 Daniel, accused of the breach thereof, is cast into the lions' den. 18 Daniel is miraculously saved. 24 His adversaries are devoured, 25 and God magnified by a decree.
1 It pleased Darius to aset over the kingdom anb hundred and twenty princes,1 which should be over the whole kingdom;
B.C. cir. 537.
a 1 Pe.2.14.
b Es.1.1. Ex.18.21,25.
1 Darius divided his kingdom into 120 distinct local governments, with a viceroy to each; these returned their accounts to a council of three at Babylon, of whom Daniel was chief.—C.
2 And over these, three presidents, of whom Daniel was cfirst; that the princes might dgive accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.
3 Then this Daniel was epreferred above the presidents and princes, because gan excellent spirit2 was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
g ch.5.11,12; 4.9. Pr.12.26; 17.27. Col.1.29. Ne.7.2.
2 'Excellent,' because he 'feared God and hated covetousness,' ch. 5. 17; and being thus free from selfishness, which always warps the judgment, was more sagacious than his colleagues, and hated for his religion and incorruptibility of principle, ver.4.—C.
4 Then the presidents and princes hsought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could ifind none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
h ch.3.8. Ec.4.4. Je.20.10. Pr.29.27. Ps.37.12,32.
i 1 Pe.2.12; 3.16. Phi.2.15. 1 Sa.18.14. Ps.78.71,72.
5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, jexcept we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
j 1 Sa.24.17, with Es.3.8.
6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together3 to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, klive for ever.
7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have lconsulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree,4 that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, nestablish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the olaw of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.5
10 Now when Daniel qknew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and hisr windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, she kneeled upon his knees threet times a day, and prayed, and ugave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.6
q Lu.14.26. Ac.4.17-19.
r Mat.10.32. Ac.13.46. 1 Ki.8.44-48. Ps.5.7. Jonah 2.4. 1 Pe.2.5.
t ver.13. Ps.55.17. Ac.2.2,15; 3.1; 10.9.
u Phi.4.6. 1 Th.5.17,18. Ac.4.19; 5.29. Re.2.10,13.
6 The Jews turned in prayer towards the most holy place in the temple, where the Shekinah glory so long indicated the presence of Jehovah. In exile Daniel followed the same custom. He might have prayed in secret, but this would have been a compromise of principle, and he was determined at whatever risk to maintain the honour of his God, and in faith to show to all his entire devotion to and trust in him. His position now was analogous to that of his three brethren in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, and his conduct was equally noble.—P.
12 Then they vcame 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,8 accordingx to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
v ch.3.8.
8 It seems not improbable that the conspirators represented this decree, or 'prohibition' (Boothroyd), as calculated to advance the popularity of the king with his new subjects, by rendering him so accessible that no subordinate could interfere to prevent petitions to the throne being personally presented during the thirty days.—C.
13 Then answered they and said before the king, yThat Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, zbut maketh his petition three times a day.
14 Then the king, when he heard these words, awas sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he 9laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
A.M. cir. 3467. B.C. cir. 537.
a Mar.6.26. Mat.27.17,18,21-24.
9 Though an absolute monarch in some departments, he was equally limited in others, and thus unable to prevail with his perverse counsellors to stay his inconsiderate decree.—Note, This example strongly exemplifies the danger of one bad principle—a danger that extends equally to legislation, morals, or theology. 'The law of the Medes and Persians altereth not.' 'The statute which the king establisheth may not be changed.' Flattery must endow human wisdom and power with the perfections of Deity. To guard against uncertainty, immutability is adopted; and Daniel must die—not that guilt may be punished, but that a bad principle may be observed.—C.
15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, bKnow, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
b Jn.19.7,12, with ver.8,12. Es.1.19; 8.8. Is.10.1. Ps.94.20,21.
16 Thenc the king commanded, and they dbrought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, eThy God whom thou servest continually, he will gdeliver thee.
17 Andh a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den;1 and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
* The den is generally represented as a natural cavern with a single opening covered by a stone. But nothing can be more unsuited to the habits of the lion and the means of its comfortable and healthy preservation. Besides, if 'the den' was at Babylon, the existence of a natural cavern in an alluvial plain is very improbable—scarcely conceivable. But whether at Babylon or elsewhere, it seems most natural to imagine 'the den' either a building after the manner of a Roman amphitheatre, where it is well known that criminals, yea and martyrs of Jesus as faithful as Daniel, were wont to be cast to the lions: or else a natural valley, and not a cave, surrounded by a wall, and entered by a single door.—C.
h Mat.27.66. La.3.53. Ac.12.4, &c.; 16.23,24.
1 See note * in first column.
18 Then the king went to his palace, iand passed the night fasting: neither were instruments2 of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
i 1 Ki.21.27. 2 Co.7.10. Ro.2.17. Ge.4.14.
2 Or, table.
20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel; and the king spake and said to Daniel, kO Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest lcontinually, nable to deliver thee from the lions?
k ver.5,26; ch.3.17,28,29.
l Pr.23.17. Ps.71.14-18; 146.2. 1 Th.5.16,17.
n Ge.17.1; 18.14. ver.16. Je.32.17,27. 2 Co.1.10. 2 Ti.4.17,18.
22 My God hath sent phis angel, and hath qshut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: rforasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
23 Then was the king sexceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up3 out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, tand no manner of hurt was found upon him, ubecause he believed in his God.
24 And the king commanded, vand they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions,4 them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the xmastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
v De.19.19. Es.7.10; 9.10. Jos.7.24,25. ch.3.22, with De.24.16. 2 Ki.14.6.
4 Had they fallen perpendicularly into a deep cave such as Rubens represents, this destruction had been impossible; but if hurled down the inclined plain of a natural or artificial amphitheatre it is perfectly intelligible.—C.
x Ps.54.5.
25 Then king Darius ywrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; zPeace be multiplied unto you.
26 Ia make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is bthe living God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
27 Hec delivereth and rescueth, and he dworketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power5 of the lions.
28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of eCyrus the Persian.6
e ch.1.21. 2 Ch.36.22,23. Ezr.1.1-8; 4.3,5. Is.44.28; 45.1.
6 See note † in second column.
† The historical portion of the book closes here. All that was of public interest in the personal history of Daniel and his friends has been told, and the prophet now gives a record of his prophetic visions. They are not arranged in chronological order. Some of them were revealed before and some after the close of Darius' reign. Their arrangement, however, is systematic, bringing out in order the great events in the world's history down to the end of time.—P.
Notes
Ver. 9. How contrary to reason; how mad this decree! The thing would seem impossible, were not the effects of pride and flattery so sadly exhibited every day. These wicked conspirators may have chosen their time when 'the wine and the viol' had dethroned the understanding; for man reduced below the level of the beast is the ready dupe and instrument of every Satanic device. C.
Reflections.—Steadfast uprightness is the best method of retaining favour and honour in courts, however wicked: by that men may preserve their places amidst strange revolutions. And the more our neighbours wait for our halting, let us be the more circumspect. It is extremely honourable if they can find nothing to accuse us of but the regular worshipping of God. If we thus suffer, we need neither be afraid nor ashamed. And it is highly honourable to have our habitations temples for God, and houses of daily, of frequent prayer; and never to omit duty for fear of suffering. But, alas! how unhappy are most princes in the information and advices which they receive! What is done from a conscientious regard to God is represented as done in contempt of their authority: and they are often decoyed into that which is farthest from their intentions. Their flatterers, and their vainglorious humour, plunge them into fearful depths of vexation and torment. But God wonderfully preserves his faithful worshippers: he is a present help in their trouble, and will stand by them in the hour of temptation. And it is kind in such as share his bounty readily to overlook the fault of their unwilling injurers. But dreadful is the danger of their malicious accusers and persecutors. They shall fall into the pit which they had digged for others. The Lord is known by the judgments which he executes; and can make even heathens publish his honours.