6:1–28 In ch. 6, Darius the Mede is ruler of Babylon. Due to the cunning of some jealous courtiers, Darius becomes trapped by his own command and is forced to throw Daniel, his most trusted advisor, into a den of lions. In His sovereignty, God spares Daniel’s life, and Darius restores him to his position. Daniel’s enemies meet their demise at the mouths of the lions.

6:1 It pleased Darius Darius the Mede might have been in charge only of Babylonia, not the entire Persian empire. See note on 5:31.

one hundred and twenty satraps These government officials were responsible for collecting tribute and maintaining security throughout the kingdom.

6:2 three administrators The satraps reported to high officials, who in turn reported back to Darius.

would not be suffering loss Refers to both financial loss and loss incurred by security breaches—such as forfeiture of territory or personnel.

6:3 distinguishing himself In addition to wisdom and the ability to interpret dreams, Daniel possessed great political skill. This set him apart from his colleagues (see 1:20; 5:12).

an exceptional spirit Daniel’s excellent spirit contributed to his advancement in the foreign court. Although he is recognized early for his natural abilities (1:3–4, 6), the author of the book attributes much of his success to God (4:8–9, 18; 5:11, 14).

planned to appoint him Darius’ plans were temporarily thwarted by Daniel’s jealous peers.

6:4 they were not able to find any pretext Daniel maintained his integrity in every facet of life. Darius’ jealous counselors attempt to discredit Daniel, but he lives blamelessly before God.

6:5 with the law of his God In order to find fault with Daniel, his opponents have to make his religion temporarily illegal.

6:6 the administrators and the satraps Only two of the three presidents were in attendance. Since he appointed them, Darius should have noticed this—but he failed to do so. Although he is portrayed as kind toward Daniel and amenable to his people, Darius is also characterized as aloof and unaware.

Darius, O king, live forever A common form of address in the ancient Near East, this phrase appears frequently in the book of Daniel and always precedes speeches or replies (see 3:9; 5:10).

6:7 All of Daniel is not included among the “all.”

a prayer The Aramaic word connotes prayer. Only Darius could be prayed to for 30 days.

thirty days They knew they only needed one day to catch Daniel in the act, but assigning a wider time frame made their actions less conspicuous.

the lion pit Lions were placed in a large pit, which was then sealed with a rock. Several lions and infrequent meals make this a particularly brutal—but effective—form of execution.

6:8 the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be revoked A written legal decree was considered permanent or unalterable (see Esth 1:19; 8:8).

6:9 the king, Darius, signed the writing Enacting the 30-day prohibition as law. He apparently did this without much forethought.

6:10 when Daniel realized Daniel chooses to obey God’s command to worship Him alone (see Exod 20:3) over the king’s edict. His disobedience is not motivated by spite—he simply refuses to compromise his religious convictions.

toward Jerusalem See 1 Kings 8:35–36. Praying toward Jerusalem symbolized praying before Yahweh.

three times daily he knelt on his knees Assuming a reverential posture three times per day for prayer became a standard practice among Jews during the early Christian era. The tradition may have its roots here.

6:11 came as a group Reveals the ulterior motives of the president and satraps.

6:12 you not sign an edict By reminding the king of his edict, Daniel’s opponents force Darius to act according to its contents.

The matter as you have just stated is certain Darius agrees that he did enact such an edict. His mentioning of “the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked” foreshadows Daniel’s fate.

6:13 from the exiles of Judah Ethnic distinction was commonplace; this is to be understood as an insult (see Dan 2:25; 5:13). Their envy is partly due to his being a foreigner and an exile. No doubt his piety and righteousness also aggravated their jealousy.

is not paying any attention to you Also describes the disobedience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in 3:12. However, Nebuchadnezzar praises their disobedience of his order in 3:28. The same sort of professional envy motivated the antagonists in ch. 3.

6:14 he was extremely distressed over it Darius realizes that he has been tricked by his advisors. Compare the opposite reaction of Nebuchadnezzar in 3:13–14.

Daniel he was determined to rescue Darius attempts to find a loophole that would allow him to negate his edict.

until the setting of the sun he was making every effort Darius pursues extreme measures in an effort to free Daniel.

6:15 came as a group See v. 11 and note.

6:16 the lion pit A pit or cave used for capital punishment (see v. 7 and note).

Your God The king calls upon Daniel’s God rather than his own. This suggestion could also be sarcastic.

whom you serve faithfully Daniel’s piety and devotion was known even to the king.

6:17 sealed it with his signet ring A broken seal would alert the authorities that the den had been opened during the night. The seal also testified to the issuance, authority, and approval of the decree. See note on Esth 3:10.

6:18 spent the night in fasting An action he hopes the lions will duplicate.

food Food, a member of his harem, or musical entertainment.

6:20 distressed voice The king was deeply troubled at the prospect of killing a righteous man and losing his most trusted advisor. By most standards, it was unlikely that Daniel would survive a night with hungry lions. If Darius’ statement about Daniel calling upon his God in Dan 6:16 was sarcastic, then at this point he is regretting that decision.

he able to rescue you The king is still unaware of the power of Daniel’s God, who had delivered him from certain death.

6:21 O king, live forever With the exception of Belshazzar in 5:18, Daniel always addresses kings in this manner.

6:22 My God sent his angel Reminiscent of 3:25. We are given no details about what took place in the den, only that God sent His angel to close the lions’ mouths.

Angels in the Bible Table

Miracles of the Prophets Table

6:23 he had trusted in his God When faced with the pressure of religious conformity in a foreign land, Daniel acted righteously and God delivered him (see 3:28). Jews in the Second Temple period could identify with Daniel’s plight; their faith could be strengthened by God’s miraculous intervention.

6:24 these men were brought who had accused Daniel In addition to plotting against Daniel, the men lied to the king and tricked him into condemning his most trusted advisor (v. 7).

them and their children and their wives The king also kills the families of those who accused Daniel.

the lions had overpowered them Lest anyone deny the miraculous power of Daniel’s God, the narrator is quick to show the ferocity and tenacious appetite of the lions on the same day Daniel was removed from the den. He was not spared on account of the lions’ lack of hunger; he was spared because of God’s intervention.

6:25 the people, the nations, and the languages See 4:1 and note.

the whole earth Like Nebuchadnezzar, Darius also claimed a universal rule. The size and strength of his army and empire justified this claim (see 4:1 and note).

6:26 trembling and fearing There is a progression from proscription to command. Nebuchadnezzar forbade blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (3:29); Darius orders all people to tremble and fear before Him (v. 26).

his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed In contrast to Nebuchadnezzar, Darius did not need any dramatic humbling to arrive at this conclusion.

6:28 Daniel prospered This verse bookends 1:21 and closes out the narrative portion of Daniel.

Cyrus The same Cyrus who decreed the Jews could return home from exile in 538 bc (see Ezra 1:1–4).