Daniel 6:1-5

Daniel and the Lions' Den

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 1satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;
2 and over them 2three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these 3satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.
3 Then this Daniel became 4distinguished above all 5the other presidents and 6satraps, because 7an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned 8to set him over the whole kingdom.
4 Then 9the presidents and 10the satraps 11sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, 12but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, 13and no error or fault was found in him.
5 Then 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."

Daniel 6:1-5 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 6

This chapter gives an account of Daniel's being cast into the den of lions, and the causes of it, and the steps leading to it; and also of his wonderful deliverance out of it, and what followed upon that. It first relates how Daniel was made by Darius first president of the princes of the kingdom, which drew their envy upon him, Da 6:1-4, and that these princes finding they could get no occasion against him, but in religion, proposed to the king to make a law forbidding prayer to any god for thirty days, which they got established, Da 6:5-9, and Daniel breaking this law, is accused by them to the king; and the penalty, casting into the den of lions, is insisted on to be executed, Da 6:10-13, which the king laboured to prevent, but in vain; and Daniel is cast to the lions, to the great grief of the king, Da 6:14-18, who visited the den the next morning, and to his great joy found Daniel alive, Da 6:19-23, upon which, by the law of retaliation, his accusers, their wives, and children, were cast into it, Da 6:24, and an edict was published by the king, commanding all in his dominions to fear and reverence the God of Daniel, Da 6:25-28.

Cross References 14

  • 1. [Esther 1:1]
  • 2. See Daniel 3:2
  • 3. [Daniel 5:7, 16, 29]
  • 4. [See ver. 1 above]
  • 5. [Esther 3:1]
  • 6. [See ver. 2 above]
  • 7. [See ver. 1 above]
  • 8. Daniel 5:12
  • 9. [Genesis 41:40; Esther 10:3]
  • 10. [See ver. 2 above]
  • 11. [See ver. 1 above]
  • 12. [Ecclesiastes 4:4]
  • 13. [Ezekiel 14:14, 20]
  • 14. [Ezekiel 14:14, 20]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.