Daniel 6:10-20

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he entered into his house; and with the windows open toward Jerusalem in his dining chamber, he knelt three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he was used to doing before.

11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

12 Then they went and spoke before the king concerning the royal decree; Hast thou not confirmed a decree that whoever 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, according to the law of the Media and Persia, which does not change.

13 Then they answered and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the sons of the captivity of the Jews, has not regarded thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast confirmed, but makes his petition three times a day.

14 When the king, heard the matter, it weighed very heavy upon him, and he set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured until the going down of the sun to deliver him.

15 Then those men assembled near the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that this is the law of Media and of Persia: No decree nor statute which the king has confirmed may be moved.

16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king, speaking unto Daniel, said, Thy God whom thou servest continually, may he deliver thee.

17 And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet ring of his princes that the agreement concerning Daniel might not be changed.

18 Then the king went to his palace and lay down without eating; neither were instruments of music brought before him, and his sleep fled from him.

19 Therefore, the king arose very early in the morning at dawn and went in haste unto the den of lions.

20 And when he came to the den, he cried loudly with a sad voice unto Daniel; and the king, in speaking to Daniel said, Daniel, servant of the living God, has thy God, whom thou servest continually, been able to deliver thee from the lions?

Daniel 6:10-20 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.