Daniel 6:3

3 Therefore Daniel overcame all the princes and dukes, for [the] more spirit of God was in him. Certainly the king thought to ordain him on all the realm. (And soon Daniel outshone the other princes, and the governors, for he had more God-given ability than any of the others. And the king decided to ordain him over all the kingdom.)

Daniel 6:3 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 6:3

Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and
princes
Not only above the princes, but the presidents, being the first of them, as before: or, "he was victorious above them" F25; he got more credit and applause than they did, being more exact, diligent, and laborious, faithful, and conscientious: because an excellent spirit was in him;
meaning not a spirit of grace, piety, and religion, which the Heathen king was no judge of, nor valued him for it, though it was in him; but a spirit of knowledge of civil affairs, and of prudence in managing them, and of integrity throughout the whole of his conduct: and the king thought to set him over the whole realm;
or, "wherefore the king thought" F26; because there was such a spirit in him, which so qualified him for public business, he began to think of abolishing his triumvirate of presidents, and making Daniel his viceroy over the whole empire, which very probably they had got some knowledge of; and this, as well as being above them, drew the envy of them on him, and put them upon the following scheme.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 (xuntm) "victorem se gerebat", Piscator, Michaelis.
F26 (aklmw) "ideo rex", Gejerus, Michaelis.

Daniel 6:3 In-Context

1 It pleased Darius, and he ordained sixscore dukes over the realm, that they should be in all his realm. (And it pleased Darius, and he ordained one hundred and twenty governors over the kingdom, and that they should be throughout all his kingdom.)
2 And over them he ordained three princes, of which Daniel was one; that the dukes should yield reason to them, and that the king should not suffer any dis-ease. (And over them he ordained three princes, of whom Daniel was one; so that the governors could report to them, and so that the king need not suffer any distress.)
3 Therefore Daniel overcame all the princes and dukes, for [the] more spirit of God was in him. Certainly the king thought to ordain him on all the realm. (And soon Daniel outshone the other princes, and the governors, for he had more God-given ability than any of the others. And the king decided to ordain him over all the kingdom.)
4 Wherefore (the) princes and dukes, either prefects, sought to find occasion to Daniel, of the side of the king; and they might find no cause and suspicion, for he was faithful, and no blame and suspicion was found in him. (And so the other princes, and the governors, or the prefects, sought to find occasion against Daniel, who stood at the king's side; but they could find no cause, or reason, for suspicion about him, for he was faithful, and so no blame or suspicion was found in him.)
5 Therefore those men said, We shall not find any occasion to this Daniel, no but in hap in the law of his God. (And so those men said, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except perhaps in regard to the Law of his God.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.