DanielChapter 6

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So Darius the Mede received the kingdom, at about the age of sixty-two.

It pleased Darius to appoint over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, stationed throughout the realm,

and over them three administrators, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were accountable to them, so that the king would suffer no loss.

Then this Daniel so distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps by his extraordinary spirit that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

At this the administrators and satraps tried to find grounds for a charge against Daniel in his conduct of the kingdom's affairs, but they could find no charge or corruption, because he was trustworthy; no negligence or corruption was found in him.

So these men said, "We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God."

Then these administrators and satraps came as a body to the king and said to him: "King Darius, live forever!

All the royal administrators, prefects, satraps, counselors, and governors have agreed that the king should issue a decree and enforce a ban: that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den.

Now, O king, issue the ban and sign the document, so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed."

So King Darius signed the document containing the ban.

Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went home to his upper room, where the windows opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had always done.

Then these men came as a body and found Daniel praying and pleading before his God.

So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal ban: "Did you not sign a ban that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions' den?" The king answered, "The matter stands firm, in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed."

Then they said to the king, "Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the ban you have signed. Three times a day he makes his petition."

When the king heard this, he was deeply distressed; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel and labored until sundown to save him.

Then these men crowded in on the king and said to him, "Know, O king, that by the law of the Medes and Persians no ban or decree the king issues can be changed."

So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!"

A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that nothing concerning Daniel could be changed.

Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting; no entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.

At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions' den.

When he came near the den, he called out to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?"

Daniel answered, "O king, live forever!

My God sent his angel and shut the mouths of the lions, and they have not harmed me, because I was found innocent before him. And before you too, O king, I have done no wrong."

The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was lifted out, and no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Then at the king's command the men who had accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions' den, along with their children and their wives. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages who dwell in all the earth: "May your peace abound!

I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom people are to tremble and stand in awe before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom will never be destroyed, and his dominion has no end.

He rescues and he saves; he works signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."

So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

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Summary2

Chapter 6

Main Theme: God preserves Daniel in the lions’ den and reveals His power over earthly kingdoms.

Content: Darius the Mede organizes the empire with 120 satraps and three chief administrators, among whom Daniel distinguishes himself. Jealous leaders manipulate the king into issuing a decree forbidding prayer to anyone but him for thirty days. Daniel continues faithfully to pray, is thrown into the lions’ den, but God sends an angel who shuts the lions’ mouths. The king rescues Daniel and issues a decree honoring Daniel’s God.

Key Words/Images:

The Lions’ Den: A symbol of mortal danger from which God has power to deliver.
The Unchangeable Laws: The laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be altered, reveal the limitations of human systems.
Faithfulness in Prayer: Daniel prays three times a day toward Jerusalem, despite the prohibition.
The Living God: Darius confesses that Daniel’s God is living and His kingdom endures forever.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Daniel 6

People

Darius the Mede is a debated figure in historical research. The chapter identifies him as a Mede who "received the kingdom" at the age of sixty-two (v. 1). Several theories exist regarding his identity: some scholars link him to Gubaru (Gobryas), the Persian general who conquered Babylon for Cyrus; others view him as an alternative name for Cyrus himself, or as a subordinate king figure. Regardless of identification, he is presented as a monarch with significant power, yet bound by the Medo-Persian legal system.

The Satraps and the Three High Officials form the administrative structure of the empire. The 120 satraps (אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּא) each governed a province, while three superiors (סָרְכִין) oversaw them. This administrative division reflects Persian governance practices known from other sources, although the number of satraps varies across different historical periods.

Events and Customs

The Lions' Den (גֹּב אַרְיָוָתָא), as a method of execution, reflects a practice known in the ancient Near East. Assyrian and Babylonian kings kept lions in captivity, partly as status symbols and partly as instruments of execution. Reliefs from Nineveh depict Assyrian kings hunting lions, underscoring the lion's role in royal symbolism.

The Unchangeable Law of the Medes and Persians (vv. 9, 13, 16) is a legal principle whereby royal decrees could not be revoked—not even by the king himself. This tradition is also confirmed in the book of Esther (Est 1:19; 8:8). The system was intended to ensure stability and predictability in legislation, but it created a dilemma for Darius here.

Praying Three Times Daily toward Jerusalem (v. 11) reflects Jewish devotional practices that developed during the exile. Daniel's open windows facing Jerusalem follow a pattern established at Solomon's temple dedication (1 Kgs 8:48), where Jews in foreign lands were to pray facing Jerusalem. The practice of three daily prayer times later became standard in Jewish tradition.

Key Terms

To "eat someone's pieces" (אֲכַלוּ קַרְצוֹהִי, v. 25) is an Aramaic idiom meaning to slander or maliciously accuse someone. The expression also appears in Daniel 3:8 and shows that the plots against Daniel and his friends followed a recurring pattern at court.

The Sealing of the Lions' Den (v. 18) with the king's and the nobles' signet rings was a legal act ensuring that no one could manipulate the situation. Signet rings were used as personal identification and authorization throughout the ancient Near East, and impressions in clay or wax carried the same legal weight as a signature does today.

People3

Darius I5 Cyrus (Persian king)1 Daniel16

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Key words7

Daniel — A prophet in Babylon and one of the Jewish youths taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar. He is known for his wisdom and faithfulness to God.
Lions' Den — A place where lions were kept, into which Daniel was thrown as punishment for praying to God instead of King Darius.
King Darius — Ruler over the Persian Empire that conquered Babylon. He respected Daniel but was tricked into signing a law that led to Daniel's punishment.
Prayer — Communication between people and God, which Daniel faithfully practiced three times a day, even when it was forbidden.
Angel — Supernatural beings who serve as God's messengers and servants. An angel protected Daniel in the lions' den.
God's Protection — Daniel's unwavering faith in God led Him to protect him from the lions in the lions' den.
Conspiracy — A plot by some of Darius' officials who wanted Daniel removed from his position by manipulating the king into issuing a law against prayer.