Daniel 6:12-28
Chapter 6
Then they said: “But the Jewish exile Daniel pays no attention to you or your decree. Three times a day, he still prays to some god other than you.”
Greatly distressed by what he heard, the king decided to help Daniel. He made every effort until sundown to save him.
But the men kept approaching him and insisting: “Remember, O king, that under the Medo-Persian laws, every decree or prohibition issued by the king is final.”
The king, therefore, could not help but order that Daniel be brought and thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel: “May your God, whom you serve faithfully, save you.”
A stone was placed at the entrance of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring along with those of his nobles to keep Daniel’s situation unchanged.
Then the king returned to his palace and had a restless night, refusing food and entertainment.
Early the next morning, he got up quickly and hurried to the lions’ den.
As he approached, he called out in a distressed voice: “Daniel, servant of the living God, did your God, whom you serve faithfully, save you from the lions?”
Daniel answered: “Live forever, O king!
My God sent his angel, who shut the lions’ mouths so they wouldn’t hurt me. God did this because I am innocent in his sight. I have not wronged you, O king.”
The king felt pleased and ordered Daniel to be released from the lions’ den. No injuries were found on him because he trusted in his God.
At the king’s command, the men who had accused Daniel were thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. As soon as they hit the floor of the den, the lions lunged at them and tore them apart.
King Darius sent a message to all nations and peoples of every language, saying: “Peace to you all!
I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should respect and fear the God of Daniel: For he is the living God, and forever he endures; his kingdom will not be crushed, his dominion will never cease.
He rescues and he delivers; he performs signs and wonders both in heaven and on earth. And he came to Daniel’s rescue saving him from the lions’ power.”
Daniel prospered greatly during the reigns of Darius and Cyrus the Persian.
Commentaries
Daniel in the Lions’ Den.
The final part of the first section of the book (chapters 1-6) is set during the reign of a specific Median king, Darius. In fact, the conqueror of Babylon was Cyrus of Persia (Is 45:1). In this book, the sequence of peoples who ruled Israel is: Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece. The author’s primary focus is on the situation of religious persecution during the rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.). Throughout all these stories, the core message remains the same: the Lord is the only king who holds dominion and wisdom. Although the Jews have lost their land, their temple, and their monarchy, they can still trust in their God.