Daniel 6:1

Daniel is Thrown into a Lions’ Den

6:1 It seemed like a good idea to Darius ¹  to appoint over the kingdom 120 satraps ²  who would be in charge of the entire kingdom.

Daniel 6:6-9

6:6 So these supervisors and satraps came by collusion ³  to the king and said ⁴  to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 6:7 To all the supervisors of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, counselors, and governors it seemed like a good idea for a royal edict to be issued and an interdict to be enforced. For the next thirty days anyone who prays ⁵  to any god or human other than you, O king, should be thrown into a den of lions. 6:8 Now let the king issue a written interdict ⁶  so that it cannot be altered, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed. ⁷  6:9 So King Darius issued the written interdict.

Daniel 6:25-28

6:25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and language groups who were living in all the land: “Peace and prosperity! ⁸  6:26 I have issued an edict that throughout all the dominion of my kingdom people are to revere and fear the God of Daniel.

“For he is the living God;

he endures forever.

His kingdom will not be destroyed;

his authority is forever. ⁹ 

6:27 He rescues and delivers

and performs signs and wonders

in the heavens and on the earth.

He has rescued Daniel from the power ¹⁰  of the lions!”

6:28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and ¹¹  the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

[6:1]  ¹ tn Aram “It was pleasing before Darius.”

[6:1]  ² tn This is a technical term for an official placed in charge of a region of the empire (cf. KJV, NLT “prince[s]”; NCV, TEV “governors”). These satraps were answerable to a supervisor, who in turn answered to Darius.

[6:6]  ³ tn The Aramaic verb רְגַשׁ (rÿgash) occurs three times in this chapter (vv. 7, 12, 16). Its meaning is widely disputed by commentators, and the versions vary considerably in how they render the word. The suggestion that it means “to come thronging” (BDB 1112 s.v.; cf. NAB) seems inappropriate, since it is unlikely that subordinates would enter a royal court in such a reckless fashion. The ancient versions struggled with the word and are not in agreement in their understanding of its meaning. In this chapter the word apparently means to act in agreement with other parties in the pursuit of a duplicitous goal, namely the entrapment of Daniel. Cf. NIV, NCV “went as a group”; NRSV “conspired and came to the king.”

[6:6]  ⁴ tn Aram “thus they were saying.”

[6:7]  ⁵ tn Aram “prays a prayer.”

[6:8]  ⁶ tn Aram “establish a written interdict and inscribe a written decree.”

[6:8]  ⁷ tn Or “removed.”

[6:25]  ⁸ tn Aram “May your peace be increased!”

[6:26]  ⁹ tn Aram “until the end.”

[6:27]  ¹⁰ tn Aram “hand.”

[6:28]  ¹¹ tn Or perhaps “in the reign of Darius, even in the reign of Cyrus.” The identity of this Darius is disputed. Some take the name to be referring to Cyrus, understanding the following vav (ו, “and”) in an epexegetical sense (“even”). Others identify Darius with a governor of Babylon known from extra-biblical records as Gubaru, or with Cambyses, son of Cyrus. Many scholars maintain that the reference is historically inaccurate.