Section I. - Authenticity of the Chapter This chapter Daniel 6, like the previous ones, has not escaped serious objections as to its authenticity and credibility. The objections which have been made to it have been derived from what is regarded as incredible in its statements. It is important, as i... [ Continue Reading ]
IT PLEASED DARIUS TO SET OVER THE KINGDOM - Evidently over the kingdom of Babylon, now united to that of Media and Persia. As this was now subject to him, and tributary to him, it would be natural to appoint persons over it in whom he could confide, for the administration of justice, for the collect... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OVER THESE, THREE PRESIDENTS - סרכין _sâr__e__kı̂yn_. This word is found only in the plural. The etymology is uncertain, but its meaning is not doubtful. The word president expresses it with sufficient accuracy, denoting a high officer that presided over others. It is not improbable that these... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THIS DANIEL WAS PREFERRED ABOVE THE PRESIDENTS AND PRINCES - That is, he was at their head, or was placed in rank and office over them. “Because an excellent spirit was in him.” This may refer alike to his wisdom and his integrity - both of which would be necessary in such an office. It was an... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE PRESIDENTS AND PRINCES SOUGHT TO FIND OCCASION AGAINST DANIEL - The word rendered “occasion” (עלה _‛__illâh_) means a pretext or pretence. “The Arabs use the word of any business or affair which serves as a cause or pretext for neglecting another business.” - Gesenius, Lexicon The meaning... [ Continue Reading ]
WE SHALL NOT FIND ANY OCCASION ... - We shall not find any pretext or any cause by which he may be humbled and degraded. They were satisfied of his integrity, and they saw it was vain to hope to accomplish their purposes by any attack on his moral character, or any charge against him in respect to t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THESE PRESIDENTS AND PRINCES ASSEMBLED TOGETHER - Margin, came tumultuously. The margin expresses the proper meaning of the original word - רגשׁ _râgash_ - to run together with tumult. Why they came together in that manner is not stated. Bertholdt suggests that it means that they came in a pro... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE PRESIDENTS OF THE KINGDOM, THE GOVERNOR ... - Several functionaries are enumerated here who are not in the previous verses, as having entered into the conspiracy. It is possible, indeed, that all these different classes of officers had been consulted, and had concurred in asking the enactmen... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW, O KING, ESTABLISH THE DECREE - Ordain, enact, confirm it. AND SIGN THE WRITING - An act necessary to make it the law of the realm. THAT IT BE NOT CHANGED - That, having the sign-manual of the sovereign, it might be so confirmed that it could not be changed. With that sign it became so establi... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN DANIEL KNEW THAT THE WRITING WAS SIGNED - Probably there was some proclamation made in regard to that decree. HE WENT INTO HIS HOUSE - That is, he went in in his usual manner. He made no change in his habits on account of the decree. AND HIS WINDOWS BEING OPEN IN HIS CHAMBER - Open in the... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THESE MEN ASSEMBLED ... - Evidently with a design of finding him at his devotions.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEY CAME NEAR - That is, they came near to the king. They had detected Daniel, as they expected and desired to do, in a palpable violation of the law, and they lost no time in apprising the king of it, and in reminding him of the law which he had established. Informers are not apt to lose time... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN ANSWERED THEY ... THAT DANIEL WHICH IS OF THE CHILDREN OF THE CAPTIVITY OF JUDAH - Who is one of the captive Jews. There was art in thus referring to Daniel, instead of mentioning him as sustaining an exalted office. It would serve to aggravate his guilt to remind the king that one who was in f... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE KING, WHEN HE HEARD THESE WORDS, WAS SORE DISPLEASED WITH HIMSELF - That is, for having consented to such a decree without deliberation, or with so much haste - or for having consented to it at all. It is remarkable that it is not said that he was displeased with them for having proposed it... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THESE MEN ASSEMBLED UNTO THE KING - The Chaldee here is the same as in Daniel 6:6, “they came tumultuously.” They were earnest that the law should be executed, and they probably apprehended that if the king were allowed to dwell upon it, the firmness of his own mind would give way, and that he... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE KING COMMANDED ... - See the note at Daniel 6:7. Some recent discoveries among the ruins of Babylon have shown that the mode of punishment by throwing offenders against the laws to lions was actually practiced there, and these discoveries may be classed among the numerous instances in which... [ Continue Reading ]
AND A STONE WAS BROUGHT, AND LAID UPON THE MOUTH OF THE DEN - Probably a large flat stone sufficient to cover the mouth of the cave, and so heavy that Daniel could not remove it from within and escape. It was usual then, as it is now, to close up the entrance to sepulchres with a large stone. See Jo... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE KING WENT TO HIS PALACE, AND PASSED THE NIGHT FASTING - Daniel was probably cast into the den soon after the going down of the sun, Daniel 6:14. It was not unusual to have suppers then late at night, as it is now in many places. The great anxiety of the king, however, on account of what had... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE KING AROSE VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING ... - No one can doubt the probability of what is here said, if the previous account be true. His deep anxiety; his wakefulnight; the remorse which he endured, and his hope that Daniel would be after all preserved, all would prompt to an early visit to t... [ Continue Reading ]
HE CRIED WITH A LAMENTABLE VOICE - A voice full of anxious solicitude. Literally, “a voice of grief.” Such a cry would be natural on such an occasion. O DANIEL, SERVANT OF THE LIVING GOD - The God who has life; who imparts life; and who can preserve life. This was the appellation, probably, which h... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID DANIEL UNTO THE KING, O KING, LIVE FOREVER - The common form of salutation in addressing the king. See the note at Daniel 2:4. There might be more than mere form in this, for Daniel may have been aware of the true source of the calamities that had come upon him, and of the innocence of the... [ Continue Reading ]
MY GOD HATH SENT HIS ANGEL - It was common among the Hebrews to attribute any remarkable preservation from danger to the intervention of an angel sent from God, and no one can demonstrate that it did not occur as they supposed. There is no more absurdity in supposing that God employs an angelic bein... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WAS THE KING EXCEEDING GLAD FOR HIM - On account of Daniel. That is, he was rejoiced for the sake of Daniel that he had received no hurt, and that he might be restored to his place, and be useful again in the government.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING COMMANDED, AND THEY BROUGHT THOSE MEN, WHICH HAD ACCUSED DANIEL ... - It would seem probable that the king had been aware of their wicked designs against Daniel, and had been satisfied that the whole was the result of a conspiracy, but he felt himself under a necessity of allowing the l... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN KING DARIUS WROTE UNTO ALL PEOPLE ... - Compare the note at Daniel 2:47; Daniel 3:29; Daniel 4:1. If there is a probability that Nebuchadnezzar would make such a proclamation as he did, there is no less probability that the same thing would be done by Darius. Indeed, it is manifest on the face... [ Continue Reading ]
I MAKE A DECREE - Compare Daniel 3:29. THAT IN EVERY DOMINION OF MY KINGDOM - Every department or province. The entire kingdom or empire was made up of several kingdoms, as Media, Persia, Babylonia, etc. The meaning is, that he wished the God of Daniel to be honored and reverenced throughout the wh... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DELIVERETH AND RESCUETH - As in the case of Daniel. This attribute would of course be prominent in the view of Darius, since so remarkable an instance of his power had been recently manifested in rescuing Daniel. AND HE WORKETH SIGNS AND WONDERS ... - Performs miracles far above all human power.... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THIS DANIEL PROSPERED IN THE REIGN OF DARIUS - That is, to the end of his reign. It is fairly implied here that he was restored to his honors. AND IN THE REIGN OF CYRUS THE PERSIAN - Cyrus the Great, the nephew and successor of Darius. For an account of Cyrus, see the note at Isaiah 41:2. How lon... [ Continue Reading ]