CHAPTER 6 Oct. 28 
Daniel in the Lions’ Den 
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; 2and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; so that these satraps might give account to them, and that the king should have no loss. 3Then Daniel was promoted above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellently wise spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole kingdom. 4Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel regarding the things of the kingdom; but they could find no case nor fault, because he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5Then these men said, We shall not find any occasion against Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. 6Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said to him, King Darius, live forever. 7All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, have consulted together in order to establish a royal statute, and to make an enforced decree, that whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 8Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which doesn’t alter. 9Therefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. 10When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he still went into his house (now his windows in his room were open toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did previously. 11Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. 12Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king’s decree: Haven’t you signed a decree, that every man who shall make petition to any god or man within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered, That is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which doesn’t alter. 13Then they responded and said to the king, That Daniel, who is of the captives of Judah, doesn’t respect you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day. 14Then the king, when he heard these words, was very displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to save him; and he struggled until the going down of the sun to save him. 15Then these men assembled together to the king, and said to the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree nor statute which the king establishes may be changed. 16Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spoke and said to Daniel, Your God whom you serve continually, He will deliver you. 17A stone was brought, and laid on the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring, and with the signet ring of his lords; so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18Then the king went to his palace, and spent the night fasting; no musical instruments were brought before him: and his sleep fled from him. 19Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in urgency to the den of lions. 20When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spoke and said to Daniel: Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions? 21Then Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever. 22My God has sent His angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not destroyed me; because before Him innocence was found in me; and also before you, O king, have I done nothing wrong. 23Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions mauled them, and broke all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den. 25Then king Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. 26I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God, and steadfast forever, His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and His dominion shall remain to the end. 27He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, He who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. 28So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Commentary

6:10 Daniel could have just prayed privately, in his heart. Many other Jews probably did this. But he chose to continue to openly pray. He was prepared to give his life for what was only a conscience issue. We too must establish and be prepared to live by our conscience, no matter what others think. Note that Daniel and other faithful believers like David (Ps. 55:17; 119:164) prayed regularly, just as the incense (cp. prayer) was offered regularly. Regular prayer is a good discipline in the life of the believer, rather than praying only when we have the mood or in emergencies. Daniel was willing to die in justification of his habit of open, unashamed, regular prayer.
6:20 You serve continually- Darius was referring to Daniel’s continual prayer. Prayer is a service to God; something we can do even if we incapable of doing any more physical, external service to Him.
6:22 The mouths of the lions were closed so that they did not “destroy” Daniel; and because of this, Darius praises God, saying that His Kingdom would never be 'destroyed' (:26, same original word). Daniel was not destroyed; and thus Darius came to believe that God's Kingdom would not be destroyed. Daniel was set up as a living part and foretaste of that Kingdom, just as we too are to exemplify the life of the future Kingdom in our lives today; in this sense we ‘have eternal life’ in that we live the kind of lives which we will eternally live in God’s future Kingdom. To a far greater extent, "the Kingdom of God" is a title given to the Lord Jesus- because He in His mortal life was the essence of that Kingdom, the embodiment of the life which shall then be lived.
6:25 Note how Daniel is presented as a type of Christ in this chapter. 6:14 Ruler labouring not to kill a righteous man, manipulated by his own underlings = Pilate; 6:17 Den of lions- den s.w. pit Is. 14:15, where it is paralleled with the grave. 6:17 Stone sealed and put on the mouth of the cave [den]= Mt. 27:66; 6:17 the purpose could not be changed regarding Daniel's death= Jesus died by the determinate counsel of God, Acts 2:23; 6:22 An Angel sent; 6:22 'resurrection' early in the morning; 6:22 Daniel not hurt because innocency found in him = Acts 2:24; 6:23 Daniel taken up out of the den = resurrection and ascension, s.w. Ps. 139:8 who shall ascend to Heaven; 6:23 no damage was found on Daniel implies they examined his body= Lk. 24:39; 6:25,26 decree = great commission to spread the knowledge of God's Kingdom which we must fulfil after the Lord's resurrection.