Dan 6:11 | KingComments | STEP | The men know Daniel’s habit and the times when he prays. They also know his character that he will remain true to it, whatever the consequences. Unanimously in their malicious plan they go to Daniel’s house. They lurk, as it were, and perceive what they expect. There they find a praying and supplicating Daniel. Now they have what they want: a violation of the law enacted, because he is addressing someone other than Darius. Now they can charge and convict him. However, the indictment is not the result of a failure in his service to God, but rather the result of his faithful serving of his God. Their conspiracy succeeds because they rightly count on Daniel’s consistent attitude in serving his God. Maybe they have heard him pray and beg for mercy. If Daniel has indeed been aware that these people see and hear him, it will have only made his prayer and supplication more fervent. He makes “petition and supplication before his God”. Whatever people can plan against him, above them he sees the face of God. That he makes petition and supplication means that he does not expect any possibility of salvation from himself. Nor does he appeal to any excellence that would be in him. To make petition and supplication means that he expects everything from God alone, without any merit of his own. To make petition and supplication excludes any right to be heard. When the men have found that Daniel has just continued to pray, they immediately go to the king to accuse him. They don’t waste any time. When they are with Darius, they first remind him by means of a question of the law he promulgated. They also point out the punishment for the offence. The king says that he has enacted that law and adds that the law is irrevocable. Well, they have an offender. Triumphantly they call the name: Daniel. They add that he is “one of the exiles from Judah”. With this they express their contempt for all who are out of Judah as exiles among them. As an accusation they say to Darius, that Daniel did not heed him, the king, nor the injunction he signed. In this way they try to work on his sense of honor (cf. ).

‏ Daniel 6:11

Charged

The men know Daniel’s habit and the times when he prays. They also know his character that he will remain true to it, whatever the consequences. Unanimously in their malicious plan they go to Daniel’s house. They lurk, as it were, and perceive what they expect. There they find a praying and supplicating Daniel. Now they have what they want: a violation of the law enacted, because he is addressing someone other than Darius. Now they can charge and convict him. However, the indictment is not the result of a failure in his service to God, but rather the result of his faithful serving of his God. Their conspiracy succeeds because they rightly count on Daniel’s consistent attitude in serving his God.

Maybe they have heard him pray and beg for mercy. If Daniel has indeed been aware that these people see and hear him, it will have only made his prayer and supplication more fervent. He makes “petition and supplication before his God”. Whatever people can plan against him, above them he sees the face of God. That he makes petition and supplication means that he does not expect any possibility of salvation from himself. Nor does he appeal to any excellence that would be in him. To make petition and supplication means that he expects everything from God alone, without any merit of his own. To make petition and supplication excludes any right to be heard.

When the men have found that Daniel has just continued to pray, they immediately go to the king to accuse him. They don’t waste any time. When they are with Darius, they first remind him by means of a question of the law he promulgated. They also point out the punishment for the offence. The king says that he has enacted that law and adds that the law is irrevocable.

Well, they have an offender. Triumphantly they call the name: Daniel. They add that he is “one of the exiles from Judah”. With this they express their contempt for all who are out of Judah as exiles among them. As an accusation they say to Darius, that Daniel did not heed him, the king, nor the injunction he signed. In this way they try to work on his sense of honor (cf. Dan 3:12).