Daniel 6
Summary for Dan 6:1-28: 6:1-28 a God rescued and delivered his faithful servant Daniel (5:23 b; 6:20 c), whereas Belshazzar’s dead gods could not save him.6:2 d The three administrators placed over the whole territory reported directly to the king.
• and protect the king’s interests: Rebels could bring down the empire, so these administrators had to be absolutely trustworthy.
Summary for Dan 6:3-5: 6:3-5 e Daniel’s integrity was unassailable and his abilities unmatched, so the envious administrators found fault with Daniel’s strongest point, his faithful worship of God. Daniel was about 80~85 years old at this time. He had led an exemplary life in Babylon. 6:3 f the king made plans to place him over the entire empire: Cp. 2:48-49 g; 3:30 h; Gen 41:40-43 i.
6:5 j rules of his religion: Literally law [or requirements] of his God (cp. 6:8 k, 12 l, 15 m; Ezra 7:12 n, 14 o, 25 p).
6:7 q the king should make a law: The request was couched as an appeal to truth and justice, but it was really an appeal to the king’s pride, with ulterior motives (6:4-5 r).
• We already know that Daniel would not break God’s law to obey a human order (cp. 1:5-8 s; 3:4-12 t).
6:8 u cannot be changed ... cannot be revoked: Cp. Esth 1:19 v. Human laws all pass away, but God’s law lasts forever (Pss 93:5 w; 119:152 x). This devotion to established laws was one of the special features of the Persian Empire. Eventually, the profusion of laws so swamped them in bureaucracy that they could not function efficiently.
Summary for Dan 6:10-11: 6:10-11 y as usual: Daniel’s regular prayer time established him in the daily worship of God.
• Jerusalem was God’s chosen city (1 Kgs 11:36 z). Though the Temple was gone, it was unthinkable to forget Jerusalem (Ps 137:5-6 aa). Someday, the Temple would be rebuilt (Isa 2:2-4 ab; 44:28 ac).
6:14 ad The king had not thought through all the consequences of signing the law.
• deeply troubled: Or very angry for being tricked. He did not want to execute his best servant.
6:16 ae Caught in the officials’ trap, the king had to carry out the law, but he respected Daniel’s integrity in worshiping his God (cp. 3:15 af; 6:20 ag).
6:17 ah his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles: The multiple sealing of the lions’ den made a covert rescue impossible. Neither the king nor the officials could open the den without breaking the other seals and thus informing the other parties.
6:18 ai The king spent the night fasting because he mourned over what he had done and hoped that Daniel’s God would rescue him. The king couldn’t sleep at all because he knew that Daniel was an innocent and noble man.
6:19 aj Very early: Literally at dawn, the earliest possible hour.
6:20 ak Was your God ... able? There was no question about whether Daniel had served God faithfully, so if God didn’t rescue him it would have told the king that God was not able to do so.
• living God: The king probably knew what Daniel’s God had done during the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar. The expression living God is particularly used in the Bible to contrast the Lord with lifeless idols (see, e.g., Deut 5:26 al; Josh 3:10 am; Isa 37:17-18 an).
Summary for Dan 6:21-22: 6:21-22 ao My God sent his angel: The law of the Medes and Persians proved impotent. God has the power to defend his faithful servant and his own reputation.
Summary for Dan 6:25-27: 6:25-27 ap King Darius sent this message: As Nebuchadnezzar had done previously (cp. 3:28-29 aq; 4:34-37 ar), the current ruler of the civilized world testified to all his subjects that the God of Daniel is the living God with real power and a kingdom that will never be destroyed.
6:27 as He rescues and saves. ... He has rescued Daniel: This proclamation moves from the general to the specific. Daniel was a specific example of God’s rescuing power. God continues to act on behalf of his people, just as he has always done.
6:28 at the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian: Or the reign of Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Such usage of “and” is common in Aramaic; many believe that Cyrus and Darius were one man (see study note on 5:31).
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