O DANIEL, ART THOU ALIVE?
Daniel 6:1-24
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.
Then
this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because
an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought
to set him over the whole realm.
Then
the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel
concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault;
forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any
error or fault found in him.
Then
said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel,
except we find it against him concerning the law of his
God. Then
these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said
thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. All
the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the
counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a
royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a
petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he
shall be cast into the den of lions. Now,
O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not
changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which
altereth not. Wherefore
king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
Now
when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house;
and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he
kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks
before his God, as he did aforetime. Then
these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication
before his God.
Then
they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s
decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall
ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days,
save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king
answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the
Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Then
answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of
the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king,
nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three
times a day.
Then
the king, when he heard these words, was sore
displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel
to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to
deliver him. Then
these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O
king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That
no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
Then
the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into
the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto
Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. And
a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king
sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that
the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
Then
the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither
were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went
from him. Then
the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the
den of lions. And
when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto
Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O
Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest
continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
Then
said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My
God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions mouths, that they
have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me;
and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then
was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should
take Daniel up out of the den.
So Daniel was taken up out of the den,
and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his
God. And
the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused
Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions,
them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery
of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the
bottom of the den.
"God
has therein pleaded his cause. He was represented to the king as
disaffected to him and his government. We do not find that he said
any thing in his own vindication, but left it to God to clear up his
integrity as the light; and he did it effectually, by working a
miracle for his preservation. Daniel, in what he had done, had not
offended either God or the king: Before him whom I
prayed to innocency was found in me. He pretends not
to a meritorious excellence, but the testimony of his conscience
concerning his sincerity is his comfort—As also that before
thee, O king! I have done no hurt, nor designed thee any
affront.
The
discharge of Daniel from his confinement. His prosecutors cannot but
own that the law is satisfied, though they are not, or, if it be
altered, it is by a power superior to that of the Medes and Persians;
and therefore no cause can be shown why Daniel should not be fetched
out of the den. The
king was exceedingly glad to
find him alive, and gave orders immediately that they should take
him out of the den, as
Jeremiah out of the dungeon; and, when they searched, no
manner of hurt was found upon him; he
was nowhere crushed nor scarred, but was kept perfectly well because
he believed in his God." Matthew Henry