What does Daniel 6:6 mean?
Satisfied that their diabolic scheme would work, envious high officials and satraps approached the Babylonian king (Daniel 6:1–5). They greeted him with the expected level of flattery. Ordinarily, one would assume that a large group of governors would send messengers to the king. Here, however, the terminology suggests they were assembling—gathering in large numbers—to make their appeal. This probably was not an assembly of all 122 men involved—the same terminology describes how they met to catch Daniel in prayer at his house (Daniel 6:11). Yet it was clearly a noteworthy number of men. This may have helped to sway Darius; he may have thought this issue was a major emergency. They may have brought the law already written and ready for the king's signature.An evil crowd seems to be more capable of doing what is wrong than when individuals act alone. It was a large, angry crowd clamoring for Jesus' crucifixion that caused the Roman governor, Pilate, to have Jesus crucified (Matthew 27:15–26; Mark 15:6–15; Luke 23:18–25; John 19:12–16). Exodus 23:2 offers wise counsel: "You shall not fall in with the many to do evil."
These men want to attack Daniel in the only way they can: by making his faith illegal and using his obedience to God against him (Daniel 6:4–5).
Daniel 6:1–9 follows the demise of the Chaldean king Belshazzar (Daniel 5:30–31). Darius the Mede eventually became the ruler of Babylon and the king of the new empire, Medo-Persia. He placed three officials, including Daniel, in charge of 120 satraps. This passage forms a link between Daniel's appointment and his sentence to die in a den of lions. The rest of the chapter explains how Daniel came into—and through—this predicament.
Babylon's new ruler organizes his territory under 120 satraps and three governors. He intends to make Daniel the most powerful of these, but jealous rivals develop a plot. Knowing Daniel's only "weakness" is loyalty to God, they trick the king into passing an irrevocable law banning prayer. Daniel knows about the law but chooses obedience to God rather than to men. Darius is anguished yet he dutifully follows the law. When Daniel miraculously survives a night in a den full of lions, Darius is elated. He condemns the conspirators to death, and the same lions tear them apart. Darius then proclaims honor on behalf of Daniel's God.
