Daniel 6:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.

NIV: Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.

NASB: Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel offering a prayer and imploring favor before his God.

CSB: Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God.

NLT: Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help.

KJV: Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

NKJV: Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

When Darius planned to make Daniel an even more powerful official over Babylon (Daniel 6:1–3), jealous rivals schemed to use Daniel's faith against him (Daniel 6:4–5). They conspired to trick Darius into signing an irrevocable law banning prayer, knowing Daniel would disobey out of loyalty to his God (Daniel 6:6–9). As expected, Daniel chose faithful obedience to God over fear of other men (Daniel 6:10; Acts 5:29). The conspirators converged on Daniel's house and found him praying. Since he did this publicly, and just as he'd always done, it was not difficult to catch him in the act of breaking Darius's new law.

The men here are said to have "come by agreement," using the same phrasing as the way they approached Darius with a proposal for the law (Daniel 6:6). They can see Daniel praying, possibly by barging into his home or waiting in the street outside his window. This suggests a smaller group of conspirators, rather than the entire group of 122 satraps and overseers.

Scripture mentions that Daniel read the book of Jeremiah (Daniel 9:2). That prophecy was written as men like Daniel were being captured and deported into Babylon (Daniel 1:1–7). Daniel's faithfulness here suggests trust in God's promise in Jeremiah 29:12–14: "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you." Jeremiah had included this promise in a letter he had written to those who would survive the exile (Jeremiah 29:1). Praying "toward" the temple in Jerusalem became a means of exiled Jews claiming the promise of forgiveness and became a common practice afterwards (2 Chronicles 6:36–39).

Daniel 6:10–18 relates what Daniel did when he learned about Darius's law outlawing prayer to the Lord. This passage also shows Darius's reaction when he learned Daniel had violated the law, and that he had been trapped by legalism and his own ego. Daniel demonstrates his loyal, faithful character (Acts 5:29) and fearless devotion to God (Daniel 1:8, 17, 20). He maintains this even as he is convicted—correctly—of violating the law and is sealed into a pen with lions.

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.

At the end of chapter 5, Belshazzar has died and control over Babylon has come to someone identified as "Darius the Mede." Darius organizes his territory under 120 satraps and three governor-level officials. Daniel is identified as one of the three high administrators. After jealous rivals fail to kill Daniel, he continues to prosper in his role. The following chapter begins an extensive record of prophetic visions. The first is a flashback to something Daniel saw during the rule of Belshazzar.

The book of Daniel contains famous Old Testament stories and prophecies. Daniel was taken from the Israelite people and made an advisor for a conquering empire. He demonstrates faithfulness and wisdom during many years serving in this role. Though Daniel does not deliver a public message, Jesus refers to him as a "prophet" (Matthew 24:15). The first portion of the book mostly describes Daniel's interpretations of dreams and other events. The second portion looks ahead to the end times. Daniel is classified in English Bibles as a "major" prophet, meaning the book is relatively long and the content has broad implications. The book of Revelation echoes and expands on many of the same themes.