Daniel 6:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

NIV: The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

NASB: Then the king was very glad and gave orders for Daniel to be lifted up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

CSB: The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. When Daniel was brought up from the den, he was found to be unharmed, for he trusted in his God.

NLT: The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Now the king was exceedingly 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 injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.

Darius was extremely happy that Daniel was unharmed by the lions. Though he had foolishly signed an unchangeable law requiring Daniel to be placed in this den (Daniel 6:6–9), it was never his intent to harm his trusted and competent advisor (Daniel 6:1–3, 14). His anguish overnight (Daniel 6:18) transformed into celebration when he saw that Daniel's God had provided a miracle (Daniel 6:19–22). Not only was Daniel alive, but he was even uninjured; the animals had not even scratched him (Daniel 6:24). Just as Daniel's three friends had escaped the fire without even smelling like smoke (Daniel 3:24–26), so too was Daniel kept perfectly safe.

Many facets of Daniel's experience foreshadow those of Jesus Christ. A stone with official seals had to be rolled away to let Daniel out of what was supposed to be his tomb (Daniel 6:17). The stone which blocked Jesus' tomb was rolled away. But that stone was not removed by human hands; it was divinely moved. Matthew 28:2 states: "And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it." The most important difference between Daniel's exit and that of Jesus is that Daniel had not died. He went in alive and stayed alive, while Jesus died, was buried, and then rose from the dead (John 20:1, 17; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8).

Daniel 6:19–28 concludes Daniel's encounter in the lions' den. This passage includes Daniel's fate and Darius's reaction. The story comes to a joyful conclusion, rather than the messy end intended for Daniel by his conspiring enemies. They, instead, suffer the fate they planned for an innocent man. The last verses include an endorsement of Daniel's faith, coming directly from Darius.

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.