Daniel 6:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions — they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

NIV: At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

NASB: The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they threw them, their children, and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

CSB: The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives. They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

NLT: Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.

Scripture notes that malicious plots have a habit of turning on their inventors (Psalm 7:14–16; Proverbs 14:32; 28:10; Jeremiah 6:19; Esther 9:25). Daniel was honored for his integrity and skill (Daniel 6:3). Jealous rivals knew he could be accused of nothing other than perfect loyalty to God (Daniel 6:4–5). They tricked the king into passing an irrevocable law condemning prayers such as those which Daniel practiced (Daniel 6:6–9). Daniel obeyed God rather than the law (Daniel 6:10; Acts 5:29) and the king was forced to place Daniel in a pit filled with lions (Daniel 6:14–18).

Darius, the king (Daniel 5:31), was clearly enraged by the scheming of those who had tried to have Daniel killed. It's not likely that his vengeance included all 122 officials (Daniel 6:1–2). Rather, the punished men were probably those who personally concocted the perverse law, presented it to the king, and then accused Daniel. Not only did their conspiracy fail, but they dragged their families into gruesome death as well.

Given new victims, the lions proved they had not been sick, weak, or disinterested. This further proves that Daniel's rescue was miraculous (Daniel 6:19–22). He was entirely unharmed (Daniel 6:23). Not so fortunate were his accusers and their families (Proverbs 13:20). Many ancient cultures required entire families be put to death for crimes against the nation. The Old Testament law of Israel did not allow this option for typical cases (Deuteronomy 24:16).

In the tribulation, Satan—literally sātān' or "the accuser"— will be defeated (Revelation 12:9–10). At the end of the tribulation, he will be incarcerated in a bottomless pit for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1–3). Finally, he and all his followers will be cast into the lake of fire, where they will exist forever in torment (Revelation 20:7–10).

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.