Daniel 6:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

NIV: A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed.

NASB: And a stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed regarding Daniel.

CSB: A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed.

NLT: A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.

The den mentioned here was probably a modified cave or a brick structure designed to hold captured lions. Based on this passage, there was probably an opening at the top to allow condemned people to be literally "thrown" inside. Either this top door, or a ground-level entrance where armed men could come in for cleaning, is what the king seals. Using the royal seal left no doubt that Darius (Daniel 5:31) was making good on his own decree (Daniel 6:6–9), though it turned out to be a trap for his trusted advisor, Daniel (Daniel 6:10–15).

It's possible the conspirators who hated Daniel insisted on this security so that Darius could not rescue Daniel. The conspirators knew Darius planned to promote Daniel to a position above theirs (Daniel 6:1–3). Whatever the case, the conspirators failed to account for the power of Daniel's God.

This scene vaguely foreshadows what would happen centuries later at Jesus' tomb. When His body was placed in the grave, a huge stone blocked the entrance (Matthew 27:60).

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.