Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

Daniel 6:16-28


“Persecuted for Righteousness' Sake”

Daniel 6:16-28

The plot was an atrocious one, but it hurt its perpetrators more than the victim of their vindictive hatred, Daniel 6:24. They dug a pit into which they fell themselves. They thought to flatter the king, and secure Daniel's fall; but their stratagems were like the mines laid at the mouth of a harbor, which are more perilous to those who set them than to others.

Still God sends His angels to shut the lions' mouths, that they may not hurt His people, strongly conscious of uprightness before God and man. It is not necessary to suppose that Daniel saw the angel any more than we behold the horses and chariots in the mountains around us. Dare to believe that the ministering angels, though unseen, engirdle you and intercept the blows and plots of your adversaries.

Walk before God in righteousness and peace, and be sure that you are immortal till your work is done. That a heathen king should publish such a proclamation is a glimpse into the divine wisdom that can make His mighty power known by the strangest circumstances.

Continues after advertising

See also Daniel 6:16-28 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 16. _THEN THE KING COMMANDED_] With a heavy heart he was obliged to warrant this murderous conspiracy. But when passing sentence his last words were affecting: "Thy God, whom thou servest conti...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THEN THE KING COMMANDED ... - See the note at Daniel 6:7. Some recent discoveries among the ruins of Babylon have shown that the mode of punishment by throwing offenders against the laws to lions was...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 6 UNDER DARIUS THE MEDE AND DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN _ 1. The decree of Darius (Daniel 6:1)_ 2. Daniel's faith and steadfastness (Daniel 6:10) 3. Daniel cast into the lion's den and the del...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    DANIEL 6. DANIEL IN THE DEN OF LIONS. After giving an account of the reorganisation of the empire by Darius after the fall of Babylon, this chapter describes a conspiracy formed against Daniel by the...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Now _the king spake_, &c. THE KING ANSWERED, &c. The asyndetic construction is characteristic of the Aramaic portion of the book: Daniel 3:19; Daniel 3:24; Daniel 3:26;...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT: Daniel 6:10-18 10 And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem); and he kneeled upon his knees three tim...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. NOW THE K...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE DEN OF LIONS Darius the Mede divides his kingdom into 120 satrapies, the whole being superintended by three higher officials, of whom Daniel was one (Daniel 6:1). Daniel is in special favour, and...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE MEN WHO WERE LOYAL TO GOD DANIEL _ROBERT BRYCE_ CHAPTER 6 V1 Darius decided to appoint 120 rulers. Together, they would rule over the whole *kingdom. V2 He also appointed three other officia...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THEY BROUGHT DANIEL. — According to Eastern custom, the sentence was generally executed on the day when it was pronounced. This explains why the king’s efforts to commute the sentence were prolonged t...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Daniel 6:17]_ בֵּ אדַ֜יִן מַלְכָּ֣א אֲמַ֗ר וְ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    STOPPING THE MOUTHS OF LIONS ON the view which regards these pictures as powerful parables, rich in spiritual instructiveness, but not primarily concerned with historic accuracy, nor even necessarily...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The last section in the historic portion of the Book is in the reign of Darius. He reorganized the government and distributed the administration among twenty satraps, who, in turn, were responsible to...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    What a train of evils the king by his inconsiderateness had brought himself into? But is there not somewhat like the language of faith, and that in lively exercise, in what the king said to Daniel? We...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _IN AND OUT_ ‘Into the den.’ … ‘Out of the den.’ Daniel 6:16; Daniel 6:23 Daniel was made one (R.V.) of the three presidents of the kingdom, but he so _ outshone_ the others by the excellent spirit...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    The king, as we have said, frightened by the denunciation of the nobles, condemns Daniel to death. And hence we gather the reward which kings deserve in reference to their pride, when they are compell...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Another form of iniquity appears besides that of Babylon (chap. 6). Cyrus, personally, had better thoughts; and God, from whom they came, made use of him for the temporary re-establishment of His peop...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THEN THE KING COMMANDED,.... Being overawed by his princes and fearing they would conspire against him, and stir up the people to rebel; and consulting his own credit lest he should be thought fickle...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast [him] into the den of lions. [Now] the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. Ver. 16...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel_, &c. The king at last, though with great reluctance, and against his conscience, yields to the violence of Daniel's enemies, and signs the warrant fo...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Then the king, unable to find an excuse or to hold out against the conspirators, COMMANDED, AND THEY BROUGHT DANIEL AND CAST HIM INTO THE DEN OF LIONS, the execution following the sentence at once, as...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    DANIEL A VICTIM OF JEALOUSY...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    11-17 It is no new thing for what is done faithfully, in conscience toward God, to be misrepresented as done obstinately, and in contempt of the civil powers. Through want of due thought, we often do...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THE KING COMMANDED: he had a good mind to do Daniel a kindness, but he could not stem the tide of his flatterers, who being crossed might machinate some mischief against him; having this plausible pre...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Daniel 6:16 So H116 king H4430 command H560 (H8754) brought H858 (H8684) Daniel H1841 cast H7412 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘Then the king commanded and they brought Daniel and threw him into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “Your God Whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.” ' No time is wasted on the de...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Daniel 6:1. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Daniel's history to the accession of Cyrus. Decree of Darius. Daniel's steadfastness. Daniel in the lion's den and his deliverance. Darius' new decree. CHARACTERS: God, Daniel, Darius, Prin...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Daniel 6:2. _Three presidents, of whom Daniel was the first._ His former celebrity had spread through the east. Ezekiel 14. It being now sixty five years since Daniel was first promoted by Nebuchadnez...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Then the King commanded and they brought Daniel._ THE EXAMPLE OF DANIEL It is the property of pure religion to invest the man who possesses it with excellencies which bear no resemblance to the “fas...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    DANIEL—NOTE ON DANIEL 6:1 The events of ch. Daniel 6:1 recall the events of ch. Daniel 3:1. However, while ch....

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    DANIEL—NOTE ON DANIEL 6:16 THE MOUTH OF THE DEN was covered with a STONE, which was then SEALED with the SIGNET rings of the king and...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION DANIEL 6:1 DANIEL IN THE LIONS' DEN. DANIEL 6:1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes. which should be over the whole

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now it pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom (Daniel 6:1); Now that the Persian, Medo-Persian Empire, has conquered over the Ba...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Samuel 3:39; Acts 24:27; Acts 25:11; Acts 25:9; Acts 27:23;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    A MAN OF AFFAIRS _Selections from Daniel 6:1_ INTRODUCTORY WORDS In a previous study, we observed Daniel as a seer. Here we will see him as a man of affairs. As we watch Daniel moving among the gre...

Continues after advertising