Daniel 6:7

All the presidents of course, with the exception of Daniel, who was one of them (Daniel 6:2). But the misrepresentation may be meant to be intentional, as though to lead the king to suppose that the proposal had Daniel's approval.

the governors, and the princes, the counsellers and the captains the praefects (Daniel 2:48), and the satraps, the ministers (Daniel 3:24), and the governors (Daniel 3:2). Cf. the enumeration of officials in Daniel 3:2-3; Daniel 3:27.

to establish a royal statute Of course, indirectly, by prevailing upon the king to take action. A.V. marg.-that the king should establish a statute, and make" &c., expresses the meaning more distinctly; but it is a less natural rendering of the Aramaic.

and to make a firm decree and to make a stringent interdict. -Interdict" (so A.V. marg., and R.V.) is lit. a binding, or restraining; and almost the same word is used in Numbers 30:2-4, &c. of a restraining vow (A.V., R.V., -bond"). The passive partic. of the cognate verb is common in the Mishna in the sense of -prohibited."

a petition The meaning probably is, not any petition absolutely, but any petition of the nature of a prayer, or request addressed formally to a superior. The interdict has been deemed an incredible one; but some allowance must be made for what an oriental despot might prescribe in a freak of humour. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that the king should accede so readily to the proposal made to him, without either consulting the minister whose judgement he specially trusted (Daniel 6:3), or reflecting upon the difficulties in which it might involve him.

the den of lions the reference is "to the custom which existed already among the Assyrians, and from them was passed on to the Persians, of keeping lions for the chase" (Bevan): cf. Ezekiel 19:9. The word rendered -den" means properly a pitor dungeon: see the Targ. of Genesis 37:22; Jeremiah 38:6-7; and cf. Daniel 6:23 (-taken up"), and Daniel 6:24, end.