Daniel 6.14 [6.15]-Darius Frantically Attempts to Find a Way to Deliver Daniel After Hearing He Violated the Interdict
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday March 12, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 6:14 (6:15)-Darius Frantically Attempts to Find a Way to Deliver Daniel After Hearing He Violated the Interdict
Lesson # 185
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 5:31.
Daniel 6:1 Now, Darius the Mede received the kingdom at sixty-two years of age. 2 It was considered a good idea by Darius to establish one hundred twenty satraps over the kingdom in order that they would be in authority over the entire kingdom. 3 Also, out from, over them, three supervisors, of whom Daniel was one of them in order that these satraps would exist in the state of having to give an account to them so that the king would never be able to suffer loss. 4 Then this Daniel was distinguishing himself above the supervisors as well as satraps because an extraordinary spirit was in him. Consequently, the king intended to establish him over the entire kingdom 5 as a result, the supervisors as well as the satraps were repeatedly attempting to cause a pretext to be found against Daniel with regards to governmental affairs. However, repeatedly they were totally unable to cause any pretext in the form of corruption to be found because he was trustworthy. Indeed, no negligence in the form of corruption was found against him. 6 Therefore, these men concluded, “We will never be able to cause a pretext to be found against this Daniel unless we cause it be found in connection with the law originating from his God.” 7 Consequently, these supervisors as well as the satraps conspired together to the detriment of the king and said the following to the king, “King Darius, live forever! 8 Each and every one of the supervisors over the kingdom, namely the senior officials well as the satraps, that is the royal officials, in other words the governors are in agreement that the king should issue an edict. Specifically, an interdict, which should be enforced in order that whoever makes a request from any god or human being during a thirty day period except from you, O king, must be unceremoniously deposited into a lion’s den. 9 Now, please O king establish an interdict. Specifically, please sign the document into law in order that it can never be changed according to Medo-Persian law, which can never be revoked.” 10 Because of this, King Darius signed the document into law, that is, the interdict. 11 Now when Daniel was aware that the document was signed into law, he entered his home, which had windows in its upper room swung open toward Jerusalem. Then he worshipped on his knees three times during the day. Indeed, as was his custom, he prayed while giving thanks in the presence of his God just as he had been doing previously. 12 Then these men conspired together, namely, they found Daniel making request, specifically, making an earnest and urgent prayer request in the presence of his God. 13 Consequently they came into the king’s presence and posed a question with regards to the interdict issued by the king, “Did you not sign an interdict, namely that, any person who makes a request from any god or human being during a thirty day period except from you, O king, must be unceremoniously deposited into a lion’s den?” The king replied and said, “Absolutely, the decree is according to Medo-Persian law, which can never be revoked.” 14 Thus they replied in the presence of the king and said that, “Daniel, who is one of the deported people from Judah, has absolutely no respect for your command, O king, that is, for your interdict, which you signed into law. Instead, three times during the course of the day, he regularly makes his request.” (My translation)
Daniel 6:14 Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him. (NASB95)
“Then” is of the adverb ʾěḏǎ∙yin (אֱדַיִן) (ed-ah´-yin), which is a marker of result meaning that it is introducing a statement which presents the result of the previous statement recorded in Daniel 6:13 (6:14).
Therefore, ʾěḏǎ∙yin denotes that “as a result of” hearing that Daniel violated the interdict, Darius became extremely upset and made a frantic attempt well into the night to bring about the deliverance of Daniel from the death penalty.
“As soon as” is composed of the preposition k (כְּ־) (kee) and its object is the particle dî (דִּי) (dee), which together are translated “as soon as.”
The preposition k and the particle dî are employed together also as a temporal marker and are also answering the question as to when Darius became extremely upset and frantically attempted to deliver Daniel from death.
These two words function as a marker relating points of time.
Therefore, they denote “when” Darius was informed that Daniel disobeyed the interdict the king recently signed into law, he became extremely upset and frantically attempted to save Daniel from the death penalty.
“This statement” is the feminine singular form of the noun mil∙lā(h) (מִלָּה) (mil-law´), which means “the charge” since it refers to Daniel’s fellow supervisors and satraps issuing to Darius a formal assertion of illegality on the part of Daniel.
It refers to the assertion made by the conspirators against Daniel ascribing guilt to him.
“Deeply distressed” is composed of the masculine singular form of the adjective śǎg∙gî(ʾ) (שַׂגִּיא) (sag-ghee´), “deeply” which is modifying the third person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb beʾēš (בְּאֵשׁ) (bĕ-aysh´), “distressed.”
The verb beʾēš means “to be distressed” referring to the state of experiencing mental anguish, implying an external and usually temporary cause of great mental strain and stress.
Thus, this word denotes that Darius experienced great mental anguish as a result of hearing the news that his favorite satrap had violated the interdict he recently signed into law.
The verb beʾēš is modified by the adjective śǎg∙gî(ʾ), which functions here as an adverb and means “extremely, very” referring to a very great degree on a scale.
Here it describes Darius as becoming “extremely” distressed or very upset as a result of hearing that Daniel had disobeyed the interdict he recently signed into law.
“And set his mind on delivering Daniel” presents the result of the previous statement that Darius became extremely upset upon hearing the news that Daniel had disobeyed the interdict he just recently signed into law.
Therefore, it indicates that “as a result of” hearing the news that Daniel had disobeyed the interdict he recently signed into law, the king was determined to deliver Daniel from the death penalty.
“Set his mind” is composed of the third person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb śîm (שִׂים) (soom), “set” which is followed by the masculine singular bāl (בָּל) (bawl), “mind.”
The noun bāl means “mind” and is employed with the verb śîm, which literally means “to set the mind on” something, “to make up the mind” with regards to a specific course of action.
These two words mean “to be determined in one’s thinking to perform a specific course of action.”
These two words literally means that Darius “set his mind on” delivering Daniel from death.
In other words, he “was determined” to deliver his favorite satrap from the death penalty.
“And even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him” is advancing upon and intensifying the previous statement, which tells the reader that Darius was determined to deliver Daniel from death as a result of hearing the news that he disobeyed the interdict the king signed into law.
“He kept exerting himself” is composed of the third person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb ḥǎwā(h) (חֲוָה) (khav-aw´), “he kept” which is followed by the third person masculine singular hitpaʿʿal (Hebrew: piel) middle participle form of the verb šeḏǎr (שְׁדַר) (shed-ar´), “exerting himself.”
The verb šeḏǎr means “to make every effort, to strive, to take pains to do something, implying great intensity of effort” and refers to Darius “making every effort” to rescue Daniel from being executed.
Daniel 6:14 (6:15) Consequently when the king heard the charge against him he was extremely upset. Thus, with regards to Daniel, he was determined to deliver him. Indeed, until sunset, he repeatedly made every effort to rescue him. (My translation)
Upon hearing the news that Daniel had disobeyed the interdict which he recently signed into law, Darius the Mede became extremely upset and consequently was determined to deliver Daniel from death.
In fact, the king was so determined that he repeatedly made every effort until sundown when the execution would take place to rescue Daniel.
Evidently, the interdict prescribed that the sentence of death be carried out the same day as the crime.
So Darius made every attempt to rescue Daniel, right up to the moment of execution.
These efforts would involve laboring all day with lawyers and other governmental officials to find a flaw or loophole that could save Daniel.
The king was extremely upset not only with hearing the news of his favorite and most prized satrap violated the interdict but also he was extremely upset with the supervisors and satraps who manipulated him into signing the interdict into law.
Furthermore, he was extremely upset with himself for allowing himself to be manipulated and not having enough discernment to see the true motive of the conspirators when they proposed this interdict to him.
The king was not upset with Daniel since he had done nothing wrong to Darius but was the object of the conspirators’ wrath.
In fact, remember, the king was so impressed with Daniel that he was going to give him authority over the entire kingdom.
The king’s intention to do this led to the plot against Daniel.
The king’s frantic attempts to save Daniel reveal the great admiration and respect and even love he had for him.
This incident of Darius being manipulated by members of his government serves as an excellent example of why Christians today should obey the command to pray for their leaders since they are besieged from every direction by men and women who have evil intentions (1 Timothy 2:1-8).