Daniel 6.16 [6.17]-Darius Consoles Daniel Before Giving the Order to Execute Him
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday March 14, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 6:16 (6:17)-Darius Consoles Daniel Before Giving the Order to Execute Him
Lesson # 187
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 6:16.
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.” 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. 16 Then these men conspired together to the detriment of the king and said to the king, “Please remember, O king that with regards to Medo-Persian law, each and every interdict, specifically, edict, which the king does issue, is irrevocable.” (My translation)
Daniel 6:16 Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” (NASB95)
“Then the king gave orders” presents the result of Daniel’s fellow supervisors and satraps conspiring together and reminding the king that with regards to Medo-Persian law, each and every interdict, specifically, edict, which the king did issue, was irrevocable.
“And Daniel was brought in” presents to the reader the purpose of Darius issuing an order and “and cast into the lions’ den” presents to the reader the purpose for which Darius ordered Daniel to be brought into his presence.
Daniel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is employing the figure of “asyndeton” because the Holy Spirit wants to emphasize with the reader the confidence Darius possessed in Daniel’s God to deliver despite his being deposited unceremoniously into a lion’s death.
“The king spoke” is composed of the masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active participle form of the verb ʿǎnā(h) (עֲנָה) (an-aw´), “spoke” and this is followed by the masculine singular form of the noun mě∙lěḵ (מֶלֶךְ) (meh´-lek), “the king.”
The verb ʿǎnā(h) means “to encourage” since the direct object clause to follow reveals that this is what Darius did in that he encouraged Daniel that his God would deliver him from the lions.
“Your God” is used by Darius to encourage Daniel to have faith in his God.
“Whom” is the particle dî (דִּי) (dee), which does not mean “whom” referring to Daniel’s God, but rather the word is a marker of cause meaning that it is introducing a statement Darius made to Daniel which is the reason why Darius is convinced that Daniel’s God will save him from the lions.
It denotes that Darius was of the conviction that “because” Daniel served his God faithfully, His God will Himself deliver him from death.
“You constantly serve” is composed of the second person masculine singular form of the personal pronoun ʾǎnt (אַנְתְּ) (ant), “you” and then we have the masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active participle form of the verb pelǎḥ (פְּלַח) (pel-akh´), “serve” which is followed by the preposition lĕ (לְ) (leh) which is not translated and its object is the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “whom” and then we have the preposition bĕ (בְּ) (beh), and its object is the feminine singular noun teḏîr (תְּדִיר) (ted-ee-raw´), which together are translated “constantly.”
The independent personal pronoun ʾǎnt means “you yourself” indicating that Darius is expressing great emotion when he encourages Daniel.
The verb pelǎḥ means “to serve deity” implying submission and thus giving honor and worship and denotes that Darius is affirming with Daniel that he served his God.
The noun teḏîr means “continuance” or “duration” and is the object of the preposition bĕ, which is a marker of a state or condition and denotes that Darius is acknowledging that Daniel was in continual state or condition of serving his God.
This prepositional phrase is used here in a figurative sense to denote Daniel’s “faithfulness” in serving his God.
“Will Himself deliver you” is composed of the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “Himself” which is followed by the third person masculine singular shaf’el (Hebrew: hiphil) active imperfect form of the verb šê∙ziḇ (שֵׁיזִב) (shez-ab´), “will deliver” and then once again we have the second person masculine singular pronominal suffix -ḵ (־ךְ), “you.”
The verb šê∙ziḇ means “to rescue, to deliver” from physical harm with the implication of being spared from physical death and is used of the God of Daniel delivering or rescuing him from physical death.
Daniel 6:16 (6:17) Therefore the king issued an order for the purpose of causing Daniel to be brought in to be unceremoniously deposited into a lion’s den. The king encouraged Daniel and said, “Your God, because you yourself serve Him faithfully, will rescue you.” (My translation)
After doing all he can to find a loophole legally so as to deliver Daniel from death, Darius issues an order to have him brought into his presence in order to execute him.
As Daniel was unceremoniously being deposited into the lion’s den the king encouraged him by declaring that his God would deliver him from the mouths of the lions because he served his God faithfully.
In other words, Darius is saying that Daniel’s faithful service to his God is the basis for his confidence that Daniel’s God will deliver from death.
Darius is acknowledging the ability of the God of Israel to deliver Daniel from death.
He views Daniel’s God as a God of deliverance and recognizes God’s sovereignty over the situation with Daniel in that he recognizes that God can overrule his decision and save Daniel from death.
Darius’ statement to Daniel expresses his faith in Daniel’s God since he recognizes that Daniel’s God is sovereign over him and has the ability to shut the mouths of the lions.
Daniel’s character and integrity has led Darius to have faith in his God.
The king would not have made this encouraging statement to Daniel if he did not believe that Daniel’s God was powerful enough to save him from the lions and sovereign to overrule his decision to execute Daniel.
In fact, the king would never have gone down to the pit the next morning to see if Daniel was alive if he didn’t think that God could deliver him.
He simply would never have come down and would have mourned for Daniel instead.
It’s quite possible that Darius heard about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego miraculously being delivered from Nebuchadnezzar’s hand.
Nebuchadnezzar had issued a proclamation throughout his world-wide kingdom praising the God of Israel for delivering these three in such a manner as we read in Daniel chapter three.
If Darius didn’t think Daniel’s God could save him, he would have simply said goodbye to Daniel and even apologized to him.
Also, Daniel more than likely spoke quite a bit with Darius about his God.
This knowledge of God which he received from Daniel who he admired and respected appeared to have led the king to have faith in Daniel’s God.
Faith says that God is able.
Darius in Daniel 6:16 (6:17) says that God is able to deliver Daniel from death.
So it appears that Darius is a believer at this point in the narrative.
However, in Daniel 6:20 (6:21), the morning after placing Daniel in the lion’s den, the king goes to the pit and cried out in a troubled voice to Daniel and asks if his God had delivered him from death.
It appears that Darius is expressing doubt in Daniel’s God’s ability to save him.
However, the king recognizes that God is sovereign as we noted earlier and could have decided not to save Daniel, thus, the king’s question in this verse simply reveals the king was not sure if God was willing to save Daniel.
He wasn’t doubting God’s ability to save Daniel but only doubting whether or not it was God’s will to save him.
Interestingly, in Daniel 6:16 (6:17), Darius identifies the God of Israel as Daniel’s God.
The king does not say the God of Israel was his God but rather Daniel’s God which would seem to indicate that the king was not a believer in the God of Israel and thus did not have a personal relationship with Him like Daniel.
Otherwise he would have identified the God of Israel as “his” God.
By calling the God of Israel “his” God, Darius would be saying that he had a personal knowledge or experience with God.
However, he has yet to have a personal experience with God and thus has no personal knowledge of God as of yet but will when God delivers Daniel.
The king trusted in God based upon what he knows of God from Daniel and possibly from Nebuchadnezzar’s decree recorded in Daniel chapter three.
The question arises then, “can one be saved without a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ?”
The answer of course is yes since the Scriptures make clear that one is saved through faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:16-18; Romans 3:23-30) and not personal experience with Jesus Christ.
One enters into a personal experience with the triune God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the fact that the king describes the God of Israel as Daniel’s God rather than his God simply is an indication that the king has not yet had a personal experience with God.
However, because of his faith in Daniel’s God, he will have a personal experience with God when God delivers Daniel.
Also, by not calling the God of Israel “his” God, Darius would be saying that he did not a personal relationship with God, which one can receive through faith.
However, the king might not be aware of the fact that he could have a relationship with God because he has a lack of knowledge about how he can attain this relationship through faith.
Furthermore, by identifying the God of Israel as Daniel’s God, Darius more than likely was simply encouraging Daniel to trust in the God of Israel who he possessed a personal relationship with.
The king is not focused upon himself at this point in the narrative but he is totally occupied with Daniel.
Thus, for the king to identify the God of Israel as Daniel’s God rather than his God would be appropriate for the king to say under these circumstances.
Therefore, based upon the revelation of the God of Israel, which the king received from Daniel personally or from what he heard from other sources like Nebuchadnezzar’s decrees recorded in chapters three and four, the king exercised faith in this revelation of the God of Israel.
Based upon what Daniel told the king about the God of Israel and Daniel’s godly conduct, Darius exercised faith in the God of Israel as demonstrated his encouraging statement to Daniel.
The king had yet to experience a personal relationship with the God of Israel or had yet to come into contact with him but that will soon change the next morning.
So the king knows Daniel’s God primarily and maybe even exclusively through Daniel.