Daniel 6.17 [6.18]-The Irrevocability of Order to Execute Daniel is Signified by a Stone Sealing Mouth of Lion's Den and the Signet Rings of King and His Nobles
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday March 19, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 6:17 (6:18)-The Irrevocability of Order to Execute Daniel is Signified by a Stone Sealing Mouth of Lion’s Den and the King and His Nobles Signet Rings
Lesson # 188
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 6:17.
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.” 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)
Daniel 6:17 A stone was brought and laid 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 in regard to Daniel. (NASB95)
“A stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den” marks the next action after the events recorded in Daniel 6:16 (6:17).
Therefore, it is marking this action as taking place after Darius encouraged Daniel that his God would rescue him after the king gave the order to execute Daniel.
“A stone” is composed of the feminine singular noun ʾě∙ḇěn (אֶבֶן) (eh´-ben), “stone” which is followed by the feminine singular adjective ḥǎḏ (חַד) (khad), “a.”
The noun ʾě∙ḇěn means “a stone, rock” referring to a rock large enough to cover the opening to the lion’s den and heavy enough to prevent it being moved by one man.
It is modified by the adjective ḥǎḏ, which means “a certain particular” emphasizing that this stone was a certain particular stone which was used to seal this lion’s den when executing a criminal.
Some expositors argue that this adjective has a weakened force and functions as an indefinite article meaning “a.”
However, it is better to view this adjective as marking out this stone as a certain particular stone that was used to seal the lion’s den since it could not be just any old stone lying around but one that was sufficient to prevent the escape of Daniel or hinder somebody attempting to rescue him.
“And laid over the mouth of the den” presents the purpose of a large stone being brought to the mouth of the lions’ den.
“And the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles” marks the next action that took place in the execution of Daniel.
“Sealed” is the third person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb ḥǎṯǎm (חֲתַם) (khath-am´), which means “to affix a seal” with a signet ring.
It refers to the act of stamping an impression into clay or wax, or rolling a signet ring across it.
Thus, after a large stone was placed over the mouth of the lions’ den, the king sealed it with clay tablets upon which he pressed his royal seal and the seals of his nobles who were witnesses to Daniel’s execution.
This verb indicates that the king and his nobles rolled their own cylinder seal across the face of the moist tablets attached to the chains holding the large, heavy stone in place.
“Signet ring” is the noun ʿiz·qā(h) (עִזְקָה) (iz-kaw´), which refers to a ring worn on the finger that personally seals and validates official business of the kingdom.
“So that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel” presents the purpose of Darius the Mede sealing the large, heavy stone which was placed over the mouth of the lions’ den with his signet ring and the signet rings of his nobles.
“Nothing would be changed” is composed of the negative particle lā(ʾ) (לָא) (law), which is negating the meaning of the second person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active imperfect form of the verb šenā(h) (שְׁנָה) (shen-aw´), “changed” and then we have the feminine singular noun ṣeḇû (צְבוּ) (tseb-oo´), which is not translated.
The noun ṣeḇû means “matter” referring to the execution of Daniel.
The verb šenā(h) means “to change” in the sense of state or condition being altered and is emphatically negated by the marker of emphatic negation or prohibition lā(ʾ).
Therefore, these two words denote that the king sealed the large, heavy stone placed over the mouth of the lions’ den with his signet ring and the signet rings of his nobles in order that Daniel’s situation could never change or be altered in the sense of him leaving the den alive.
The imperfect conjugation of the verb is a potential imperfect indicating that Darius sealed the large, heavy stone placed over the mouth of the lions’ den with his signet ring and those of his nobles in order that Daniel’s situation in the lions’ den “could” never change or be altered.
Daniel 6:17 (6:18) Then a particular stone was brought for the purpose of being placed over the den’s mouth. Next, the king sealed it with his signet ring as well as with his nobles’ signet rings in order that this matter could never be altered. (My translation)
After Daniel was unceremoniously deposited into the lions’ den and Darius offered him words of encouragement that his God would rescue him, a large, heavy stone was brought to the mouth of the lions den and placed over it.
The king then sealed this large, heavy stone with his and his nobles’ signet rings, which would make Daniel’s execution irrevocable.
As we noted, Medo-Persian law was irrevocable.
This seal affixed to the large, heavy stone signified this irrevocability.
No one could save Daniel now but only his God.
Daniel was doomed to death from the human perspective.
This large, heavy stone served a special purpose in that it would prevent anyone from delivering Daniel and would guarantee his execution.
It would also prevent Darius from rescuing Daniel and his accusers from killing Daniel if he somehow escaped.
Undoubtedly, the conspirators who were the king’s nobles were chuckling to themselves that they had rid themselves of Daniel.
However, little did they know that Daniel’s God was about to intervene and deliver him thus sealing their fate since Darius immediately orders their execution after Daniel’s deliverance.
The sealing of the stone which was placed over the mouth of the lions’ den reminds us of the Roman seal which was affixed to the large rock which was placed over the tomb of Jesus by Pilate at the request of the scribes and Pharisees.
This Roman seal would serve to prevent the theft of the body of the Lord Jesus and the breaking of it would result in the death penalty.
This seal like the seal Darius which he affixed to the large, heavy rock over the mouth of the lions’ den was no match for the omnipotence of God.
The same divine power that raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead serve to shut the mouths of the lions.
Just as the Roman seal serve to magnify the miracle of the raising of Jesus from the dead so the Medo-Persian seal would serve to magnify the miracle of delivering Daniel from the mouths of lions.
