Daniel 6.24 [6.25]-Darius Orders the Execution of Daniel's Accusers Along with Their Families
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday April 2, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 6:24 (6:25)-Darius Orders the Execution of Daniel’s Accusers Along with Their Families
Lesson # 194
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 6:1.
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 attempting to cause a pretext to be found against Daniel with regards to governmental affairs. However, 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.” 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. 19 Then the king returned to his palace. However, he spent the night fasting. Also, diversions were never ordered to be brought into his presence. Indeed, to his detriment, his sleep fled. 20 Afterward the king at dawn, at first light got up in order to return immediately to the lions’ den. 21 Consequently when he came near the den, he shouted out to Daniel with a distressed voice. The king asked a question and said to Daniel, “O Daniel, the immanent, eternal God’s servant, because you yourself serve Him faithfully, did He prevail so as to deliver you from the lion?” 22 Thus Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever! 23 My God dispatched His angel in order to shut the lions’ mouths so that they never harmed me because in my favor, I was found innocent in His judgment. Indeed, furthermore, in your judgment O king, I never committed a crime.” 24 As a result, the king was extremely delighted for him. Then, he issued an order for the purpose of extracting Daniel from the den. Thus, Daniel was extracted from the den. Indeed, absolutely no injury of any kind was found on him because he confidently relied upon his God. (My translation)
Daniel 6:24 The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. (NASB95)
“Had maliciously accused” is composed of the third person masculine plural peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb ʾǎḵǎl (אֲכַל) (ak-al´), “had accused” and then we have the masculine plural construct form of the noun qerǎṣ (קְרַץ) (ker-ats´), “maliciously.”
The verb ʾǎḵǎl literally means “to chew to pieces” but figuratively it means “to slander.”
The word is modified by the noun qerǎṣ, which refers to a piece of something.
Together, they literally mean “to chew to pieces something.”
They form a Chaldean or Babylonian idiom for slanderously accusing someone of a crime.
Therefore, the verb refers to the act of Daniel’s fellow supervisors “slanderously accusing” him.
This idiom does not merely mean that these individuals accused Daniel of a crime but rather that they did so by slandering him since the expression literally speaks of these individuals chewing Daniel to pieces with their words.
“They cast them” is the third person masculine plural peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb remā(h) (רְמָה) (rem-aw´), which means “to be deposited unceremoniously” into the midst of a lion’s den or pit.
It denotes that Daniel’s accusers and their entire families were immediately and unceremoniously placed in a hurried and rough manner into a pit filled with lions.
“And they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them” is advancing upon and intensifying upon the previous statement that Daniel’s two fellow supervisors along with their wives and children were unceremoniously deposited into the lions’ den.
The advancement and intensification is that Daniel’s two fellow supervisors and their entire families were not only unceremoniously deposited into the lions’ den but they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones.
So this emphatic clause is emphasizing the ferocity of the very same lions who left Daniel alone.
“And crushed all their bones” expresses the shock that not only did the lions overpower Daniel’s accusers and their families before they reached the floor of the den but they also broke all their bones.
It denotes that, this is out of the ordinary and not what one expect a lion to do to its prey.
Lions kill their prey and eat it but they do not break every bone in their prey.
This statement emphasizes with the reader that supernatural ferocity of the lions.
Daniel 6:24 (6:25) Next the king issued orders for the purpose of causing those men to be brought in, who slanderously accused him, namely Daniel in order to unceremoniously cast into the lions’ den-they, their children as well as their wives. In fact, they had not even reached the den’s floor before the lions overpowered them. They even crushed each and every one of their bones. (My translation)
After ordering Daniel’s accusers to be brought to the lions’ den, Darius orders their execution along with their entire families.
Those who were executed were more than likely only Daniel’s two fellow supervisors and their entire families and would not include the other one hundred seventeen satraps that were involved in the plot against Daniel.
Darius would have only executed these two and their families since it would only be necessary to execute the ring leaders of the conspiracy.
He would have no more problems with the other satraps since they would be under Daniel’s authority and would be obedient since they would be thankful for not being executed along with their families since they were guilty as well.
Further indicating that Darius would have only executed Daniel’s two fellow supervisors is that it would be impossible for the lions to kill all one hundred nineteen of these individuals and their families since the lions’ den could not hold all these people along with the lions.
The Septuagint translators also interpret only the other two supervisors being executed and not all one hundred nineteen of them.
However, we don’t know exactly how big the lions’ den was or how many lions were in the den and it could have been hundreds for all we know.
The attempt by false accusation to exterminate this Jewish captive-turned-executive boomeranged (cf. Haman’s similar fate, Es. 7:9-10). The accusers had persuaded Darius to put in effect a decree that was intended to eliminate Daniel, but ironically they could not dissuade the king from eliminating them!
Daniel’s two fellow supervisors and their entire families were not only unceremoniously deposited into the lions’ den but they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones.
So this is emphasizing the ferocity of the very same lions who left Daniel alone.
The supernatural ferocity of the lions serves as proof Daniel’s supernatural deliverance since the very same lions who did not touch Daniel, kill Daniel’s accusers and their entire families before they even reached the bottom of the floor of the lions’ den and even broke all their bones, which is not the norm for a lion when it kills its prey.
So no one can say that the lions left Daniel alone because they were not hungry since these same starved lions did not even wait till the conspirators and their families had hit the ground before killing them and then break all their bones.
Darius does not even give the lead conspirators a trial since they had already admitted their guilt to him.
The fact that Daniel’s fellow supervisors and satraps introduced to Darius the idea of the law which condemned Daniel to death and then reminded the king of the irrevocability of this law made clear to Darius that these men did not share the same view of Daniel as he did.
It revealed to the king that Daniel’s fellow supervisors and satraps conspired together against him.
Darius was now certain that they had manipulated him into signing into law the interdict prohibiting any one from praying to their god for a month.
It was now clear to the king that they were in a rush to have him execute Daniel.
He then could see that they were jealous and envious of Daniel because he was intending to place Daniel in authority over all of them.
This foolish action on the part of the conspirators worked against them as we see here in Daniel 6:24 (6:25).
The conspirators’ ill-advised action of reminding Darius of the irrevocability of Medo-Persian law which he was well aware of infuriated the king even more.
They were not only expressing their contempt for Daniel but mocking the king as well since in effect they were saying to him “you are powerless to save Daniel and we know it. You’ve been made a fool of.”
The king now knew they certainly didn’t have his best interests in mind and could never be trusted.
The impatience of the conspirators to have Darius give the order to execute Daniel blinded them to the fact that they were exposing their conspiracy to the king.
They were so determined to have Daniel executed that they exposed themselves in full view of Darius as conspiring against Daniel and manipulating the king to sign into law an edict, which Daniel disobeyed.
Amazingly, the conspirators underestimated the fact that Darius valued Daniel so greatly.
They were seeking the death penalty for a man the king greatly valued, admired and respected.
The king’s intention of placing Daniel in authority over the entire kingdom was the result of the king being so impressed with Daniel’s abilities, talents and character.
By coming out into the open and demonstrating their hostility toward Daniel in the presence of Darius, was absolutely foolish.
Their arrogance and hostility toward Daniel blinded them to the fact that the king could retaliate against them at any time.
They should have never approached the king again.
By doing so, they wrote their own death sentence for the king was sure to retaliate and give Daniel justice whether Daniel’s God saved him or not.
Daniel 6:24 (6:25) records divine justice being executed.
The general principle of Biblical criminal justice is that if someone attempts to or does wrongly inflict punishment on someone, then when the innocent party is vindicated, they are to suffer the penalty they sought to inflict on the innocent party.
Therefore, those who sought to unjustly put Daniel to death are themselves put to death.
Those who slanderously accused Daniel were executed just as they executed Daniel. This is the law of retaliation which is related to civil law or the responsibility of the civil government’s responsibilities to its citizens.
Not only were the men who slanderously accused Daniel executed but also their entire families, which is according to Persian law.
Under the Mosaic Law, children were not to be put to death for the sins of their fathers (Deuteronomy 24:16; cf. Jeremiah 31:29-30; Ezekiel 18), thus we can see here in Daniel 6:24 (6:25), the Mosaic Law was superior to Persian law.