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Commentary on Daniel 6 verses 11–17
Here is 1. Proof made of Daniel's praying to his God, notwithstanding the late edict to the contrary (Dan 6:11): These men assembled; the came tumultuously together, so the word is, the same that was used Dan 6:6, borrowed from Psa 2:1, Why do the heathen rage? They came together to visit Daniel, perhaps under pretence of business, at that time which they knew to be his usual hour of devotion; and, if they had not found him so engaged, they would have upbraided him with his faint-heartedness and distrust of his God, but (which they rather wished to do) they found him on his knees praying and making supplication before his God. For his love they are his adversaries; but, like his father David, he gives himself unto prayer, Psa 109:4. 2. Complaint made of it to the king. When they had found occasion against Daniel concerning the law of his God they lost no time, but applied to the king (Dan 6:12), and having appealed to his whether there was not such a law made, and gained from him a recognition of it, and that it was so ratified that it might not be altered, they proceeded to accuse Daniel, Dan 6:13. They so describe him, in the information they give, as to exasperate the king and incense him the more against him: "He is of the children of the captivity of Judah; he is of Judah, that despicable people, and now a captive in a despicable state, that can call nothing his own but what he has by the king's favour, and yet he regards not thee, O king! nor the decree that thou hast signed." Note, It is no new thing for that which is done faithfully, in the conscience towards God, to be misrepresented as done obstinately and in contempt of the civil powers, that is, for the best saints to be reproached as the worst men. Daniel regarded God, and therefore prayed, and we have reason to think prayed for the king and his government, yet this is construed as not regarding the king. That excellent spirit which Daniel was endued with, and that established reputation which he had gained, could not protect him from these poisonous darts. They do not say, He makes his petition to his God, lest Darius should take notice of that to his praise, but only, He makes his petition, which is the thing the law forbids. 3. The great concern the king was in hereupon. He now perceived that, whatever they pretended, it was not to honour him, but in spite to Daniel, that they had proposed that law, and now he is sorely displeased with himself for gratifying them in it, Dan 6:14. Note, When men indulge a proud vain-glorious humour, and please themselves with that which feeds it, they know not what vexations they are preparing for themselves; their flatterers may prove their tormentors, and are but spreading a net for their feet. Now, the king sets his heart to deliver Daniel; both by argument and by authority he labours till the going down of the sun to deliver him, that is, to persuade his accusers not to insist upon his prosecution. Note, We often do that, through inconsideration, which afterwards we see cause a thousand times to wish undone again, which is a good reason why we should ponder the path of our feet, for then all our ways will be established. 4. The violence with which the prosecutors demanded judgment, Dan 6:15. We are not told what Daniel said; the king himself is his advocate, he needs not plead his own cause, but silently commits himself and it to him that judges righteously. But the prosecutors insist upon it that the law must have its course; it is a fundamental maxim in the constitution of the government of the Medes and Persians, which had now become the universal monarchy, that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed. The same we find Est 1:19; Est 8:8. The Chaldeans magnified the will of their king, by giving him a power to make and unmake laws at his pleasure, to slay and keep alive whom he would. The Persians magnified the wisdom of their king, by supposing that whatever law he solemnly ratified it was so well made that there could be no occasion to alter it, or dispense with it, as if any human foresight could, in framing a law, guard against all inconveniences. But, if this maxim be duly applied to Daniel's case (as I am apt to think it is not, but perverted), while it honours the king's legislative power it hampers his executive power, and incapacitates him to show that mercy which upholds the throne, and to pass acts of indemnity, which are the glories of a reign. Those who allow not the sovereign's power to dispense with a disabling statute, yet never question his power to pardon an offence against a penal statute. But Darius is denied this power. See what need we have to pray for princes that God would give them wisdom, for they are often embarrassed with great difficulties, even the wisest and best are. 5. The executing of the law upon Daniel. The king himself, with the utmost reluctance, and against his conscience, signs the warrant for his execution; and Daniel, that venerable grave man, who carried such a mixture of majesty and sweetness in his countenance, who had so often looked great upon the bench, and at the council-board, and greater upon his knees, who had power with God and man, and had prevailed, is brought, purely for worshipping his God, as if he had been one of the vilest of malefactors, and thrown into the den of lions, to be devoured by them, Dan 6:16. One cannot think of it without the utmost compassion to the gracious sufferer and the utmost indignation at the malicious prosecutors. To make sure work, the stone laid upon the mouth of the den is sealed, and the king (an over-easy man) is persuaded to seal it with his own signet (Dan 6:17), that unhappy signet with which he had confirmed the law that Daniel falls by. But his lords cannot trust him, unless they add their signets too. Thus, when Christ was buried, his adversaries sealed the stone that was rolled to the door of his sepulchre. 6. The encouragement which Darius gave to Daniel to trust in God: Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee, Dan 6:16. Here (1.) He justifies Daniel from guilt, owning all his crime to be serving his God continually, and continuing to do so even when it was made a crime. (2.) He leaves it to God to free him from punishment, since he could not prevail to do it: He will deliver thee. He is sure that his God can deliver him, for he believes him to be an almighty God, and he has reason to think he will do it, having heard of his delivering Daniel's companions in a like case from the fiery furnace, and concluding him to be always faithful to those who approve themselves faithful to him. Note, Those who serve God continually he will continually preserve, and will bear them out in his service.
Verse 15. "But those men, understanding the king's intent, said to him: 'Be it known to thee, O king, that no law of the Medes and Persians, nor any decree which the king has enacted, is capable of alteration.'" Just as the king understood that the princes were making their accusation out of motives of envy, so also they for their part understood what the king's purpose was, namely that he wished to rescue Daniel from imminent death. And so they allege that according to the law of the Medes and Persians, the commands of a king cannot be nullified.
You do not have the authority to overturn what you have prescribed, the laws of Medes and Persians ordering that the laws passed by the previous king be fulfilled. Under pressure both from the compelling logic of the words and from the number of the accusers, the king surrendered blessed Daniel to the lions.
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SUMMARY
Daniel 6:15 captures a critical moment in the narrative of Daniel in the lions' den, revealing the unyielding and irreversible nature of Medo-Persian law. This verse depicts the conspirators' calculated approach to King Darius, reminding him of the absolute immutability of the decree he had just signed, thereby sealing Daniel's fate according to human statute and setting the stage for a profound demonstration of divine intervention. It powerfully underscores the rigid legal framework of the empire, which even the reigning monarch could not alter, highlighting the inherent limitations and potential for injustice within human systems of governance.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several potent literary devices to heighten the drama and underscore its theological implications. Irony is profoundly prominent, as King Darius, the supreme ruler of a vast empire, finds himself utterly powerless and trapped by the very law he himself enacted. His absolute authority is paradoxically limited by his own legal system, creating a stark and tragic situation for him. There is also a strong element of Foreshadowing, as the unchangeable nature of human law sets the stage for the miraculous divine intervention that will demonstrate God's superior power and unchanging character. The Contrast between the rigid, unbending, and often unjust human law and the flexible, merciful, yet ultimately just, will of God is implicitly highlighted throughout the narrative. Furthermore, the conspirators' precise and legalistic language ("no decree nor statute... may be changed") exemplifies Legalism, where the letter of the law is strictly enforced, even when it leads to clear injustice and contradicts the spirit of mercy or fairness.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Daniel 6:15 profoundly illustrates the inherent limitations and potential for corruption within human governance and legal systems. While laws are undeniably essential for societal order and justice, this verse powerfully reveals how even well-intended or foundational legal frameworks can be exploited for malicious purposes, leading to grave injustice and the condemnation of the innocent. It underscores the stark contrast between the fallibility and mutability of human decrees, which can be rigid, unmerciful, and subject to manipulation, and the unchanging, righteous, and ultimately merciful character of God. God's decrees are eternal, perfect, and not subject to human manipulation or reversal, and His justice is always tempered with profound grace and unfailing love. This passage serves as a powerful reminder that ultimate trust and allegiance should not be placed in human institutions or rulers, however powerful they may seem, but in the sovereign God who can intervene and overrule even when human systems fail or conspire against the righteous.
Cross-references that illuminate these connections include:
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Daniel 6:15 offers profound lessons for believers today, highlighting the perpetual tension between human law and divine justice. It calls us to recognize that while we are indeed called to obey the laws of the land, as exhorted in Romans 13:1, our ultimate allegiance and highest loyalty belong unequivocally to God, especially when human decrees conflict with divine commands or principles of righteousness. The rigidity of the Medo-Persian law, though ostensibly intended for stability and order, became a cruel tool for injustice, reminding us that even the most robust and well-structured human systems are inherently flawed and can be manipulated by those with evil intent or selfish ambition. This sobering reality should prompt us to earnestly pray for our leaders and for justice within our legal systems, advocating for laws that genuinely reflect righteousness, mercy, and equity. Furthermore, Daniel's unwavering faith and steadfast obedience in the face of an unchangeable human decree serve as an inspiring and powerful example of integrity, courage, and profound trust in God's sovereignty, even when circumstances seem dire and human solutions are utterly exhausted. It encourages us to stand firm in our convictions, knowing that God is able to work beyond the confines of human limitations and to deliver His faithful servants.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was the law of the Medes and Persians considered unchangeable?
Answer: The immutability of Medo-Persian law was a defining characteristic and a point of pride for their legal system, meticulously designed to ensure stability, consistency, and predictability across their vast and diverse empire. Once a decree was formally signed and sealed by the king, it became an unalterable statute, preventing arbitrary changes by the current monarch or any future rulers. This tradition is explicitly highlighted in other biblical texts, such as Esther 1:19 and Esther 8:8, reinforcing its historical accuracy and significance. While this rigidity was seen as a strength, providing order and preventing chaos, as Daniel 6:15 vividly demonstrates, it could also be exploited for malicious purposes, leading to severe injustice and trapping even the king himself.
Did King Darius know the law was unchangeable when he signed the decree?
Answer: While the text does not explicitly state Darius's full awareness of the decree's unchangeable nature at the precise moment of signing, it is highly probable, if not certain, that he did. As the king of the Medo-Persian Empire, he would have been intimately familiar with its foundational legal principles and the binding nature of his own decrees once sealed. His profound distress and desperate efforts to save Daniel after realizing the trap (Daniel 6:14) strongly suggest he fully understood the irreversible consequences of his signature. The conspirators' explicit reminder in Daniel 6:15 serves not to inform him of a new fact, but to underscore this unyielding legal reality and to prevent the king from attempting to find any loophole or means of reversal.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Daniel 6:15, with its stark portrayal of an unchangeable human law leading to the condemnation of the innocent, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate divine decree of salvation through Jesus Christ. While the law of the Medes and Persians was rigid and unyielding, trapping even the king in its consequences and condemning the righteous Daniel, God's eternal decree of justice and mercy is perfectly immutable and unchangeable, yet it leads to life, not condemnation, for all who believe. The "law" that Christ fulfilled was not a flawed human statute, but the perfect and holy Law of God, which humanity, in its sinfulness, could never perfectly keep. Jesus, the truly innocent One, was condemned by human decree and a tragically flawed legal process, as seen in John 19:16, much like Daniel. However, unlike Daniel's miraculous deliverance from the lions' den, Christ's death was not an escape but a purposeful, substitutionary sacrifice, an unchangeable act of divine love that fully satisfied the demands of God's perfect justice and broke the power of sin and death. His glorious resurrection serves as the ultimate "alteration" of death's decree, establishing a new covenant based on grace and an everlasting kingdom whose laws are righteous and true, and whose King reigns forever, as affirmed in Hebrews 7:24. The unchangeable nature of God's covenant promises in Christ provides a foundation far more secure and eternally reliable than any human law, offering an unshakeable hope and an everlasting kingdom, as beautifully articulated in Hebrews 6:17-19.