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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.
Certainly it had been decided by Darius to save Daniel from the present danger with any possible means; therefore he sealed the entrance of the den with his own signet and invited the satraps to do the same. This had to be done for two reasons: first, in order that [the satraps] might not steal there without being seen and, after rolling off the lid, might kill him; second, in order that they might not spread among the people the rumor that some fraud had been used inside the den.
Verse 17. "A single stone was brought and placed over the opening of the pit, and the king sealed it with his ring..." He sealed with his ring the rock by which the opening of the pit was shut up, so that the enemies of Daniel might not make any attempt to harm him. For he had entrusted him to the power of God, and although not worried about lions, he was fearful of men. He also sealed it with the ring of his nobles, in order to avoid all ground for suspicion so far as they were concerned.
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SUMMARY
Daniel 6:17 vividly portrays the solemn and legally binding act of sealing the lions' den where Daniel had been cast, underscoring the perceived finality of his judgment. A massive stone, secured meticulously by the king's own signet and those of his lords, served as an unalterable testament to the rigid Medo-Persian law, ensuring that no human intervention could reverse the decreed fate concerning Daniel. This decisive act, intended to seal Daniel's doom and prevent any escape or rescue, paradoxically set the stage for a profound and public demonstration of divine sovereignty and miraculous deliverance, highlighting the ultimate powerlessness of human decrees against God's will.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Daniel 6:17 employs several potent literary devices that amplify its theological impact. Symbolism is profoundly evident, with the stone and the multiple seals representing the absolute, unchangeable nature of human law and the perceived finality of Daniel's doom. This physical barrier symbolizes the human attempt to control destiny and thwart any possibility of divine intervention. The act of sealing also functions as powerful Foreshadowing, setting up the dramatic contrast between the limitations of human power and the boundlessness of divine power; the more securely Daniel is sealed in, the more gloriously and undeniably God's miraculous deliverance will be demonstrated. Furthermore, there is a striking element of Irony, as the very act intended to guarantee Daniel's demise and prevent any change ultimately serves to highlight God's supreme ability to work through and reverse seemingly irreversible human decrees, transforming a death sentence into a resounding testimony of divine faithfulness and omnipotence.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Daniel 6:17 serves as a powerful testament to the perceived finality of human decrees and the seemingly insurmountable obstacles faced by God's faithful servants. The meticulous sealing of the den by both royal and noble authority underscores the human desire for absolute control and the belief in the ultimate power of earthly law. However, this human attempt to seal Daniel's fate ultimately sets the stage for a profound and undeniable demonstration of God's transcendent sovereignty. No human decree, no matter how binding, meticulously enforced, or seemingly irreversible, can ultimately thwart the divine will or prevent God from delivering His chosen ones. This verse highlights the inherent tension between finite human authority and infinite divine omnipotence, ultimately affirming that God's power is not limited by any earthly constraint or legal precedent. It is a powerful reminder that God's counsel stands, and His purposes cannot be frustrated.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Daniel 6:17 presents a stark and compelling picture of human authority attempting to assert final control, meticulously sealing a fate that appears utterly irreversible. Yet, it is precisely in such moments of human certainty and perceived hopelessness that God's power is most gloriously and undeniably revealed. For us today, this verse stands as a profound reminder that no situation, no matter how "sealed" by circumstances, human decrees, or even our own despair, is beyond the sovereign reach of God's intervention. When we face seemingly insurmountable obstacles, when our circumstances appear to be "sealed" against any positive outcome, or when we feel trapped by forces beyond our control, Daniel's story encourages us to look beyond the visible barriers to the invisible, omnipotent hand of God. It calls us to trust that God's purposes for us, and His ultimate plan for His kingdom, cannot be thwarted by human machinations or the limitations of this fallen world. Our faith is not in the absence of trials, but in the unwavering presence of a God who can open what is sealed, deliver from what seems certain, and bring life out of what appears to be death.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was the den sealed by both the king and his lords?
Answer: The den was sealed by both the king's signet and the signets of his lords to ensure the absolute legal finality and irrevocability of the decree against Daniel. In the Medo-Persian legal system, a law or decree, once enacted and sealed, was considered unchangeable (Daniel 6:8). By having both the highest royal authority and the collective authority of the lords (who were Daniel's accusers and political rivals) affix their seals, any possibility of tampering, reversal, or later claims of illicit intervention was completely eliminated. This act publicly validated the execution and bound all parties to its outcome, making it impossible for even King Darius to secretly rescue Daniel or for the lords to later claim the king had interfered. It underscored the perceived absolute power and unchallengeable nature of the human legal system.
What is the symbolic significance of the stone and the sealing in this context?
Answer: The stone and the act of sealing carry profound symbolic significance within the narrative. The stone represents a physical, unyielding barrier, signifying the complete isolation and containment of Daniel, and the seemingly insurmountable nature of his predicament. It is a powerful symbol of finality and human control over life and death. The sealing, especially with multiple authoritative signets, symbolizes the legal and administrative finality of the decree. It represents the ultimate human attempt to make a situation irreversible and to prevent any change in "the purpose" concerning Daniel. Theologically, these symbols highlight the depth of Daniel's humanly hopeless situation, thereby magnifying the miraculous power of God when He intervenes to deliver Daniel, demonstrating unequivocally that no human barrier, no matter how formidable, and no decree, no matter how legally binding, can ultimately thwart His divine will (compare Isaiah 43:13).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Daniel 6:17, with its vivid depiction of a righteous man sealed in a den of death by an unchangeable decree, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate sealing of Jesus Christ's tomb. Just as Daniel was condemned by a human decree and sealed in a den of lions, so too was Jesus condemned by human authorities and sealed in a tomb (Matthew 27:66). The massive stone laid over the den's mouth and secured by royal and noble signets mirrors the great stone rolled against Christ's tomb and sealed by Roman guards (Matthew 27:60) and the chief priests and Pharisees (Matthew 27:62-64). In both instances, the sealing was intended to ensure finality, prevent interference, and confirm the death of the condemned. However, just as God supernaturally intervened to shut the mouths of the lions for Daniel (Daniel 6:22), He likewise supernaturally intervened to raise Jesus from the dead, breaking the seals of death and the grave (Acts 2:24). Daniel's miraculous deliverance from the sealed den of death points to Christ's even greater victory over sin and death, demonstrating that no human decree, no earthly power, and certainly no sealed tomb, can ultimately contain the power of God or thwart His redemptive purposes for His Son and for all who believe in Him (Romans 8:37-39).