1 Daniel is made chief of the presidents.
4 They, conspiring against him, obtain an idolatrous decree.
10 Daniel, accused of the breach thereof, is cast into the lion's den.
18 Daniel is saved;
24 his adversaries devoured;
25 and God magnified by a decree.

Darius. 5:31 1Pe 2:14

an. Ex 18:21,22 Es 1:1

2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.

of. 2:48,49 5:16,29 1Sa 2:30 Pr 3:16

that. Mt 18:23 Lu 16:2

and the. Ezr 4:22 Es 7:4 Pr 26:6 Lu 19:13 1Co 4:2

3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

was preferred. Pr 22:29

and. 5:12,14 9:23 Ge 41:38-41 Ne 7:2 Pr 3:3,4 17:27 Ec 2:13

thought. Intended to make him [grand vizier] or [emirul umra]. Daniel had now been employed full sixty-five years as prime minister under the kings of Babylon; and was justly entitled, from his acknowledged wisdom, to this preference.

4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

Cir. A.M. 3467. B.C. 537. sought. 3:8 Ge 43:18 Jud 14:4 Ps 37:12,13,32,33 Pr 29:27 Ec 4:4 Jer 18:18,23 20:10 Mt 26:4 27:18 Lu 20:20 22:2

but. 1Sa 18:14 19:4,5 22:14 Lu 23:14,15 Joh 19:4 2Co 11:12 Php 2:15 1Ti 5:14 Tit 2:8 1Pe 2:12 3:16 4:14-16

5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

1Sa 24:17 Es 3:8 Joh 19:6,7 Ac 24:13-16,20,21

6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.

assembled together. or, came tumultuously. 11 Ps 56:6 62:3 64:2-6 Mt 27:23-25 Lu 23:23-25 Ac 22:22,23

King. 21 2:4 3:9 5:10 Ne 2:3 Ac 24:2

7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

All. 2,3 3:2,27

have consulted. Ps 2:2 59:3 62:4 83:1-3 94:20 Mic 6:5 Mt 12:14 26:4 Mr 15:1 Joh 12:10 Ac 4:5-7,26-28

decree. or, interdict. he shall. 3:6,11 Ps 10:9 Na 2:12

8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

establish. Es 3:12 8:10 Isa 10:1

according. 12,15 Es 1:19 8:3

altereth not. Chal. passeth not. Mt 24:35

9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

signed. Ps 62:9,10 118:9 146:3 Pr 6:2 Isa 2:22

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

when. Lu 14:26 Ac 4:17-19

his windows. 1Ki 8:30,38,44,48-50 2Ch 6:38 Ps 5:7 Jon 2:4 Heb 4:16

he kneeled. 1Ki 8:54 2Ch 6:13 Ezr 9:5 Ps 95:6 Lu 22:41 Ac 7:60 9:40 20:36 Ac 21:5 Eph 3:14

three. 13 Ps 55:17 86:3 Ac 2:1,2,15 3:1 10:9

gave. Ps 34:1 Php 4:6 Col 3:17 1Th 5:17,18 Heb 13:15

as he. Ne 6:11 Ps 11:1,2 Mt 10:28-33 Lu 12:4-9 Ac 4:18,19,29 Ac 5:20,29,40,41-42 20:24 Php 1:14,20 Re 2:10,13

11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

assembled. 6 Ps 10:9 37:32,33

12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

they. 3:8-12 Ac 16:19,24 24:2-9

the den. It is probable that these lions were kept for the purposed of devouring certain criminals, whom the laws might consign to that kind of death.

The thing. 8 Es 1:19

13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

That Daniel. 1:6 2:25 5:13

regardeth. 3:12 Es 3:8 Ac 5:29 17:7

14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

was sore. The king now clearly perceived for what purpose the decree had been solicited; and was exceedingly displeased with himself that he had suffered himself to be so deluded.

3:13 Mt 27:17-24 Mr 6:26 Lu 23:13-21 Joh 19:7-12

and he. He strove during the whole day, by every means, to evade or annul the edict; but the foolish constitution of his government (exactly the reverse of the happy rule for the conduct of our gracious monarch) did not allow them to pardon any person who had broken one of their decrees, however arbitrary and unreasonable.

2Sa 3:28,29

15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

Know. 8,12 Es 8:8 Ps 94:20,21

16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

the king. 2Sa 3:39 Pr 29:25 Jer 26:14 38:5 Mt 14:8-10 27:23-26 Mr 6:25-28 15:14,15 Joh 19:12-16 Ac 24:27 25:9,11 Ro 13:3

Thy God. 20 3:15,17,28 Job 5:19 Ps 37:39,40 91:14-16 118:8,9 Isa 43:2 Ac 27:23,24

17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

a stone. La 3:53 Mt 27:60-66 Ac 12:4 16:23,24

18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.

and passed. 2Sa 12:16,17 19:24 1Ki 21:27 Job 21:12 Ps 137:2 Ec 2:8 Isa 24:8,9 Am 6:4-6 Jon 3:3-9 Re 18:22

instruments. or, table. and. 2:1 Es 6:1 Ps 77:4

19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.

Mt 28:1 Mr 16:2 2Co 2:13 1Th 3:5

20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

is. 16,27 3:15,17,28,29

servest. 1Ch 16:11 Ps 71:14-18 73:23 119:112 146:2 Pr 23:17,18 Ho 12:6 Lu 18:1 Ac 6:4 Ro 2:7 Col 4:2 1Th 5:17,18 Jas 1:25

able. 3:17 Ge 18:14 Nu 11:23 14:15,16 Jer 32:17 Lu 1:37 2Co 1:10 2Ti 1:12 4:16-18 Heb 7:25 Jude 24

21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.

O king. 6 2:4 Ne 2:3

22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

My God. 20 2Sa 22:7 Ps 31:14 38:21 118:28 Mic 7:7 Mt 27:46 Joh 20:17 Joh 20:18

hath sent. 3:28 Nu 20:16 2Ch 32:21 Ps 34:7 Isa 63:9 Ac 12:11 27:23

hath shut. 1Sa 17:37 Ps 91:11-13 2Ti 4:17 Heb 11:33

forasmuch. 23 Ps 18:19-24 26:6 84:11 Isa 3:10 Ac 24:16 2Co 1:12 1Jo 3:19-21

and also. Ge 40:15 1Sa 24:9-11 26:18 Ps 7:1-4 Ac 25:8-11

23 Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

was. 14,18 Ex 18:9 1Ki 5:7 2Ch 2:11,12

because. 3:25,27,28 1Ch 5:20 2Ch 20:20 Ps 37:40 118:8,9 146:3-6 Pr 18:10 Isa 26:3 Mr 9:23 Heb 11:33

24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

and they brought. De 19:18-20 Es 7:10 9:25 Pr 11:8

them. This savage act accorded with the customs of those times; contrary to the Divine law which enacted that the fathers should not be put to death for the children, not the children for their fathers.

their children. De 24:16 Jos 7:24,25 2Ki 14:6 Es 9:10

the lions. 3:22 Ps 54:5 Isa 38:13

25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

king. 4:1 Ezr 1:1,2 Es 3:12 8:9

Peace. Ezr 4:17 1Pe 1:2 2Pe 1:2 Jude 1:2

26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

make. 3:29 Ezr 6:8-12 7:12,13

tremble. Ps 2:11 99:1-3 119:120 Isa 66:2 Jer 10:10 Lu 12:5 Heb 12:29

for. 4:34 De 5:26 1Sa 17:26,36 Ho 1:10 Ac 17:25 Ro 9:26 1Th 1:9 Re 4:10 5:14

and stedfast. Ps 93:1,2 146:10 Mal 3:6 Heb 6:17,18 Jas 1:17

and his kingdom. 2:44 4:3,34 7:14,27 Ps 29:10 145:12,13 Isa 9:7 Mt 6:13 Lu 1:33 Re 11:15

27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

delivereth. Job 36:15 Ps 18:48,50 32:7 35:17 97:10 Lu 1:74,75 2Co 1:8-10 2Co 1:8-10 2Ti 4:17,18

and he. 4:2,3,34 Jer 32:19,20 Mr 16:17,18 Ac 4:30 Heb 2:4

power. Chal. hand.

28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

and in. 1:21 2Ch 36:22,23 Ezr 1:1,2 Isa 44:28 45:1