So the administrators and satraps went together to the kingThis phrase highlights the unity and collaboration among the officials against Daniel. The administrators and satraps were high-ranking officials in the Medo-Persian Empire, responsible for governance and maintaining order. Their collective action suggests a conspiracy, driven by jealousy and political maneuvering. This reflects the political intrigue common in ancient courts, where power struggles were frequent. The unity of these officials against Daniel, a man of integrity, underscores the theme of opposition faced by the righteous, a recurring motif in Scripture.
and said, “O King Darius, may you live forever!”
This greeting was a customary expression of loyalty and respect towards a monarch, reflecting the cultural norms of the time. It was a form of flattery intended to gain the king's favor, often used in ancient Near Eastern courts. The phrase "may you live forever" is hyperbolic, as it was understood that no human could live eternally. This greeting sets the stage for the officials' deceitful intentions, as they mask their true motives with words of honor. The use of flattery here is reminiscent of other biblical instances where leaders are approached with insincere praise, such as inEsther 3:8-9, where Haman flatters King Xerxes to achieve his own ends. This phrase also foreshadows the temporary nature of earthly kingdoms compared to the eternal kingdom of God, a theme prevalent in the Book of Daniel.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Administrators and SatrapsThese were high-ranking officials in the Medo-Persian Empire. They were responsible for governance and administration, and in this context, they conspired against Daniel due to jealousy and political maneuvering.
2.
King DariusThe ruler of the Medo-Persian Empire at the time. He is portrayed as a king who is manipulated by his officials, leading to the decree that endangers Daniel.
3.
DanielA faithful servant of God and a high-ranking official in the kingdom. Known for his integrity and devotion to God, Daniel becomes the target of a plot by the other officials.
4.
Medo-Persian EmpireThe setting of this event, a powerful empire that succeeded Babylon. The political structure included a king, administrators, and satraps.
5.
The DecreeThe event revolves around a decree that the administrators and satraps persuade King Darius to sign, which forbids prayer to anyone except the king for thirty days, directly targeting Daniel's faithfulness to God.
Teaching Points
Integrity in AdversityDaniel's unwavering commitment to God, even when faced with a life-threatening decree, teaches us the importance of maintaining our integrity and faithfulness in challenging circumstances.
The Power of PrayerDespite the decree, Daniel continues his practice of prayer, demonstrating the vital role of prayer in sustaining our relationship with God and providing strength in trials.
God's SovereigntyThe account illustrates God's control over human affairs. Despite the schemes of the officials, God's plan for Daniel prevails, reminding us of His ultimate authority.
Courage to Stand AloneDaniel's willingness to stand alone in his faith encourages us to be bold in our convictions, even when we face opposition or are in the minority.
The Influence of Godly CharacterDaniel's character and faithfulness eventually lead to a testimony of God's power and faithfulness, influencing even King Darius.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Daniel 6:6?
2.How does Daniel 6:6 demonstrate the importance of steadfast faith in adversity?
3.What can we learn from Daniel's response to unjust laws in Daniel 6:6?
4.How does Daniel 6:6 connect to Romans 13:1 on authority and obedience?
5.How can we apply Daniel's courage in Daniel 6:6 to modern challenges?
6.What role does prayer play in Daniel's life according to Daniel 6:6?
7.Why did the officials conspire against Daniel in Daniel 6:6?
8.How does Daniel 6:6 reflect the theme of faithfulness under persecution?
9.What historical evidence supports the events described in Daniel 6:6?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Daniel 6?
11.How does the account in Daniel 6 reconcile with other biblical or historical narratives about the transition of power from Babylon to Persia?
12.How did Daniel survive the lions' den unharmed?
13.Who were the satraps in the Book of Daniel?
14.Why does Daniel 6:8 refer to the supposedly 'irrevocable' laws of the Medes and Persians, given that historical records offer little evidence of such an absolute statute?What Does Daniel 6:6 Mean
So- This coordinating word links the current action to prior events where Daniel’s integrity provoked jealousy (Daniel 6:4-5).
- Scripture traces a clear, causal flow: envy stirs scheming (Genesis 37:11;Acts 7:9), and here that flow continues unbroken.
- God’s Word underscores that nothing is random; every “so” signals providence at work (Romans 8:28).
the administrators and satraps- These were Persia’s high-ranking officials, comparable to modern cabinet members and regional governors (cf.Esther 3:12).
- Their collective title stresses the breadth of opposition Daniel faced—echoing how the “whole council” conspired against Jesus (Mark 15:1).
- Power structures often unite against the righteous, yet God remains sovereign over rulers (Proverbs 21:1).
went together- The phrase points to deliberate, coordinated action—unity in wicked intent (Psalm 2:2).
- Their solidarity contrasts with Daniel’s solitary faithfulness, reminding us that truth is not determined by majority (Exodus 23:2).
- It also foreshadows later conspiracies in Scripture, such as the unified demand for Christ’s crucifixion (Luke 23:18-23).
to the king- Earthly authority is their chosen leverage; they ignore God’s higher throne (Psalm 47:8).
- Approaching Darius shows the temptation leaders face when courtiers appeal to ego (1 Kings 12:6-11).
- Daniel’s story proves that even potentates are instruments in God’s plan (Daniel 2:21).
and said- Speech is their primary weapon; words craft deceptive policy (Psalm 12:2).
- This reminds us that the tongue can “set on fire the course of life” (James 3:6).
- Contrast their manipulative dialogue with Daniel’s later transparent prayer (Daniel 6:10).
O King Darius- The respectful address masks their ulterior motive, illustratingProverbs 26:24-26—“with his mouth an enemy speaks graciously.”
- They use flattery as a form of seduction (Psalm 5:9), anticipating the Antichrist’s “smooth words” (Daniel 11:32).
- Yet God sees through every salute and title (1 Samuel 16:7).
may you live forever!- A standard royal greeting (Nehemiah 2:3) becomes loaded with hypocrisy here.
- While they wish the king perpetual life, their decree will endanger his beloved servant.
- Only God grants eternal life (John 3:16); human wishes cannot secure it.
- The contrast highlights the temporal nature of earthly reigns versus the everlasting dominion of God (Daniel 4:34).
summaryDaniel 6:6 captures a calculated move: unified officials exploit flattery to advance a deadly plot. Each phrase unpacks key truths—envy breeds conspiracy, power can be swayed by smooth words, and God remains sovereign over every step. The verse warns against the seduction of collective pressure and reminds believers that, though rulers and schemes may align against the righteous, the Lord’s kingdom alone is eternal.
(6)
Assembled.--See margin. Such conduct was very unusual in Eastern Courts, where, as a rule, the strictest decorum and order was preserved. This breach of etiquette must have prepared the king to expect some terrible crisis in the State.
Verses 6-9 -
Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. 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. 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, Wherefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree. The Septuagint, in regard to those verses, is much briefer, and reveals a better text. "Then those men came and said before the king, We have made a decree and a statute, that any man who offereth prayer or presents petition to any god for the space of thirty days, save only to Darius the king, shall be cast into the den of lions; and thus Darius decreed, and confirmed it." The fact that requests to uther men are not forbidden is to be observed. The long catalogue of officials is omitted; the whole conspiracy is the work of Daniel's co-presidents. Theodotion and the Peshitta are in practical agreement with the Massoretic text. To understand the point of this decree, that seems to us so absurd, and comprehend how any one with sufficient mental vigour left to be placed by Cyrus as governor in Babylon could be led to yield to confirm it, we must recognize the state of matters in Babylon. During the reign of Nabunahid there had been many religious changes. The seclusion of the monarch had led to the neglect of many of the regular rites of the gods of Babil. The policy he pursued of bringing the gods of various provinces to Babylon tended, as did the similar policy in Rome, to draw off from the importance of the national religion by forming rival cults. One of the first acts of Cyrus's reign was to order the replacing of these deities in their ancient shrines. This would necessarily be most distasteful to the worshippers of these imported deities. There would be much murmuring among the huge heterogeneous population; and there would be thus a well-grounded fear of a religious riot. A bold soldier as Gobryas (Darius) was, he probably was but a timid ruler, and nothing would he dread more than a religious riot. Would it not be a plausible way of meeting this difficulty to order for one month all worship to cease? The British Government in India regulates the religion of the inhabitants as summarily, forbidding religious observances that are liable to cause excitement in votaries of rival creeds. Thus Moses assigned, as a reason for refusing to sacrifice in Egypt, the wrath of the Egyptians (
Exodus 8:26). The offering of a prayer among heathen peoples generally meant the offering of sacrifices, also accompanied possibly by processions. That the decree was made by Darius in the absence of his favourite minister might have two reasons: either from the fact that the word used (
hargishoo)
implies that the presidents rushed in tumultuously into the royal presence; that there was an emergency which must be met by instant action; or that, being a weak man, he did not wish his other counsellors to think that he was so under the influence of this Jew that he could do nothing without first consulting him; so, by way of showing his independence, he signed the decree. As for the practical deification of himself required from the subject
races, that would not appear to him a matter of importance. It might even seem to him as the surest way of doing away with the rancour of religious rivalries to give these conflicting creeds a common object. He, Gobryas, was the representative of Cyrus, in whom deity was incarnate, therefore let them worship him in his representative capacity. That Daniel should be affected by this decree might easily never occur to Gobryas Jewish worship, now that the temple at Jerusalem was in ruins, must have become very much the synagogue worship of the present day. A worship that had neither idols nor sacrifices, neither temple nor altar, would seem to the Babylonians, and for that matter to the Medians and Persians also, as much the same as atheism. Christianity seemed so to the Roman Government. Darius, then, would readily think that Daniel could make no serious objection to this order That Daniel always spoke of a God in heaven did not matter much, since, to all appearance, he never worshipped him. Some have maintained that the punishment was an impossible one. It is certain that Asshur-bani-pal inflicted a similar punishment on Saulmugina, a rebel King of Babylon, and did it in honour of the gods. The main objection has been urged from the mistaken assumption that the text implies that the lions' den was a bottle shaped dungeon. There is nothing in the narrative that necessitates this. In regard to the decree, there is reference to the "laws of the Medea and Persians," "the Medea" being placed first. It has been attributed to court flattery, as Darius was a Merle; probably, however, there may be another explanation. The small canton of Ansan, over which Cyrus was king, lay between Elam and Media, but belonged more to the former than to the latter of these countries. Both countries bad been overrun by a nomadic race, the Manda, under Astyages, who had overthrown Cyaxarcs the King of Media. Against Astyages Cyrus rebelled, and gathered to him the Medea, Elamites, and other cognate races. Dr. Winckler thinks that, on his victory over Astyages, Cyrus assumed the name Persian,
Parsu, from his race. The name
Parsua appears in connection with the Medea in an inscription of Shalmaneser, where it seems to indicate a small kingdom occupying much the
same geographical posit;on as Ansan. By taking this old name, not impossibly Cyrus avoided making the Medea feel themselves subject to the Elamites, or the Elamites to the Medea, or either to the little kingdom of Ansan. The Median had comparatively recently been an imperial power, therefore its laws and constitution would be placed before the more recently prominent Persian. One thing that must be observed is that, while the writer of Daniel mentions Medea separate from Persians, he mentions them conjointly. Had the writer been under the delusion attributed to him by all critical interpreters, that the Median Empire came between the Babylonian and the Persian, he would not have represented the Median courtiers as saying anything about the Persians or their laws; the Medes, and the Medea alone, would be considered. According to the Greek account, from which it is alleged Daniel drew his information, Persia was a small, undeveloped country before Cyrus raised it to empire. What right, then, would it have to have its laws mentioned in the same breath with those of imperial Media? If, however, Cyrus had been raised to such power, so as to be able to encounter successfully Astyages and his Scythian hordes by the adhesion to his cause of the Medea, the laws of the Medea might well get a preference, as the Medea were, in all probability, more numerous than the Persians, though the laws of the Persians would be mentioned. The claim that these laws were immutable must be regarded as on a par with several other Eastern exaggerations.
Signed the writing and the decree. The reading of the Septuagint seems superior, "And
so King Darius decreed (
ἔστησε), and confirmed it." At the same time, the verb
resham, translated "
sign," really means "
engrave," and therefore might naturally enough be used for affixing a seal to a clay tablet; only
hetham is the word usually used for "sealing" a document. Behrmann thinks it does not refer to the signature of the sovereign, but to the engraving the decree on the clay. If we imagine
yeqeem to have fallen out before "
sara, we have a reading not unlike the LXX. In the seventh verse there is a list of officials omitted from the Septuagint; it is almost identical in members with that which we find in ch. 3, but in a slightly different order, only the
sareqeen are added and the
edargazereen omitted.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Soאֱ֠דַיִן(’ĕ·ḏa·yin)Adverb
Strong's 116:Then, thereuponthe administratorsסָרְכַיָּ֤א(sā·rə·ḵay·yā)Noun - masculine plural determinate
Strong's 5632:Chief, overseerand satrapsוַאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּא֙(wa·’ă·ḥaš·dar·pə·nay·yā)Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural determinate
Strong's 324:A satrap, governor, of a, main provincewent togetherהַרְגִּ֖שׁוּ(har·gi·šū)Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7284:To gather tumultuouslytoעַל־(‘al-)Preposition
Strong's 5922:Above, over, upon, againstthe kingמַלְכָּ֑א(mal·kā)Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 4430:A kingand said,אָמְרִ֣ין(’ā·mə·rîn)Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 560:To say, tell, command“O Kingמַלְכָּ֖א(mal·kā)Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 4430:A kingDarius,דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ(dā·rə·yā·weš)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1868:Darius -- two person kingsmay you liveחֱיִֽי׃(ḥĕ·yî)Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 2418:To liveforever!לְעָלְמִ֥ין(lə·‘ā·lə·mîn)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5957:Remote time, the future, past, forever
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OT Prophets: Daniel 6:6 Then these presidents and satraps assembled together (Dan. Da Dn) 
