Daniel 6.20 [6.21]-Darius Anxiously Cries Out to Daniel, Asking Him If His God Delivered Him From the Lions
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday March 26, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 6:20 (6:21)-Darius Anxiously Cries Out to Daniel, Asking Him If His God Delivered Him From the Lions
Lesson # 191
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 6:20.
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. (My translation)
Daniel 6:20 When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?” (NASB95)
Not translated is the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), which is a marker of result meaning that it is introducing a statement which is the result of the previous statement in Daniel 6:19 (20), which records that at dawn, at first light, Darius got up from his bed in order to return immediately to the lions’ den.
Therefore, this conjunction denotes that Darius approached the den and called out to Daniel “as a result of” returning to the den.
“He cried out” is the third person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb zeʿiq (זְעִק) (zeh´-eek), which means “to shout out loud to someone, to cry out in a loud voice to someone” indicating that once Darius came near the den, he “cried out aloud” to Daniel, asking him if his God has saved him.
“Servant of the living God” is composed of the masculine plural construct form of the noun ʿǎḇēḏ (עֲבֵד) (ab-ed´), “servants” which is modified by the masculine singular construct form of the noun ʾělāh (אֱלָהּ) (el-aw´), “the God” which is modified by the masculine singular form of the noun ḥǎy (חַי) (khah´ee), “living.”
The noun ʿǎḇēḏ means “servants” and describes the relationship between Daniel and the God of Israel referring to Daniel being a subordinate of the God of Israel implying Daniel’s accountability to Him.
The word does not denote menial or forced service since Daniel did not refuse to obey the king’s interdict in obedience to God because God forced him to but rather he obeyed God because he loved God.
The word is modified by the noun ḥǎy which speaks of the eternality of God and the immanency of God meaning that God involves Himself in and concerns Himself with and intervenes in the lives of members of the human race, both saved and unsaved.
“Whom” is the particle dî (דִּי) (dee), which does not means “whom” referring to Daniel’s God, but rather the word is a marker of cause meaning that it is introducing a statement Darius made to Daniel which is the reason why Darius is convinced that Daniel’s God will save him from the lions.
It denotes that Darius was of the conviction that “because” Daniel served his God faithfully, His God will Himself deliver him from death.
“You constantly serve” denotes that Darius is acknowledging Daniel’s “faithfulness” in serving his God.
“Been able to deliver” is composed of the masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb yeḵil (יְכִל) (yek-ale´), “been able” which is followed by the preposition lĕ (לְ) (leh) “to” and its object is the shaf’el (Hebrew: hiphil) active infinitive construct form of the verb šê∙ziḇ (שֵׁיזִב) (shez-ab´), “deliver.”
The verb yeḵil does not mean “to be able” expressing the God of Israel’s “ability” to save Daniel from the lions and thus death since Darius already acknowledged and expressed his confidence that God would save him as recorded in Daniel 6:16 (6:17).
Therefore, the verb yeḵil could not possibly mean “to be able” but rather it means “to prevail” in the sense of effectively subduing the lions indicating that Darius is asking Daniel if his God “prevailed” in the sense of subduing the lions so as to deliver him.
The verb šê∙ziḇ means “to rescue, to deliver” from physical harm with the implication of being spared from physical death and is used of the God of Daniel delivering or rescuing him from physical death.
The infinitive construct form of the verb indicates the result of God prevailing.
Daniel 6:20 (6:21) 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?” (My translation)
The king’s actions recorded in Daniel 6:19-20 (6:20-21) demonstrate his faith in the God of Israel to deliver Daniel.
From the human perspective, Daniel was dead.
The conspirators were not worried since the den was sealed so that no one could spring Daniel like king.
So for Darius to rush to the lions’ den the very next morning was an expression of his great faith in the God of Israel.
Darius calling out to Daniel and asking him if his God delivered him from death was also an expression of faith in the God of Israel.
Thus, Darius was clearly a believer before seeing Daniel alive the next morning.
In fact, the king would never have gone down to the pit the next morning to see if Daniel was alive if he didn’t think that God could deliver him.
He simply would never have come down and would have mourned for Daniel instead.
Also, the king never would have called out to Daniel to see if he was alive if he didn’t have confidence that the God of Israel could deliver him.
If he had no faith, he would never called out to Daniel but simply ordered his body to be removed from the lions’ den.
Faith says that God is able.
Darius’ action in rushing to the tomb the next morning even after having Daniel unceremoniously deposited into the lions’ den and calling out to him reveals that the king believed that the God of Israel was able to deliver Daniel from death.
His question to Daniel if he was alive is another expression of his faith in the God of Israel’s ability to save him.
By describing the God of Israel as the “living God” the king was also acknowledging that He is active and powerful as well as executing judgment and bestowing blessings on mankind, which indicates that the king acknowledges that the God of Israel had the power of life and death in His hand.
Now, some might argue that Darius didn’t sound to confident in God’s ability in Daniel 6:20 (6:21) since this verse records the king crying out in a troubled voice to Daniel and asks if his God had delivered him from death.
It appears that Darius is expressing doubt in Daniel’s God’s ability to save him but we need to be aware of the fact that the king recognizes that God is sovereign and could have decided not to save Daniel.
Thus, the king’s question in this verse simply reveals the king was not sure if God was willing to save Daniel.
He wasn’t doubting God’s ability to save Daniel but only doubting whether or not it was God’s will to save him.
As we noted, the king was fasting in order to demonstrate his repentance to the God of Israel in the hopes that He would reverse his action in executing Daniel.
Like the king of Nineveh, Darius fasted in order to demonstrate to the God of Israel his repentance and desire that God would relent.
Darius repented because he wanted God to intervene and save Daniel.
The king’s statement in Daniel 6:16 (6:17) and his question in Daniel 6:20 (6:21) indicates that the basis for his confidence that the God of Israel will save Daniel is that Daniel served the God of Israel faithfully.
Darius is saying that because you Daniel serve Him faithfully, did God decide to rescue you from the lions?
Darius believes that God should deliver Daniel because Daniel was faithful to the point of death.
He thinks that because Daniel was faithful to God to the extent that Daniel obeyed God rather than Darius’ interdict, God should rescue Daniel from the lions.
The king believes that this would be just of God to do.
This is not to imply that he believes God would be unjust to not deliver him since the king respects God’s decision if he does not choose to save Daniel.
Also, the fact that Darius asks this question in a distressed voice indicates that the king respected God in the sense that he acknowledged that it was God’s decision to save Daniel or not.
The king is distressed because it was his bad decision to sign into law the interdict which led to Daniel being sentenced to death in the first place.
The fact that Darius respects God whether or not He saves Daniel would indicate that he recognizes that the God of Israel is perfect justice and does not do anything unfairly to His creatures and His servants.
This in turn would indicate he was taught this by Daniel or God had taught this to the king through some other manner or person.
In fact, by saving Daniel, the king would be relieved not only because Daniel was spared but also the king would not be guilty of executing an innocent man.
So the king has two reasons why he wants Daniel saved.
First of all, he wants God to deliver him because he respects and values Daniel’s character and service.
Secondly, he does not want to be guilty of putting to death an innocent man and especially Daniel who he acknowledges is God’s servant.
The king does not want to face the wrath of a holy God.