Comments on Daniel 6

     With the last verse of the preceding chapter we see a change
in the rulership of Babylon, which was the general subject of
that chapter.  We are informed Belshazzar is killed that night
and Darius the Mede takes over rule of Babylon.  What that verse
omits is it was Cyrus who sacked Babylon and installed Darius as
viceroy of Babylon.  

     This chapter is much like ch. 3 in content.  Persecution for
religious zeal, miraculous delivery, and vindication for Jewish
religion.  The situation is repeated because Babylon changes
hands from the Chaldeans to the Persians.  Thus, the intent of
this the chapter is the same as 1 and 3.

v1-2  Darius set up an administration over the kingdom he has
just taken command of as viceroy.  He sets up 120 satraps who
answer to three commissioners, one of whom is Daniel.

v3-5  Daniel gains favor in Darius' eyes and he is about to be
granted control of the whole kingdom, presumably under Darius,
and the others get jealous.  They conspire against him and
attempt to find some fault in him, but they find none.  They
conclude their only means of faulting him are by entrapping him
by conflicting religious practices.

     Obviously, the underlying message is Daniel has kept himself
squeaky clean so they cannot find any political corruption in
him.  The result is they must resort to even more despicable
means to accomplish their tasks, thus contrasting Daniel's
handling of power with theirs.

v6-9  They hatch up a plan where they know they can catch Daniel. 
They get Darius to pass a law stating that there can be no
praying or petition to anyone except himself for the next 30
days.

v10-15  Daniel, fearing God and not man, goes on and prays three
times as day as before and is caught in the act by his enemies. 
They turn him in to Darius and push him to enforce the penalty. 
Darius is not at all happy with the situation and tries
everything he can to get Daniel out of the mess, but cannot.

     The message here appears to be that Daniel is aware of their
collusion, and the extremities they are willing to go to get at 
him.  As such, he appears to be resigned to being caught at some 
point, so he just decides to ignore them and go on about his
daily routine regardless of their machinations.  He knows he is
clean, so he trusts in the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.

v16-24  Darius has to have Daniel thrown into the lion's den, but
in so doing says the Lord will protect him.  Darius himself then
fasts and doesn't sleep all night and in the morning anxiously
returns and finds Daniel miraculously spared by an angel of God. 
Darius rejoices and has all of the conspirators and their
families thrown into the lion's den.

v25  The upshot of it is Darius makes a formal decree throughout
the land that the Lord is God.  The implication being persecution
of Jews and their God would not be tolerated by the state.



Copyright © 2002 by S. Kurt Neumiller <kurtn@cybcon.com>.  All rights 
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