20/02/22 – Daniel 6:1-9
Daniel 6:1 – It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;
pleased – seemed fair; seemed good; seemed pleasing; seemed acceptable. This is perfect tense, an action completed in the past. It also has an attached preposition which means “before; in front of” and could also mean “in the presence of”. The Greek LXX translates it as “It was pleasing before Darius ….” but the perfect tense assumes an already accomplished action, so perhaps “It had pleased in his presence for Darius to have set (also perfect tense) 120 satraps (governors) over the whole (everything included) kingdom.”
princes – satraps; a governor of a
Persian province
It had seemed pleasing to Darius that he should have set 120 princes
(satraps) over the whole (entire) kingdom (to take charge of affairs of state
such as judgments). This would no doubt take a lot of the burden of day-to-day
administration from the king who would then be freer to act in matters of state
and country.
A similar system was set up by Moses on the advice of his father-in-law Jethro, to avoid Moses getting worn out by so much judgment carried directly upon his own shoulders.
Exodus 18:21-22 – 21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place [such] over them, [to be] rulers of thousands, [and] rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, [that] every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear [the burden] with thee.
Likewise today Justices of the Peace (JPs) were, in the past, set up to deal with more local administrative judgments. This eased the burden on courts of law which could then better concentrate on more serious matters.
Historians argue that it was Darius the Great who first set up the satrapy (with 20 satraps) after he became king in 522 BC. Others point out that it was in Esther’s day (Esther 1:1) when 127 provinces were set up and that this figure of 120 may have come from that kingdom under Ahasuerus. However, it does not really matter whether there were 20, 120 or 127 satrapies; the message of this passage is that Daniel was seen as a foreign interloper, a slave even, yet here he is being favoured over all the others, many of whom probably considered that they had more right as genuine citizens than Daniel. Note that when Paul declared himself to be a Roman citizen, suddenly he was accorded the rights and privileges of the Roman (see Acts 16:37-38; 22:25-29).
Daniel 6:2 – 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.
presidents – chiefs; overseers. Their task was to oversee the activities and reports of the princes (satraps) and to deal with minor problems and to only trouble the king with more serious issues. In Moses’ justice system, there were men over groups of ten, then those over groups of fifty, then those over groups of one hundred, and over all of these leaders were those to whom a thousand had been assigned to make judgment on. Those over a thousand were at the top of this system and would be seen as important leaders in their tribes.
give accounts – be giving (on an ongoing basis) accounts, reports, judgments, appeals etc.
should have no damage – should not suffer injury; should not suffer a bad reputation as a result of problems among the citizenry. That is, if anything unpopular is said, or a wrong decision is made, the responsibility falls upon these three overseers to sort it out first, so that the king is not overly burdened with negativity toward himself (negative feedback). It is therefore a protection cushion for the king.
And over these (above these satraps) three overseers, of whom Daniel was first (or Daniel was one of that three), so that the satraps might be giving accounts (reports; judgments) to them, so that the king should have no damage (should not suffer injury; should not gain a bad reputation).
Daniel 6:3 – 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.
preferred – to excel; distinguish oneself; to
be favoured as a result of excellent work.
thought – or “planned”
realm – Generally translated “kingdom”. Translated “kingdom” twice in Vs 1 above.
excellent – or “surpassing”. That is, better than the others.
It was the king’s preferred plan to set Daniel over the whole kingdom. This does appear to make Daniel the most senior of those three overseers, therefore first of them (see Vs 2 above). To be set over the whole kingdom (as Daniel was) and not the others would certainly create a problem in the minds of those who had been passed over in favour of Daniel. Keep in mind, though, that Darius himself was an outsider and therefore might have also been a target of their jealousy had he not had the authority to put to death anyone who disagreed with him. Daniel, therefore, is the soft target here. He hasn’t any birthright to rule in Babylon, and he doesn’t have the right to declare deadly punishments upon those who undermine his authority. Or so they think – note that those who tried to get rid of Daniel were to be fed to the lions along with their families (Daniel 6:24 – 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.) Daniel might have seemed a soft target without teeth or claws to fight back, but he ended up with the backing of Darius who provided what Daniel couldn’t: the execution of those who planned his death in the lions’ den.
Daniel 6:4 – 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.
find occasion – to find something that could be held against Daniel, an error (neglect of his duty) or a fault (corruption in his life). A pretext for accusation. To find grounds for charges to be laid.
forasmuch – or “because”
faithful – or “trustworthy”
error – or “neglect”
fault – or “corruption” (such as bribery, or unjust decisions etc)
It is likely that Daniel was seen as an outsider, a captured slave, and in spite of his greater wisdom, the other two overseers and the satraps (perhaps only some of them?) sought to cut this “tall poppy” down to size. However, they could find no clear evidence to support their efforts to remove Daniel from his high position in the kingdom. Cambridge says that “They were evidently jealous that a man of alien race and creed should be exalted above themselves.”
the presidents and princes – Clearly this involved both the other two presidents (overseers), but while all the princes (satraps) could have been involved, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all of them were.
Then the overseers and princes sought to find grounds for charges to be laid against Daniel concerning the affairs of the kingdom, but they were unable to find any grounds for complaint, nor any evidence of corruption (such as bribery) in his dealings because he was trustworthy (in all his official dealings), nor was there any negligence nor corruption found in him (concerning the kingdom; in his official dealings).
What a reference for godliness this was for Daniel, that his enemies could find nothing (other than his religion) to charge him with. Seemingly, they must have been unable to even make up false accusations against Daniel because of his uprightness (he was faithful; trustworthy). They were not able to come up with any dirt they could make stick to Daniel.
In the desert under Moses, Korah, Dathan and Abiram thought that they had just as much right, maybe more, to offer incense to God like the priesthood family of Aaron (Numbers 16). They with their families were destroyed by God who then declared Aaron to be His chosen priestly servant. Then the people of Israel murmured (whinged, grumbled) about this so God sent a plague that killed a further 14700 people. Jealousy is a terrible thing.
Daniel 6:5 – 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.
These men decided that if they were to find anything that could be grounds for charges to be laid, then it would have to be concerning his religious beliefs (concerning the law of his God). What a testimony, that these men were unable to find any grounds for charges to be laid (despite their careful study of all options) other than that he worshipped the one true God, the God whom Nebuchadnezzar had declared to be “a God of gods, and a Lord of kings” (Daniel 2:47).
It is so true of today, also, that genuine Christians are under attack from those who don’t like their uncompromising stand on what the Bible says. (Assuming that they actually are uncompromised in their beliefs.) For Christians must be all or nothing. If you cannot believe in all the Bible without having to ignore some bits, or twist meanings somewhere, then how can you justify what it is you do not believe in? It’s like a certain popular (with the world) musician who at one time declared himself a Christian, but then tried to justify certain politically correct views (on certain lifestyles) by saying that Christians today do not have to believe all the Bible because some of it was only applicable to the days of old. He stated that we have matured beyond a rigid belief in everything in the Bible being taken exactly as it is written. However, if we are to interpret the Bible as to what we can believe and what we can put to one side, then how does this agree with 2 Timothy 3:16 which says that all scripture is given by inspiration (the breath) of God? Doesn’t all mean all? If you decide that some of the Bible is not applicable to your lifestyle today, then why not just throw the whole Bible out? Why should any “Christian” have the right to determine what of God’s truth is actually truth, noting that Jesus declared God’s word (no exceptions, note!) to be truth (John 17:17). Do we not declare God to be a liar if we dismiss even some of the Bible as irrelevant and not applicable today? Genuine Christians must have an uncompromising stand on God’s word, the Bible, being all truth, in spite of the world declaring this to be so often politically incorrect!
There was a saying among the persecuted Christians of Russia last century: If you were to be charged with being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
Daniel 6:6 – Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
Then those overseers and princes, who were conspiring to find grounds for laying charges against Daniel, assembled together before the king and said to him, “King Darius, live for ever.” Note how they make sure that the king is unable to accuse them of being disrespectful in any way! Did they really want the king to live for ever, or were they just words said to get the desired effect?
There might have been a feeling of safety in numbers perhaps; it is unlikely that only one or two of these men would have had as much effect with Darius. All too often those who oppose Christians do so from positions of safety, such as having positions of authority, or with a large group behind them. What they fail to realise is that while they might have an immediate victory, in the end God will judge all actions of all mankind; not one will escape His judgment. Note the “all” in each passage.
John 5:28-29 – 28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.
Do not fear the ruler of this world (and his servants) who may be able to destroy the body; instead fear God who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell for eternity.
Matthew 10:28 – And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Daniel 6:7 – 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.
governors – prefect; governor. The word “princes’ can also mean governors of a Persian province, but is better translated as “satraps”. The word used for “governors” here is a different word to that used for “princes”.
counsellors – or “ministers”
captains – captains; governors. This is a different word again to that word used for “governors”.
Note that “governors”, “counsellors” and “captains” are not mentioned in Vs 4 above which strongly suggests that these people have been brought into the argument to merely add weight to their petition before the king. It also does not appear that the king actually questioned exactly who was involved in this plot against Daniel.
The “All” here is not what the Bible states but what the leaders of this group state. This group is not an honest group, so it may be assumed that their “All” is not actually “All”! Daniel 6:24 doesn’t say all the presidents and princes were thrown into the lions’ den, but “those men which had accused Daniel”. Also, Vs 4 above says that it was “the presidents and princes (who) sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom”, not the “governors”, “counsellors” and “captains”.
It seems that this king is a bit thick in the head? Or else is so flattered by this sycophantic talk that he cannot see what they are really trying to do? That the king must authorise any petition of any God or man for thirty days, that they must get the king’s permission first? Or even forego asking anything of anyone else for thirty days? Surely the king could have seen through this farce? Even blind Freddy would have seen this one coming. Or even his dog! Shouldn’t he have wondered why they were asking for such a petition?
It does appear that Darius is so proud of his position that all someone has to do to get what they want is to flatter him with statements of such importance that he actually believes what they say. Darius is so important, so sovereign, that he naturally must have control of all petitions made of anyone and any god even. This would place Darius above all the others, including those gods (and, as the presidents and princes hope, he will have to include even Daniel’s God of gods). Talk about the Emperor’s new clothes – there are none so blind as those who don’t want to see the obvious!
And, the penalty for not acknowledging the king’s absolute sovereignty is not light either. To be thrown to the lions means only one thing: you’re on their menu for that day (note Daniel 6:24). There is no appeals court here, no second chance, no option for getting a good lawyer to get you off, for once this law is made, then it cannot be repealed (see Vs 8 below).
Daniel 6:8 – 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.
And the king (Darius) is so full of his own self-importance that he doesn’t even stop to consider what ramifications such a law might have, especially noting that the conspirators here have pointed out (oh so clearly) that once made a law, it cannot be altered in any way. He fails to ask himself why these men are actually telling him what to do (“establish the decree and sign the writing”). And why doesn’t he ask himself why these men are so keen on making the king understand the law that did not permit any change in the law? Surely the king would have known this!
Daniel 6:9 – Wherefore king
Darius signed the writing and the decree.
And so he signs the law into existence, a law that will stand unchanged for 30 days. He sounds like a typical politician, doesn’t he, looking for votes before he looks for truth! This is what I would call a total lack of integrity from the highest authority in the land.
The world can and does work hard to destroy the testimony of Christians, often unfairly. In fact, there is much persecution of Christians going on in various parts of the world today, including China. Note that it is the good Christians who suffer, not the bad ones.
2 Timothy 3:12 – Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
This flies in the face of those who claim that good Christians will be blessed (with health, wealth, prosperity etc) by God and that sickness and strife is evidence of sin in their lives.
1 Peter 2:20-21 – 20For what glory [is it], if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it], ye take it patiently, this [is] acceptable with God. 21For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1 Peter 4:16 – Yet if [any man suffer] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
Good Christians suffer so much unfairly. And the Bible declares this to be acceptable to God because it is undeserved suffering. It is when good Christians suffer unfairly that is of most benefit and glory to God. It is also notable that people who have prayer regularly answered are often those same people who regularly suffer for the sake of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:12). Daniel’s behaviour here is what should be expected of all Christians who desire to properly serve God.
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